San Antonio Express News Column - MySpace and Future Teachers

Here's a really interesting column which appeared in Sunday's San Antonio Express News which goes along nicely with our discussion in class about the dangers of MySpace for college students in terms of future employers. This one focusses on Education majors with some pretty interesting examples

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/columnists/krodriguez/stories/MYSA020407.01B.krod.1c721d2.html

Ken Rodriguez: Kids can find what principals can't on a prospective
teacher's character
Web Posted: 02/03/2007 11:01 PM CST
San Antonio Express-News

Let's begin Super Bowl Sunday with a wager: I'll bet a 9-year-old can
secure more personal information about an education major than the school that
hires the student right out of college.

I'll use Lacey, a real University of Texas student, as proof.

The school that interviews Lacey can check her grades, resume,
references — even her criminal history, if she has one.

But the 9-year-old can learn more personal details about Lacey. How? By
reading her profile on My- Space.com.

On MySpace 21-year-old Lacey actually wrote: "I like watches and
watching porn ... and watches with porn on them ... and porn stars who wear
watches."

Whom would she like to meet?

"The world's tallest midget," she wrote.

What books does she read?

"Anything shallow."

Lacey's aversion for books does not extend to business. The woman,
evidently, knows how to make a buck.

From her MySpace blog: "For those of you standing in line like waiting to
see my boobs ... that will be 20 dollars per boob!!! No less ... I also except
(sic) donations."

Principals in San Antonio's three largest school districts would never know
about Lacey's online profile.

Administrators do old-school background checks, not new-school cyber
checks. Which means Lacey could wind up teaching that 9-year-old. Think about
it. A third-grader could access more information about a new teacher than the
principal who hired her.

Scary? There are a slew of Lacey-like education majors out there. Consider
Marco, a University of Texas at San Antonio student. Marco belongs to a
Facebook.com user group called "Alcoholics anonymous ... or maybe not so
anonymous."

The group's description: "This is for everyone who is very aware they drink
hardcore, know they have a problem, and don't give a damn! Cheers!"

Consider Jesus, a 21-year-old student at UT-Austin. His Web page includes a
slide show of young lip-locking males. Included are the words: "it's so effing
hot! Boys should always kiss!"

Consider UTSA's Mahka. She posts pictures of herself in various stages of inebriation. The caption beneath one: "Can u say wasted?"

In another photo, she and a group of male friends are flipping the bird.
"Drinking and partying," she writes, "is my specialty."

She adds, "I'm gonna be a high school English teacher one day."

In blogs and photos, the teachers of tomorrow are telling the world about
themselves today.

Peers are listening. Some professors and parents are, too. Most future
employers are not.

San Antonio School District administrators cannot view cyber profiles.
Security blocks prevent district computers from accessing MySpace and Facebook
Web sites.

SAISD could get around that problem. It could use non- district computers.

The next generation of teachers bares its soul like no other in history.
Preferred music. Favorite movies and books. Turn-ons. Turnoffs. Dreams. Hobbies.
Interests. It's all there for the viewing.

The other day, I saw Web pages laced with inspirational sayings and Scripture. I came across others marked with toasts to porn and drunkenness.

Today's education majors are a revealing bunch, painting vivid autobiographical sketches online.

A 9-year-old could find God in some of the details, the devil in others.

And the principals who will hire these future teachers? They'll find what
Lacey and Marco want them to find. Resumes that glow in the dark.

Call Ken Rodriguez at (210) 250-3369 or e-mail krodriguez@express-news.net. His
column appears on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.