Myspace and Facebook for Today's Teacher

Honestly, I think that technology and the internet have made it easy to interact with friends, family, and even strangers, however, it has also created an issue in the workplace; where do we draw the line at personal privacy?

Although Myspace, Facebook, Xanga, etc. are all public networking websites, should principals or superintendents intentionally search these sites to get insight on a potential new teacher or current teachers in their school district? My personal opinion is no. I think that everyone is entitled to freedom of speech and able to express themselves however they deem fit and how a person's Myspace or Facebook page is does not determine how competent or able they are to conduct a classroom. I think searching these websites and determining whether or not to hire someone based off an impression from their page is wrong and discriminative. Although I do believe that personal judgement should be used by the person when posting information and pictures on their networking sites. For example, if you knowingly post a picture or blurb about yourself that you wouldn't want your boss, or potential boss, to see, maybe you shouldn't post that information or picture. But again, I still believe that regardless of what you have posted on your page, you should not be judged or eliminated as a candidate for a teaching position.

I, however, don't have a Myspace page and my Facebook page hardly has any pictures (untagged myself from all incriminating photos. lol). I just think that you have to be smart about what you post online because you never know who may come across it.