Things That Can Get Educators in Legal Hot Water
Remember those World War II posters that warned, “Loose Lips Sink Ships?” Well, that dire wisdom is just as urgent today. It is possible that a comment ingenuously made in the faculty room, in an email, during an IEP meeting or a phone call can cause a teacher embarrassment, at best, or a district to become embroiled in a lawsuit, at worst. Caution to be professional at all times as well as ever mindful of confidentiality laws has always been a top priority of school districts. However, in our digital age, this issue has taken on a new meaning and has escalated caution to another level.
In order to ferret out the most critical concerns facing schools today and some tips for how to deal with these concerns, I spoke with four lawyers who work with schools on a regular basis. Following are some of the insights gleaned from those conversations.
What is considered written documentation?
Anything and everything written about a student on school grounds can be subpoenaed for use in court. Attorney Dianna Halpenny of Sacramento, California, reinforces that anything in writing with a student’s name in it is part of the official student record. It is not necessarily true that if teachers keep it at home that it is not a student record.
Email communication
When faced with the challenge of keeping email private on school servers, teachers used to be advised to use web mail versus a downloadable email client such as Microsoft Outlook, Eudora, or Thunderbird. The belief was that web mail such as Yahoo mail; Hotmail, Mail2Web, etc. were safe.
Attorney Pamela Parker of Austin, Texas, reveals another, less known, fact: even web-based email is forensically accessible. Web-based email history may still be on the school server. Parker acknowledges that schools are not necessarily monitoring emails; however, a forensic computer specialist can recreate the emails if necessary. The reality of today’s world is that everything that is digital lives forever. Parker employs a sound analogy, “Having a conversation by email or text message is no different than having a private conversation on stage at Carnegie hall in front of a full house. Most people won’t pay attention, but some will.”
Teachers may send an email to a parent, colleague, supervisor, etc. believing that the email will remain confidential between them. However, there is no guarantee that the recipient of an email will respect that confidentiality or realize the importance of keeping the interaction private. Sometimes, despite all good intentions, emails are forwarded accidentally. This easily happens when the writer uses “reply all” or continues to respond to an email that has the entire thread attached. I’ve been amazed at what I’ve had included in a message to me when I have been added as a recipient midstream in an email conversation. When I scroll down, I might read conversation to which I should not have been privy. Here’s a tip: Look at what’s attached to the bottom of your email before you hit “send!”
Phone messages
Another consideration is phone messages. Not only can they be overheard, they can be forwarded. Parker contends that even a teacher’s children might see and pass on text messages or phone emails. Parker advises educators to have critical conversations in person.
Attorney Brad King of Richmond, Virginia, goes on to explain that even messages on personal phones, especially those regarding relationships with students, can become public domain. He explains that teachers’ phone records can be involved in litigation. Again, the digital age brings a new level of accountability to the issue. Digital phone messages, as well as text messages, are easily forwarded and potentially retrieved.
Text messages
Have you ever gotten a text or sent a text that was meant for someone else? Are you sure that deleted texts are not potentially accessible if a related case was brought to court? How much text messaging is available is dependent on your telecommunication carrier. There may be information out there that you do not know is there.
Contributors:
Diana D. Halpenny
Attorney at Law
Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard, Inc.
Pamela Parker
Attorney at Law
Austin, Texas
Bradford A. King, Esq.
Thompson McMullan, P.C.
Mark Joel Goldstein
Attorney
Online Education (networking And Telecommunications Degree)
The central goal of the A.S. degree in Networking and Telecommunications in the College of Professional Studies is to prepare students either to enter the job market or to move on to a degree program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Networking and Telecommunications with the Business Option, or to another related program at.
The program prepares graduates to:
Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts which serve as the foundation for all communications networking systems.
Demonstrate an understanding of the physical and logical principles that determine how data networks, and various telephonic and communications systems work.
Demonstrate an understanding of the history, theory, terminology, and nomenclature of telecommunications systems.
Demonstrate development of a strong foundation in the basic protocols and processes employed in networking.
Demonstrate the analytical skills necessary to apply the basic concepts and principles of networking to the solution of practical problems within a technical environment.
Analyze organizational networking requirements.
Identify and select communications technologies to address organizational requirements.
Demonstrate critical thinking and communication skills required in a technical environment.
The field of telecommunications deals with the process of broadcasting messages over long distances for communication purposes. In olden days, the practice of distributing messages over considerable distances involved the use of various visual signals. In todays modern age, where the use of modern electronics and electricity have become increasingly common among both home and commercial users, telecommunication is widely considered to be one of the basic necessities of life.
Telecommunication in todays world is made possible by the use of cutting-edge electronic equipment such as wired & cordless telephones, fax machines, and through transmission mediums like radio and microwave signals, fiber optics, satellites, and internet.
Technical Community College in Durham, NC
Technical Community College (DTCC) came into being in 1958 with the establishment of Industrial Educational Center to meet the needs educational needs. In 1986, the board of Trustees authorized the name to be changed to Technical Community College. The school has a good track record, and in the 2011 Critical Success Factors Report, it surpassed performance measures in all areas but one.
The Information Systems Technologies Department at offers a wide range of computer-related programs, including networking, office systems technologies and health information technologies. They also offer programs in computer science, operating systems and information security systems. The department has six computer labs that provide students with a hands-on experience. The department offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Networking Technology degree program for people pursuing a career in computer networking.
