Although technology can seem like a fantastic invention, its formation has brought with it new opportunities to catch someone doing something wrong, and therefore must be treated as a dangerous tool.

Social Media acts as an insight into thoughts that may have otherwise never been known.

For example, a teacher in Texas was recently fired for utilizing Twitter to report illegal students. In this case, I would say that firing her was a fair move, considering she was a racist. But, it is also true that technology was what prompted her termination. Without it, she may not have felt as compelled to share her thoughts. Social Media is dangerous because people feel like no one is watching them, while simultaneously being addicted to the attention that they are receiving. It is the same reason that cyberbullying can occur- a screen makes a person feel safe. It is possible that this teacher would have never shared these terrible opinions if not for the seemingly blameless location that Twitter provided for her.

Sometimes, teachers aren’t the ones using technology, but still get fired because of it. Everything that we do is recorded.

Never forget this. Now, I’m not saying that doing bad things is okay if you’re not being recorded, I’m just saying that it is important to be extra mindful of your actions. For example, a teacher in Kansas was caught supposedly kicking an elementary student in the Library and was subsequently fired. Although in this video it seems clear that that is what occurred, it is very possible that other instances in which a person was accused of doing something to a student, the video was taken out of context or showed a situation to be worse than it really was.

Another teacher was fired for playing videogames with his student. Is this fair?

Most definitely. The internet gives us immediate access to anyone in the world, and it increases the threat of teachers interacting with students outside of school, which is a huge no-no. One teacher in particular innocently created a large game of Fortnite with his students, but was this truly innocent? There is never an excuse for an older role model to be interacting with children like this. It is very possible that he was a sexual predator, and this use of technology gave him easy access to his prey.

Teachers are encouraged to use technology, but at their own risk.

Everything on the internet is being monitored. Posts must be kept safe and opinion-free, and interactions with students should only occur in a professional manner (and even then, they should hardly ever occur). Technology means that every action can be used against you– posts are always there, and videos will always exist. Don’t let a small mistake cost you your job; keep your online presence professional!