After reading these two articles on two different scenarios for teachers and their privacy, my own feelings that I have been cautious about have started to rise again.
Firstly in regards to the articles, Ashley Payne who was turned in by an anonymous email for her Facebook photos has a real reason to be upset. Being a teacher I do agree that you have responsibilities towards the children and you are seen as a role model. But I know I have seen many of my past teachers in public settings with alcohol or have been smoking. I saw them with my own eyes. I believe this is the same situation. Miss. Payne should not be made an example of because of photos. It is not like she came into class one day cursed at her students, then drank a beer while she taught history. This is her own private life, a holiday experience, and her own business. So in all honesty I feel sorry that Ashley Payne was crucified over such a petty case.
On the flip side, the teacher in the other article I believed crossed the line. Although it is her private blog, she is fusing her work with her private life. And when the negative outlook on her job, her students, her school, and the education system are posted online it gives off the image that nothing is good in American education. So her punishment is well deserved.
In addition to these articles I start to wonder about my own privacy. As a student-athlete here I have to be careful what I post online just in case a media person comes across something they don't like. They can use any image they find, any quote, or story and twist it our of context to use for their work. This I worry about, for myself, and anybody who can be scrutinized by the public.
To me, what happens in a person's private life away from school, sport, or work is their own life. The way people are hounded by media is disgusting and is just morally wrong. It is a shame that many famous people can not go out in public without someone knowing, or a sports person can't have a drink without an uproar occurring. This to me is a big downfall in today's media, and private society.
I am a firm believer in having my own private life away from everything. I know that when I start a career in whatever profession I will probably destroy my Facebook and Twitter so I am not investigated by anyone, which is a shame because I like the social networking sites.
In conclusion, I believe the private life of a professional, no matter their profession should be kept as their own private life, and should not be at the disposable for anybody who is not welcome into that little world they keep from the real world.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Who Owns Your Cloud?
With the new phenomenon of cloud computing coming to the surface recently, many people, lawyers included have become concerned with the privacy aspect of this new technology. In the article
Intro to Cloud Computing and Its Ethical Implications --Is There a Silver Lining - Part I of II found on http://www.criminallawlibraryblog.com/2010/04/intro_to_cloud_computing_and_i.html
it opens up our minds into the problems we could encounter with cloud computing and also individual thoughts and feelings about cloud type software.
The main focus of the article is an overview of what cloud computing is and why it has become so popular, and also why lawyers need to be up to date with cloud computing because of the privacy issues that may come up with clients.
The article brings up many ethical and privacy related issues which poses questions and thoughts in my mind about cloud computing.
Firstly is cloud computing safe?
It is easy to see why cloud computing can be successful and positive, but you only have to look at facebook and twitter to see why it can also have a negative effect. Whatever you post on these pages are no longer private. People can find out so much about a person they have never met by a google search for their facebook, or twitter page. This to me is a scary thought. You only have to watch ESPN nightly to see reporters posting twitter comments from pro athletes about anything and everything. To me this is crazy. Yes I do have a facebook and twitter account, but I never really considered the problems that could give me if I were in a working business that requires privacy.
For example I will shut down my facebook and twitter once I become a teacher. Why? because what private life and my work life should be separate especially when dealing with teenagers all day everyday.
On the flipside their should also be personal responsibility on the person who posts anything on cloud computing web sites. If you are worried about what you have on the site, delete it.
So in conclusion even though cloud computing is a very smart idea and could be very helpful in the right situation the ethical issues that could come to the surface with the cloud need to be monitored and taken seriously.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Media Addiction - True or False?
After reading the article about the Study done at Marylan I realised how truly dependent I am with media everyday. I mean I need it in my life, I use Facebook, my phone, internet to kill time, and Skype on a very regular basis. In my own defence as a foreign student I use the resources to try keep up with my family and friends back home because I do not want to lose touch with them. But at the same time I know I don't need Facebook and e-mail and my cell phone everyday.
So when reading the article I realized that I agree people are becoming addicted to technology. You only have to watch television commercials for phones, laptops, gaming devices and other appliances to see how much it is taking over modern life. For instance, I saw a commercial for a fridge that had a TV built into the door, that could access internet. Seriously, what good could that possibly do? Is that really needed?
