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http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?url=/video/law/2007/05/06/pkg.pa.degree.lost.myspace.whp
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This is our class blog. We'll store important links here, important info, and hopefully do some communicating.
About Me
- Hambone
- I have black hair and no tail. I recently lost my right eye while on patrol.
Links
- SLURL to Our Virtual Classroom in SL
- MLA Mini-guide from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)
- A Game My Former Student Suggests
- A Horror Game Hambone Plays
- Wiki for Discussion Questions
- Evolution of Essay Structure
- An Example of a New Essay
- Some Visual Rhetoric Terms
- A Collection of Ads with Gender Analysis
15 comments:
How unfair is that!?! I can understand that it may not be professional, but she is of the legal drinking age! She's in college. Aren't college students expected to drink?! If OU did that, there would a huge percent of students that wouldn't receive their teaching degrees!
I don't understand why the university did what they did. I don't even understand why it's an issue. Unless one of her students (from her student teaching experiences) was her myspace friend and had made a comment about her picture, then nothing should have been done to her.
I really think that the University was unfair with their decision. I agree with "dance freak" she was of legal age she didn't get report for acting unruly. She has no record from the school as to being a troubling student. She has the right to have something to drink, she was going to graduate in ONE day. To lower her degree was not a good choice of action taken by the University. She worked very hard to get where she is know and then get it taken away because she MIGHT of had alcohol in her cup.
Ok, well I have a completely different opinion. First of all, from what I have heard, obtaining a teaching degree is difficult and there cannot be any scratches or marks on your personal file. If you have had any legal problems or reprimandations you can kiss your certificate goodbye, Which I feel is right, because you're educating children. Second, HELLO if you are a professional why on Earth would you have "innapropriate" pictures circulating or posted on your myspace. It is common knowledge that employers google prospective employees and that they search for myspaces and facebooks. I'm 18 years old and not even close to graduating and I understand this concept.
I think it was irresponsible on her part, first off post the picture, and second of all to post the description as "drunken pirate". She said in the video that it is ironic that people assumed she was drunk just because of the caption and the fact that she had a cup. I think it is common sense that a person would assume you're a drunken pirate, if your dressed as a pirate with a big plastic cup in your hand. Duh. People need to think about these things before they just post anything about themselves on profile pages. And if she absolutely had to have the picture on her page, she should have made use of the privacy settings.
I don't find any problem with the school district releasing her or the lowering of her degree; if anything I find it relieving, because I don't want some one like that teaching my child with my tax dollars. Also, if I were the principal or superintendent, I wouldn't want to have that associated with my school or pretend that such behavior is acceptable. And the fact that she was over 21 is even more appaling, because by that age you are expected to be "mature" enough to handle alcohol. So you should definately be mature enough to realize you're about to graduate and you need to portray a certain amount of professionalism.
And the comment about: college students are expected to drink; no I'm expected to get my degree and have a career. That is what my parents are paying thousands of dollars a year for me to do, not drink. I also would not have a problem if OU implemented such things, because then maybe we wouldn't have to have such problems with our reputation. I mean, I like to go out and have fun and party just like everyone else, btu there comes a time when you have to grow up or deal with the consequences.
I agree with the fact that is was not very professional of her to post such a picture on myspace. But first of all, there is only a cup in the picture, not a beer, a glass of wine, etc. While the caption may say "drunken pirate," that is not really proof that she actually WAS drinking alcohol. You can't tell from the picture whether she was or wasn't. And if she had been drinking in her photo, she is of age. I don't understand how this is a problem. If she was underage, I could understand her degree being revoked, but I think the university was completely wrong in its decision. While I don't think her teaching degree should have been taken away, I do think it was the girl's responsibility to make sure incriminating or compromising photos aren't easily accessible. This is why there is an option to put your myspace or facebook account to "private."
I agree this was very very very dumb and very unprofessional on her part. You always here of people getting denied jobs and all sorts of things due to their ignorance when it comes to myspace and facebook. Jobs and schools obviously take their jobs serious enough to do a facebook and myspace search so I feel people should have to pay the price if they are caught doing something this damn stupid!
That seems pretty harsh considering there was no real proof of what was in the cup other than her own personal caption... which could've been a joke. I might write something ridiculous like that too... and being an education major myself, I would be absolutely steamed if a month before receiving my certificate I was told I was too "unprofessional" because of a picture. I know teachers are held to a pretty uptight standard. For example... teachers in my town are not allowed to go to any bars where they might see students.
When you decide to be a teacher, you automatically give up the option of getting crazy drunk or abusing drugs, etc. I understand and agree that it is necessary. After all, teachers are the role models of your children. But I still think this myspace picture is a completely different level of surveillance, and is just a bit too much.
It's a really unfortunate situation on her part, but myspace is public, and from the schools point of view, you don't want your high school students going on line and finding all kinds of pictures of their student teacher boozin'. At my high school, there was big debate whether or not a committee should be made to monitor myspace pages of students involved in sports and other school clubs. The question was if an incriminating photo was grounds for suspension from a team or even school. I think they eventually decided that this was unfair to the students, but when breaking the rules, anyones rules that you are expected to follow, it's really just best not to document the occasion. I think it sucks that she was denied a teaching degree, but you can't post things like that on a public website when trying to get a job. At least make your myspace private...
