This post ends a conversation with WindKiller, one of my regular correspondents and readers, who wrote me about my Drunken Pirates, Anyone? or "Interlife Realities 101" post. He's agreed to let me respond in my blog, hence this arc.
WindKiller called me to task for not responding to the Ms. Snyder's act in part 1, I think. Part 2 dealt with concern over people's impressions of what you do, think or say, and Part 3 concerned itself with some issues about communicating with people who aren't capable of understanding the communication.
As I did with my Conversations with the Past arc, WindKiller's comments will be in regular type, my responses will be in italics.
WindKiller continues:I support the Ms. Snyder's right to publish her photo and caption on myspace and I support her school's right to judge her moral/ethical/professional aptitude for teacher certification based on her admissions/publications.
"Professional" I might go along with. "Moral/ethical", as noted in yesterday's post.
In particular, considering Ms. Snyder was teaching at a local high school as part of her degree requirement and encouraged her students to go to her myspace site. School authorities became aware of this, investigated the myspace site, and asked Ms. Snyder to stop advertising her myspace site or, in the alternative, to remove material they considered unprofessional for a teacher (particularly considering the problem many high schools have with underage drinking).
Again, "asked". Part of the school's obligation to Ms. Snyder was to train her in being professional, me thinks. I would have "told" her that what she was doing was going to work against her. I would have "told" her along the lines of "You won't get a degree and you will have no future in education unless you ...". Also there's the confused "level of intimacy" thing that is pervading the internet these days, as mentioned in More Thoughts on Blogging. Did Ms. Snyder act inappropriately? As stated previously, "...as the environment she found herself in would dictate...". It's for that environment to judge. Do I think Ms. Snyder is a heretic? In that environment, so it seems. I also believe in the adage "Crucify the heretic then accept the heresies."
She refused on all accounts. Here is a statement from the school district where she taught: http://www.cvsd.k12.pa.us/DS/tempNews/snyderLawsuit05_07.pdf. If the student teaching is part of her degree, and she acted this unprofessionally, then she did not satisfy her degree requirements.
To me (emphasize, "to me") she did not satisfy her degree requirements if a) she was capable of satisfying them in the first place and b) assuming "a" that warnings were communicated to her in a way she was capable of recognizing, internalizing and acting upon.
To me (again, "to me") both "a" and "b" are in question.
As a parent, I know I cannot keep these influences away from my kids, but I'd like to think the schools will keep these influences out of positions of authority.
Good thought. What tests do you suggest schools apply to those they'd place in authority?
The problem here is that the masses have been handed the keys to the fourth estate without so much as enrolling in a driver's ed class and so accidents are to be expected. In this case, the lesson to be learned is to be aware of your whole audience. Or, if you don't want to be treated like a drunken pirate, don't tell people you are a drunken pirate.
LOL. Agreed and nicely put regarding your last statement. What I especially like, though, is embodied in your second statement; once again it comes down to understanding the target and intended audience.
Windkiller
Take note, I am developing a signature based on information I found on the Internet (although Outlook is giving me trouble hyperlinking cleanly to my name or the firm name).
as a further note, when WindKiller and I talked on the phone I made some suggestions for his signature.
I'll be speaking at the Society for New Communications Research Annual Awards Gala Summit on 5-6 Dec 07 in Boston. Come on by and say hello.
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