The Dark Side of Social Networking

I am an avid Facebooker. I love to connect with friends online, keep up with people, learn new things -- and, generally, I am very plugged into the online world. That is why I was attracted to this article.

Of course, as a future teacher, I want to know one thing in regards to this matter: how can I keep my Facebook and become a star teacher? There has to be a way, right?

This article was pretty informative on the "do's & don'ts" of social networking in the world of education. Basically, though, I found this article outlined a lot of principals that really should be common sense to someone who is an aspiring teacher. As such, I can't say that I am surprised.

In education, everyone (parents, administration, principals, other teachers, and even students) are on the lookout for teachers. If teachers are posting questionable content and/or engaging in questionable behavior, the law actually says that "a nexus can be established". This essentially means that the law isn't on the teacher's side when they say "but it's my life, I can do what I want outside of my job, right?"

The answer is no. What I have determined for myself is that being a teacher isn't just a job -- it's a whole lifestyle. And if someone wants to be a teacher, they have to live/eat/breath everything that means. Having good behavior, being respectful, and being responsible does not stop when a teacher walks out of the classroom.

Social networking falls under that. If you're a teacher, you are a teacher all the time -- not just in the classroom. So, to keep your job, it's best to act like one all the time! Not just sometimes.

Those are my thoughts. Thanks, peers!

--Marina Skendzic

Citation: Belch, Harry Ess . "Feature: Teachers Beware! The Dark Side of Social Networking." International Society for Teachers. Learning and Leading With Technology, Jan 2011. Web. 9 Apr 2012. <http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Feature_Teachers_Beware_The_Dark_Side_of_Social_Networking.asp&xgt;.

A Reflection on the Common Core Standards

I wanted to know more about the debate that surrounds the Common Core Standards. I am becoming more and more familiar with what they are all about as I progress in my education course work here at CSUSM, but I was not sure about what the debate is, exactly.

Doesn't common knowledge within a single nation sound like … common sense? At least that was my thinking.

So, in my search for information regarding the pros and cons of the Common Core Standards, I came across an article from Public Schools Review called "National Education Standards: Both Sides of the Debate" by Grace Chen.

I will summarize for you what I found are the main points of the debate!

PROS:

• Clear/consistent
• More aligned with college requirements (more rigor, application)
• Encourage students to be competitive
• Gets rid of assessment inconsistencies between states.

CONS:

• Federal government will get TOO involved
• Will not be able to discern quality of education because it is too broad

After reading about these pros and cons… I am more solid in my support for the Common Core Standards. And, just looking at the lists of pros and cons, it is obvious that the pro list is longer than the con list. I am worried about the government getting too much involved in the bureaucracy of education; however, the wrinkles in the Common Core Standards have not been ironed out yet.

I think the Common Core Standards are a great idea and a great concept. But, like any giant idea, there are a lot of things that still need to be considered and articulated. Before implementing Common Core Standards, we all need to be sure that we are doing the best thing for the students in the end.

Thanks for reading!

-- Marina Skendzic

Citation: Chen, Grace. "National Education Standards: Both Sides of the Debate." Public School Review: Elementary, Middle, & High Schools. Public School Review, 30 Jun 2010. Web. 2 Apr 2012. <http://www.publicschoolreview.com/articles/242>.