[digitally literate students = teachers' worst nightmare]

PAUL SHUKOVSKY AND NINA AKHMETELI at Seattle PI report how a student is battling a 40 day suspension from school because he posted a youtube video of his teacher. Not only was the video made without the knowledge of the teacher but the content is extremely inflammatory. The video libelliously raises various questions about the teacher including her hygeine habits (or lack of) while casting aspersions on her professional merit. While people watching the video (parents, students, etc...) might feel the video is warranted - is this really the "due course" for such complaints? The student has gone to court to appeal his suspension citing the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech.



Hot on the heels of this youtube video kafafel the bbc reports that Keele University has threatened all students with disciplinary action if any of them post defamatory comments on the internet on sites like Facebook and MySpace. The University says: "Students may face legal action from the members of staff concerned for defamation and harassment."

While students are becoming more digitally literate - using digital cameras, creating and manipulating videos, uploading them, sharing them - teachers must remain extra vigilant (while not quite becoming paranoid!) in the classroom unless they want to become the lastest teacher "forcibly retired" (as the youtube video claims is the case with Joyce Mong). Is this cyberbulling? The online harassment of teachers is causing some to consider leaving the profession because of the defamation and humiliation they are forced to suffer," the UK Education Secretary Alan Johnson says.

[Cyber-bullying could lead to school expulsion in Ontario]

"Proposed changes to Ontario's Education Act announced Tuesday are designed to stop students from posting online attacks against other students or teachers.

At a news conference at Queen's Park, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne said the revamped act will add cyber-bullying to the list of offences for which students can be suspended or expelled from school.

"These amendments would ensure that there are strong consequences for inappropriate behaviour, and provide programs so students can earn their way back into the classroom and complete their education," she said.

Ontario Teachers' Federation President Hilda Watkins issued a news release Tuesday lauding the announcement.

"Yesterday's tragedy at Virginia Tech has everyone thinking about students and their safety at school," Watkins said.

"Teachers in Ontario are happy that the proposed legislation includes bullying, cyber-bullying and bullying of teachers as an infraction that could lead to suspension and/or expulsion. This behaviour is unfortunately spreading especially in cyberspace."

Continue reading the article at CBC News