Privacy vs. Transparency

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Twelve years ago I started a school web site. We were painfully careful not to show the faces of children in photos. We took large group photos from a distance or we showed the backs of their heads–only photos that were unidentifiable. Over the past decade, with so much of our lives online in Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and others, things have changed. We are not fully transparent, but we definitely have changed the standards of what is appropriate regarding privacy issues on school web sites.

Now I am trying to understand how much privacy I should maintain with my blog. Can my new friends help me, please? Will you answer any or all of these student blog and privacy questions?

  • Do you put up photos on your blog that identify your school?
  • Do you identify students by name in photos?
  • Do you use real names or netnyms (pseudonyms for the web) for your blogs?
  • Do you use first names only?
  • Do you link your blog and school web together?

It’s only been in the last two weeks, since the Kick Start Your Blogging challenge began, that I’ve felt like my students and I were developing an audience for our blog. I’m delighted and excited, but I’m also concerned about the privacy issue. I would love to get comments back from you about how you do it. Thanks so much!

Art: No known copyright restrictions. Source: New York Public Library http://bit.ly/fqf8sc

Title Poems

Everyone is entitled to write great poetry! And my students did, using titles as their form. You may recognize some of the titles they used by looking at the first word in each line. That’s not the important thing though. The poems stand alone–they put pictures in my head or feelings into my heart as a reader and that’s why I like these poems. (Some students chose to use their netnyms to publish.)

Check out the links on the left for individual’s student literary magazines. They make me proud to be their teacher!

Two shoes on your feet

Are better than having none

Better than you’ll ever know

If then you’re not satisfied,

Someone else would appreciate them

One good deed can lead to many.

By Professor Chuckles

Against a bull in a fight

The rodeo clown is knocked into the air while

Grain wagons are pulled into the arena

By Tiko

You’re a really bad guy.

Love is like a game to you.

Is my love too strong for you?

My heart is missing a beat

Drugs are the only thing to

Your life

By Blondie

Don’t try to fly

Stop right where you are

Believing in yourself won’t help a bit

By Fity Five

Back in the alley

In a burning cardboard box

Black smoke is in the air

By Mr. Dr. Professor Pigskin

Biggest concert hall

Baddest bands are there

And instruments beware

Loudest music in the air

By Kid Top Rod

Run across the earth

To a rainbow to find a pot of gold

You have been waiting for

By Lena Snowman

Paper ripped from books make

Planes that fly around for fun

Holy priests say that plane is a

Diver, maybe we shouldn’t play in church

By Dr. Jekyl

House of pencils

Of wooden number 2

The lead is soft

Rising up through the door

Sun is the color of its outside

By Aaron McDerbay

I hear the wind blow

Will the snow ever stop?

Not today

Bow and pray for it to end.

By Miss Baurice Giggles

Breaking records everywhere

The dirt bike hit the ramp

Law of gravity doesn’t apply to Travis Pastrana

By Norman Finkleman

Listen to your dreams

To become who you want to be

Your life is whatever you make it

Your heart will lead the way

By Rosie McDonald

Every mother loves flowers

Time to buy them

She would love them to be pink so it

Goes with her dress that way

Away to the ball with daddy she will go

By D.T. Lion

School’s the place we go to “learn”

Out in the middle of nowhere

For no reason at all

The thing we all have to do

Summer fever is taking hold of us

By Abby Rumpelstiltskin

I wonder about outer space

Thinking how the world keeps spinning

I’ll try to keep our earth clean

Try to get others to as well

Defining what stars make up constellations

Gravity will always be pulling us down

By Randolph McMan

Breaking down without you

Apart from you is so lonely

Her heart is crying

Hearts will never be the same

By NoJo JoJo

All I can think about is you

I am crazy for you

Wanna be yours

Do not want anything other than you

By Lydia Lee

One day a week

Of a whole twelve hours

These days grow longer now

Nights are spent, it is worth it

By Florian

Somewhere in idyllic Iowa

Over in the field of rich darkness

The farmer prepares the soil

Rainbows bring hope for a golden harvest

By Mrs. Krebs

Bless all

The people with a

Broken heart on a

Road to a new start

By Nicole

We are unstoppable

Are we going to win?

The other team is shaking

World is at my feet

By Abby

I went fishing

Got a fish

A long fish

Feeling happy

By Morgan

Here right now

We look up at the stars that

Go away in the light and

Again come back at night

By Crystal

You are the one that should

Belong with me through it all

With faith, hope and love you shall live in

Me forever with peace

By Shaina

Boy: “Why can’t we be together?”

Girl: “Don’t you see? It’s all wrong!”

Boy: “We can fix this. I promise.”

Girl: “Just go. Please?”

Boy: “Dance with me first. For me?”

By Becca

You are sitting on the purple stars

Belonging to the blue sky

With the striped planets

And me spinning around you.

By Brittany

Life isn’t an easy trip

Is there any doubt?

A truck drives on the road,

A highway to nowhere.

By Matt

Fishing in the pond

In the sand

The wind blowing

Dark in the night

By Lucas

If the world was gray

You would be the grayest

Only I could help you

You knew I was the one to come to

By Ryan

Teardrops on my pillow

On my bed and on

My very own purple

Guitar and pick.

By Ashley

Ain’t any time to stop and sit

No one can slow down and

Rest at all

For we are on a journey

The people are waiting

Wicked ones aren’t coming with

By Allie

You were sitting over there

Belonging to her instead of me

With her you sat

But with me you are supposed to be

By Melissa

History takes place every day

In the kitchen

The loving grandma

Making apple pie

By Leah

For you and me

Everlasting

And forever. Love

Always finds its way in

By Carli

Youth have power

Of the schoolyard.

The President controls a

Nation of people.

By Carter

Life is a rocky road

Life is a windy alley

A person going through life

The highway of life

By Aaron

Living in the past time

On that future day

A second chance for life

Prayer for a lifetime

By Molly

We sat around the table in silence

Are we going to do anything?

The thoughts were still coming. What has the

World come to, if not this?

By Kim

Big are the buildings

Girls so pretty

Don’t worry, I’m here. Don’t

Cry, I’ll be here for you.

By Jarod