I'm a technology hypocrite - Its my job to be.
Justin Bathon on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 11:42PM Miguel Guhlin today called me a hypocrite. In an earlier post about social networking sites, I had recommended that teachers on the job market get rid of their facebook pages. I stand by what I wrote before because I know school administrators that use facebook to screen out potential teachers. Now, the policy person in me agree's with Miguel's post 100% and when I wrote my post on social networking, I can tell you that the policy and technology advocate in me was cringing. But, I wrote it all the same because that's who I am.
Now, I like a good argument and I don't really mind being called a hypocrite, even on one of the top 25 edublogs. It sort of comes with the territory. In fact, I am happy someone is paying enough attention to the blog to call me out on something.
But, even though I have been blogging now for a few years, I have always felt distant from the larger edublogging community and I think this little exchange sort of points out why (and why some might see me as a hypocrite). This is not a technology blog and I am not into technology for technology's sake. I am into educational law and policy and I use technology to talk about and give advice on those kinds of issues. My job, the one I get paid for, is to teach educational law and ethics and some other ed. leadership issues to future school officials. Sometimes that requires me to put my personal feelings and thoughts aside in favor of the law as it exists in reality.
So, here's the deal. I am going to pull on the reins of technology, as I did in the post for which I was called a hypocrite. It is my job to pull on those reins. If that translates into me recommending against using technology tools that I otherwise think are awesome, so be it. In fact, I take some pride in being called a technology hypocrite. I am an educational lawyer and an educational policy Ph.D. - my identity is hypocritical. It is my job to simultaneously protect the schools and to change the schools - and those two things almost never pull in the same direction at once. I don't have the luxury of being only an educational lawyer or only an educational advocate. Its my job to be both - and, in fact, I would argue that most school leaders, especially technologically savvy school leaders, are in a very similar position.
So, my name is Justin. And, I am proud to be an unapologetic technology hypocrite.
Reader Comments (4)
Justin, howdy! I'll have to buy you lunch or dinner next time we meet to make up for that. I meant the hypocrisy of the point of view, not that YOU were a hypocrite. It is perfectly acceptable to engage in double-think in the blogosphere with the understanding that others will attempt to educate you (laugh).
My latest rant and step off into the ether (that is, with no substantiation) appears here...enjoy the experience:
http://mguhlin.blogspot.com/2008/10/no-longer-relevant.html
BTW, since I moved to Blogspot this weekend, my Technorati rating dropped to 4million+. So, you don't need to worry about facing one of the top 25 edublogs out there anymore since I'm at the bottom of the heap, probably FAR BELOW The Edjurist, the blog everyone is subscribing to in high numbers. Isn't that great news? In fact, you don't even have to deign to respond to me according to some points of view.
;->
Teachers are in a tough bind because they're considered legal 'agents' of their employers. When combined with the ethical / moral / role model expectations we have of educators, legal considerations severely restrict how free and open teachers and administrators can be online or offline. It's part of the job, just like it is for politicians.
So Justin has it right. Sure, many of us would like to see teachers using these tools freely and openly, but the reality is that they either have to be very careful about what they post publicly, post anonymously, or be willing to lose their job over some stance or action that they take...
Oops. Didn't mean to imply that I agreed with Justin's belief that teachers shouldn't be involved in social networking at all. 'Cause that's too extreme for me; I think there are happier mediums we can achieve... =)
@ Scott - Only new teachers on the job market and only facebook. My problem with facebook is that others control the content of your public page. When you are not someone's "friend," you can still see their friends, who frequently post half-naked drinking pictures. Teachers can't control that and that is why I recommend against facebook. Ning is fine with me and I even recommend Ning to my students. I don't have a problem with social networking generally, I have a problem with associating with sites that teacher's don't control all the aspects of.
@ Miguel - No hard feelings. I have been a fan of yours for a while and I knew exactly where you were coming from. I feel hypocritical about it myself sometimes so the post was just as much as response to my own feelings about it as it was a response to you. You just gave me a reason to do a little public self-reflection.