Journal 8

Journal 8: “Should Schools Be Held Responsible for Cyberbullying” (NETS 1, 2, 3, &4)

Bogacz, Renee & Gomez Gordillo, Miguel – Point/Counterpoint Should Schools Be Held Responsible for Cyberbullying (March/April 2011) Learning and Leading with Technology. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Point_Counterpoint_Should_Schools_Be_Held_Responsible_for_Cyberbullying.aspx

Summary: In this article, Renee Bogacz, a language arts teacher for 20 years in Illinois, validates her side as why she feels schools should be responsible for cyberbullying. She states that the school, along with the parents, need to work together as a team. The school needs to establish clear rules and enforce the consequences when those rules are broken. All the students should be able to talk to any member of the staff and feel that the situation will be handled appropriately.

Miguel Gomez Gordillo feels that the schools cannot possibly be held responsible for cyberbullying, which is much larger than the schools can take on alone. He states that the love that is taught or not taught in the home is the foundation for the students’ decision to do the right thing in school. He feels that some parents just don’t have the time to show their children the love that they need.

Q1. From a teachers’ perspective, what are your feelings on who is responsible for cyberbullying?

A1. As a current educator, I do not feel that schools can be held responsible for everything that goes with the students on a daily basis. There are just too many students in each classroom and too much unsupervised time during the school day. There must be a strong team connect between the school and the parents and students need to be held responsible for their actions or their lack of action in some cases.

Q2. From a parents’ perspective, what are your feelings on who is responsible for cyberbullying?

A2. As a working, single parent of a 15 year old son in the 10th grade and an 8 year old daughter in the 2nd, I cannot possibly know everything thing that my children are doing all the time. I pray every day that the Christian education I am providing them will override their sinful nature if a less than desirable situation arises. I strongly believe that a great working relationship between the parent and the teacher will encourage the student to do the right thing. It takes a village to raise a child and I am glad to be on both sides of the fence for this one.