Myspace Pic Costs Teacher Her Job!

[Robin Martin]

This story has been around for a few months, but resurfaced again today in the New York Times. A student teacher was denied her education degree from Millersvile University because of a photo she posted on myspace.com and she captioned the photo "drunken pirate". The photo can be viewed on this New York Times page.

Another source of the article: http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=2029

Stacey comments to Lancaster newspaper

You decide? What would your school do? How would your parents respond to this article? Is it something to be concerned about, or a big deal over nothing?

What if that person was an engineering major, would they deny a diploma there too?

[Adina Sullivan]

I think that this situation was greatly overblown by the university, but it is a reminder of how differently educators are viewed. We are held to a higher sense of ethical and moral "professional" responsibility than most. It may not be fair, but it is a reality. I am not a wild party person, but I am very conscious of the photos friends may post. By the same token, we need to make sure students understand that there may be people besides their friends who see what they have put up on social networking sites. Paranoia isn't neccesary, but awareness is.

[Paul Hieronymus]

I is a good thing that MySpace and FaceBook were not around when we were in college or must of us would be on the streets selling text books...

[Robin Martin]

I agree Adina about awareness. I have two teenagers and we have had the talk about who you hang out with and what others are doing while you are present. Watching for other people taking out their cell phones is such a common ocurance that kids don't think it is a big deal. That can be where trouble begins if someone appears to be doing something inappropriate.