In September’s California Educator there is a section that focuses on “The Information Age: Teaching and Learning on the Cutting Edge.” On pages 18-21 it outlines potential problems for teachers such as being videoed by students who put it out of context on YouTube and bogus MySpace accounts created for teachers by students. As we become more and more involved in creating blogs and wikis, we need to make sure not only our students are safe, but that we are, too.
What have you done to protect your students? What have you done to protect yourself? When was the last time you googled yourself? Do you know what to do if you become a “cyber victim”? What do you know about your rights? (Contributed by Vicki Kurtz)
I will also admit to checking RateMyProfessor.com. I do care more about how well I do the job than what students think--but, apparently, I also care a lot about what students think. In fact, I've just registered for College.com. No one has rated me there yet, but I now have an RSS feed for both my name and for anyone associated with the HSU English Department. I know--I am absolutely sure--I should be embarrassed now. (Update: I've just learned that my rating has been "rejected" because I "rate myself too highly." Wow.)
I YouTubed myself. I am, thankfully, video free. I also asked a student with a MySpace account to search on my name. I came up clean, but this accommodating young man warned me, with a knowing smile, that a bogus Tracy Duckart MySpace page could be tucked, invisible, in someone's friends-only corral. I think I understand what that means. Again, if someone went to the trouble of creating such a bogus page, though, I'm not sure I should be flattered or embarrassed--or outraged.
Wow. I am seriously paranoid. I should be, though, apparently.
Today in class, one young man took a faux nap on his neighbor's "soft, fuzzy" inside-out sweatshirt; someone else snapped a picture on her cell phone. Granted, it was a darling picture--Carson slumbering smilingly on Adrian's beefy, b-ball-playing bicep--but I was also alarmed at the speed and permanence with which this private-to-the-class moment was captured. If Amanda chose to post the picture to her MySpace or FaceBook page or some other public forum, the image would be cached forever. I've heard stories of services that cache pages like these for Corporate America so that future employers can access the youthful postings of potential employees.
The students with whom I work have been working on their wiki pages--pages they KNOW are available online to anyone who looks--but mostly, they were shocked when I reminded them that writing teachers across the continent can easily gain access to their work (prompted by the NYC NWP Annual Meeting presentation and who knows what else). They got nervous. What do they think happens when they post to the 'Net? Talk about audience awareness.
I guess that at this point in my late-night musings, I wonder what "cyber victim" really means. I get identify theft. I get unwitting subject of ePostings. (Heck, it makes me crazy that anyone with a digital camera or cell phone can post a picture without my express permission. That's why I am so respectful with my own digital photos.) I get the care with which I should always craft (and archive) electronic communication. I guess that if I'm always proud of what I post, I should be okay, right? Right?
For this semester's wiki project, I've toyed with the idea of purchasing a seedwiki account (instead of taking advantage of their free account) so that I can password-protect student wiki pages, but that seems to undermine one of the benefits of a wiki: audience input. And I really want to avoid the writing-for-the-teacher/class mentality. I mean, who knows? One day some future first-year-comp student could cite this semester's first-year-comp student's wiki page. Once one posts to the the WWW, one becomes--to too many browsers--an expert. The author had better get her facts straight, right? Right?
Anyway, that's what I'm thinking now. Who knows what the clear light of day will produce. Tracy
It's good to be aware of the public and permanent nature of postings (I think that's what Mauro said) but doesn't Corporate America have better things to do than search job applicants? If you may want to run for public office, you may want to be extra cautious. On the other hand, a lot is forgiven. Things are printed in newspapers without permission all the time.
Posting carefully is important. I think if you stand behind what you post and are willing to own it, it's ok. If you want to be anonymous, or are posting in the heat of the moment, watch out.
I think it is interesting to see what kind of record you are leaving.
--Harriet
Good grief! I think I'll goggle you now--I may find out some things about you I never knew! Catherine
I like your wiki assignment. I like your broadened audience and accountability. The author has to have his or her facts straight. That's authentic writing. As for your all "googleness" you ARE the high priestess of GLOT. (: Vicki
