This+Will+Go+Down+on+Your+Permanent+Record.

From [|Christian Long]:

"You used to worry about the manilla folder. Then things really got interesting.

"Today you worry about filters and predators and firewalls and the MySpace boogeymen.

"Okay, I want to be safe. And I appreciate you wanting me to be safe. I just don't want to live in a locked box in the process.

"So, maybe it's time we had a sit-down and talked about the 'how-to' strategy for social networking. What?  Oh, I mean blogging.  What?  Yeah, like a diary. Sort of.

"Instead of shutting off every virtual connection I have with the world once I step onto campus, why don't you teach me how to 'blog smart'? Why don't you bring in some CEO's into the classroom to talk about the really 'great' kid they almost hired, until they Googled her and found those clever spring break shots from Padre Island?  Why don't you get a MySpace account and come see what I'm writing, even if it p***es me off at the moment?  Why don't you make me agile, rather than weak?

"Oh, and why are you asking my teachers to deliver a world class education for the 21st century knowledge economy but you've censored every virtual tool they have at their disposal? Frankly, I'm not sure why they give a damn.  I wouldn't if I were them.

"But then I'd be blogging my brains out at home after I punched out at the end of the school day. And then become a consultant and get 10x the pay from the same superintendent who hired me to come in and do a professional development day when "blogging" was trendy for 5 minutes."