So I guess what I am trying to say is I agree that people have taken the need for social interaction too far, so far to the point where it has become an addiction. And I would love to go back to the days where people interacted more face to face, or by letter. Because when people say things face to face, or in a handwritten letter it has more meaning and can not re-typed, edited, beautified in colors and different fonts, but it seems more real and in my mind 'cooler' to receive and be a part of.
But then on the flipside, I am writing this thing in bed, on a laptop I use everyday, after I just got off the phone with my parents. If you can't beat them, join them.
So when reading the article I realized that I agree people are becoming addicted to technology. You only have to watch television commercials for phones, laptops, gaming devices and other appliances to see how much it is taking over modern life. For instance, I saw a commercial for a fridge that had a TV built into the door, that could access internet. Seriously, what good could that possibly do? Is that really needed?
So I guess what I am trying to say is I agree that people have taken the need for social interaction too far, so far to the point where it has become an addiction. And I would love to go back to the days where people interacted more face to face, or by letter. Because when people say things face to face, or in a handwritten letter it has more meaning and can not re-typed, edited, beautified in colors and different fonts, but it seems more real and in my mind 'cooler' to receive and be a part of.
But then on the flipside, I am writing this thing in bed, on a laptop I use everyday, after I just got off the phone with my parents. If you can't beat them, join them.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Literacy Fluency
After listening to the lecture and reading through the articles I believe it is important to know and understand how times have changed when speaking about literate people and students. As stated through the material a literate person as a definition has become much more in-depth and technical compared to the meaning before technology started to play such a major role in society. The different ares of literacy spoken about each have their own specific value when thinking about a modern day literate person. Information literacy, media literacy and computer are three main types that were brought up through the topic as well as some other literacy areas.
Although each individual section of literacy is important in its own right, I believe that in order to be completely literate and successful in the constantly changing world a student, or person must have a understanding, and skill set through every section in order to be a completely literate person. Having an understanding on how to process information from different media sources, or different computer sources is becoming more important every year. You only have to look at how SLU itself is running many of its notification programs. We have SLU mail run through Google's Gmail, our notifications for packages comes through online, class registration, class scheduling, and other apoointment have all moved to be online. If students are not prepared, and if employees are not brough up to date with this literacy change it can cost them many job opporunities.
In addition to these thoughts I think that the articles given as reading assignments set out the definitions and also cover all the standards and information for each section of literacy with great depth.
In addition to that, the video shows why the articles are important. The statistics given throughout the video are firstly very interesting, but also are a wake up call for people who do not realize how important digital literacy is in today's world.
In conclusion, the literacy fluency articles given are an intersting read and are very relevant to today's world. And after reading through the articles it is now easy to see why it will be important for anybody who is not up to speed with the digital literacy world to put forth the effort to catch up and keep moving forward with the rest of the world.
Christian Salecich
Although each individual section of literacy is important in its own right, I believe that in order to be completely literate and successful in the constantly changing world a student, or person must have a understanding, and skill set through every section in order to be a completely literate person. Having an understanding on how to process information from different media sources, or different computer sources is becoming more important every year. You only have to look at how SLU itself is running many of its notification programs. We have SLU mail run through Google's Gmail, our notifications for packages comes through online, class registration, class scheduling, and other apoointment have all moved to be online. If students are not prepared, and if employees are not brough up to date with this literacy change it can cost them many job opporunities.
In addition to these thoughts I think that the articles given as reading assignments set out the definitions and also cover all the standards and information for each section of literacy with great depth.
In addition to that, the video shows why the articles are important. The statistics given throughout the video are firstly very interesting, but also are a wake up call for people who do not realize how important digital literacy is in today's world.
In conclusion, the literacy fluency articles given are an intersting read and are very relevant to today's world. And after reading through the articles it is now easy to see why it will be important for anybody who is not up to speed with the digital literacy world to put forth the effort to catch up and keep moving forward with the rest of the world.
Christian Salecich
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