An article was the topic of a number of discussions this weekend around here. My daughter had shared it with me and I can only respond with “Sickening”. You can read the story here.
How rumour, innuendo turned a man’s death into a double tragedy
I think that anyone in education lies in dread that something like this could happen to them.
It isn’t helpful to discuss the details or the response by the employer in this venue.
Instead, I think that one sentence stands out from the article for me.
Correcting the record has been difficult – it’s hard to compete with the Internet – so she and her family decided to speak out.
We talk about teaching internet literacy, the importance of critical thinking to validate statements. We talk about your digital footprint and how it’s so difficult to correct, edit, or delete anything that has gone wrong.
But, are we truly teaching it? Information shared, is shared quickly. We smile at some of the things that go viral. That’s the up side.
There is another side.
This should serve as a call to action for education.
Two things:
- Is your digital footprint saying what you want it to say?
- Are you guilty of spreading rumours that aren’t based in fact?
What are you going to do about it?
doug -- off the record 
Please share your thoughts here. I’d enjoy reading them.