#7 "Should Schools Regulate Offsite Online Behavior?"

Point/Counter Point by Nancy E.Willard and Lynn Wietcha

This article addresses a key issue in our schools as well as our communities. How far should teachers be allowed to go in order to protect students from online bullying? Nancy Willard believes that teachers should have that right to engage harmful material even if it occurred off school grounds. She argues that whether the bullying is taking place off campus the conflict almost always eventually boils over at the school grounds. Lynn Wietecha argues that teachers have enough on their plates already without having to monitor students actions off campus. She believes it is reasonable for schools to be accountable for students and being required to meet state mandated content standards to name only a few requirements, they have enough responsibility already.
1) How could a teacher help and or monitor the situations of students off campus behavior?
Teachers can advise students about this issue and give students helpful tips on how to avoid "cyber bullying." Such as, don't hang out on sites where students treat you badly, save any evidence of harassment to help determine the identity of the aggressor, and remember to not "retaliate" against the aggressor, this only gives the bully a "win".
2) Can school officials respond to to these types of harmful acts against students that occur away from school?
The current legal standard is that "school officials may respond with formal discipline if the off-campus online speech creates,threatens to create, a substantial and material disruption of the school or interference with the rights of students to be secure."

I believe teachers should do what they can under the legal standard to protect students and provide a safe learning environment. Because there is no such thing as an "un-safe learning environment." Learning environments are safe environments.