This video sheds light on such a current topic, and is the reason I personally "untag" any unprofessional photos. I think it's stupid. Even if she was drunk that's her right because she is of legal age to drink. There should also be a seperation between a person's personal and professional life. The irony of the picture is that she wasn't even drunk. I feel like it's almost an envasion of privacy too. I understand that once you put photos on the internet they are available to the public. However, I feel that it's like leaving the front door to your house inlocked. Just because the door is wide open doesn't mean you have the right to walk in and take anything. I don't think the University had the right to invade her myspace and then use it against her I also defintely agree with "dancefreak". If OU did what that school did, A LOT of students wouldn't graduate with the degree they wanted.
I feel that the University doesnt really have the right to take away her teaching degree or not let her graduate with an education degree. She is of legal age and has the right to drink. It wasn't a picture of her giving beer to minors. The average adult drinks. She broke no laws. I dont see how this should effect her career.
In response to some other posts I thought that they said she posted it when she was graduating high school so she would have been 18 and not of legal drinking age. However, I think this seems very unfair. She was obviously able to go through all of the classes and work to earn her teaching degree and they take that away from her just because of one picture from many years earlier. It seems completly rediculous to me. Especially since they had no proof that it was alcohol, they were only lead to believe that from the caption so they have no concrete evidence. I understand that she is supposed to be professional and keep a clean record and she should have used better judgement than to write that caption. But taking away her years of hardwork and her dream to teach is much to high of a price for her to pay.
Wow is what I have to say about that video. I knew that things like this could happen and I keep hearing it from everyone but i've never actually seen it happen. I mean I think a lot of us have put up pictures like that of some sort and to think she did not get her teaching degree because of it really hits close to home for a lot of us. I would have to agree with some of the other responses and that i think the University was very unfair with their decision. If she was in fact 21 and i believe she was then I believe nothing should have happened. I agree she should have used better judgement and if you are a teacher student then you should know better than that. However, going as far as taking her degree from her is insane to me. That is really putting a road block in her career and life because of one picture which she did nothing wrong!
Wow, that really sucks. The girl did deserve a reprimand, however not to the degree that was given. She needs to understand that she is a role model to these children when she becomes a teacher and should be mindful of what she is doing. I think that switching her degree from Education to English is totally bogus, considering the fact that she put all of her time and effort into the education degree. By messing with her graduation and degree obtained, they are basically screwing up the rest of her future. She can't go on to become a teacher, but has to go back to school and pay more money just to get something that should rightfully be hers. I believe that she should have been punished, but not to this degree. I think that this situation may have been different had she posted this picture on facebook, based on the fact that it is a college student site. Myspace, however is open to everyone, and therefore students, staff, and anyone else interested could look at her pictures and what she was saying.
I think this situation was handled in the wrong way. I think a reprimand might have been the better action to take, rather than immediately punishing the girl when there was no actual proof of what she had done. I think the university decided to make an example out of the girl in order to scare other students and, while effective, this is absolutely not the right way to go about the situation. Employers, schools, and in some places, even law enforcement all have representatives now scouting facebook and myspace for inappropriate posts, photos, and comments, so it's a good idea to make your profile private. This keeps any unwanted visitors, including creepsters, out of your business.
I think at the end of the day this unfortunate decision by the university is a reminder to everyone else that the line between public and private needs to be firmly distinguished.
Orwell said that it is obvious that she is drinking alcohol but a picture doesn't prove the alcohol contents of her cup or her BAC level.
Orwell said:
I think it is common sense that a person would assume you're a drunken pirate, if your dressed as a pirate with a big plastic cup in your hand. Duh.
This type of reasoning isn't sufficient in a court of law. If we give this type of reasoning the permission to make arbitrary decisions, then where do you draw the line?
Was she drunk and disorderly?
Where was the harm and to whom was the harm done?
Then again, I wonder what the strict rules are for becoming a teacher.
I do agree about making Orwell's remarks about college students and drinking. Most people can socialize and drink, but why don't they spend that time on studying or adding to the social good through other positive means?
In my academic career, especially in high school, most teachers are mediocre to forgetable. I think the problem is less about alcohol consumption and more about people who are satisfactory teachers. Interesting to note though:
Alcohol consumption and cognitive performance in the Framingham Heart Study.
Well, although it's shocking to actually see a news story over this, in my mind, it's bound to happen. I try to be so careful as to what I put online and try to think what I would think of myself if I was my employer. It stinks that inside jokes can be taken the wrong way, but I think we should all consider that with the internet. It's our responsibility, if you want to mess around, do it in an email or in person or on the phone. I wish we could feel safe doing such things online, but point blank, we can't and people need to understand this. I know I would be very VERY mad if I was her, but as other people said, it is hard to become a teacher. In fact, within the next year, I have to have a background check because no one is allowed to take their Ed. courses without one. We also have to have a TB test and have certain grades and course requirements before we can advance to the next "teir" towards becoming a teacher.
As for what the school did to her...I hate that they did it, but I totally understand. It's a business and they're allowed - and should - fire anyone who they feel may endanger or set a bad example for their students. Parents expect this. I can't imagine being a parent and stumbling across her myspace and thinking that she MIGHT be setting such an example for my child. for her, yes, it seems unfair, but from an educator or parent viewpoint, I have to say I agree. I am surprised that such an allegation of drinking can make a university take away a degree, however. That amazes me. Part of me thinks she should get the degree , but future employers should be made aware of her mistake...just in case. We all want to believe everyone is good, but just in case. I understand, however, there may not be a way to have this happen...which leads me back into the whole, "you can't get a teaching degree if you're record isn't clean".
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