Computer Network and Telecommunications Program
Associate of Applied Science in Networking Technology
The AAS in Networking Technology devoted to networking technology and communications. Students are introduced to the basics of networking in the beginning of the program, covering subjects such as wide-area networks (WAN), router programming, Ethernet, Internet protocol (IP) addressing and local-area networks (LAN). The course teaches networking mathematics, subnetting and terminology.
In the routing basics course, students learn about router configuration using routing protocol configuration and router software. The course helps students develop an understanding of routers and the role they play in different network situations, such as WAN, routing protocols and troubleshooting. The course in wireless technology teaches students several different communications protocols, including programming languages, frequency bands and link managers. Students study wireless mark-up language, wireless application protocol and procedures used in wireless applications.
In the routing and switching course, students begin to learn more advanced techniques. They study advanced IP addressing techniques, command-line configuration of switches and Ethernet switching. Students study spanning tree protocol, virtual local-area networks (VLAN) and VLAN trunk protocol and variable-length subnet masks. The program finishes with a networking project that students develop from the planning stage to execution. The project focuses on documentation, installation, configuration and troubleshooting.
Did you know you can earn college degree online? Well, we have gathered all the information you need to know about online colleges and degrees. Online Colleges and schools offer various study courses including education, business, healthcare, criminal justice, engineering, liberal arts, graphic design, human services, paralegal, animal husbandry, nursing, and many others, same as traditional campus degree programs do. Online colleges have improved a lot lately. Many of modern approved online colleges are creating impressive studying systems for different types of learners.
Simultaneously, many traditional colleges and universities are building online expansion programs. Almost every online course can be concluded without entering a classroom; though, contingent to particular study arenas, some of the online courses may need extra on-site laboratory sessions which prepare students with hands-on experience in the specific field. Online colleges and universities develop expertise for earning undergraduate and graduate certificates for specializations in study areas. Some degrees can be earned in as little as ten months, while others will require a greater length of time.
Degrees In Computer Science – Students who are engaged in computer science degree programs may get astonished to find out that the syllabus is hardly about computers.
Computer science degrees strive to prepare students to fully grasp the technology regarding computer systems and to evaluate and fix difficulties and develop new technologies. There is a robust aim on statistical processing and facts research creating computer sciences an incredibly math-oriented system. With graduation degree in computer science, you can assume to invest a huge part of your education and learning in analysis.
Colleges provide a wide array of computer IT degrees from Associate’s to Masters but the lowest requirement for most companies is typically a four-year Bachelor degree. Several colleges also offer you a computer science degree course in combination with another specialty area such as information sciences or engineering for those students who want to broaden up to more particular job fields after get graduation degree. Career opportunities are guaranteed to computer science students as companies are always in need of experts to create and sustain their software program and hardware. If you want the superior hand in very competitive IT market, a computer science degree would be very beneficial to you.
Degrees in Computer Programming – As a career computer programming seem to be constant in the following couple of years. Given that college students are equipped to be in-touch with the latest enhancements and technological qualifications, there should be no scarcity of job prospects for graduate students with a computer programming degree. Computer coders are those professionals who develop, test and preserve the programs that determine a computer’s utilities.
Programmers develop new computer languages and tools to make computers do certain jobs. Leading companies of computer programmers consist of software development corporations who develop packed and specialized software. These could vary from standard use software, games, educational packages and the like. Computer programmers with a solid technological foundation and knowledge to realize a client’s specifications are often in need. Web-based agencies, multi-media companies, mobile applications, online security are all upcoming new domains that programming students can look forward to as inspiring career prospects.
You May Qualify For Financial Aid.
[Top]What To Buy – Samsung Or Micromax
Today the Micromax is a well recognized name in the mobile industry especially in the wireless telecommunication industry. The company manufactured the products dependence on novelty and design, use of advanced technologies and having the depth knowledge of current consumer market. It directly challenges the brands like Samsung mobile but this is only in talks only Samsung is the very old and reliable brand in Indi a and to compete with them Micromax have to do more and more efforts.
It’s true that the Micromax offers the wide range of high-tech featured in low packed budgets but still it is difficult for the Micromax to grab the attention of consumers. Today is consumer has good sense of humor they are well aware about the things and know the tricks of smart shopping. In terms of quality, credibility and durability the Samsung is quite better than the Micromax mobile phones.
Not only for Micromax mobile but it is difficult for other mobile brands to compete with the Samsung mobiles. Today Samsung mobiles have canted the whole Indian mobile market with its great and praise able inventions. If Micromax has low priced mobile range than the Samsung has more than it. Micromax is basically known for its dual sim mobile phones in India and has launched numerous of handsets in the market while how the Samsung remains backward in this feature. To meet up the dual sim demand Samsung has especially launched its guru series in India which are not only comes up with dual sim option but also available at extremely affordable price.
I think there is useless to compete the both mobile brand together, Micromax with Samsung. When it comes to designs of the mobile phones, somehow Samsung is much better in it and this can be proved after looking its colorful Corby series. There are rare Micromax mobile are to be found with the good designs and may be the Micromax Q55 Bling is one of the examples from Micromax collection. Micromax vs Samsung’ at present this term doesn’t suit to the scenario of mobile market.
But Micromax is also trying to winning the hearts of the Indian consumers and using different different strategies to sustain them in the Indian mobile handset market. But it needs huge more time to replace the Samsung mobiles from the mind of the Indian consumers. I would prefer to all mobile buyer to go with the Samsung mobile range than Micromax.
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