"With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Worries Rise" Response

"With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Worries Rise," is an article written by Natasha Singer about the rising privacy issues that students are facing across the country. As we are living in a technology era, many parents and educators are concerned about student data information being protected. California has recently passed a bill that restricts how much student information is exploited. California will be the first state to have a bill that comprehensively restricts information. Parents are concerned that information such as learning disabilities, finances, and family history will affect children's future college and careers, which is why California has chosen to take action. The federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act" is the last federal law that was passed to protect student information. However, this law was passed 40 years ago during the "filing cabinet era" and is not up to date with the technology era. The article states that personal data should only be used outside of context only with the permission of that person.

I believe that other states should begin to take initiative in protecting student data when it comes to technology. I personally do not use things such as iCloud as a safety measure in protecting my own personal information that can be found on my phone and computer As a teacher, I think that I will be very cautious of the programs that I use as well as the information that those programs request from students. I will use computers and technology in the classroom but will maybe try to use several flash drives as a means of keeping track of student work that is done using technology. This source did help remind me of the precautions that teachers need to take when assigning any type of online homework or classwork. I really enjoyed reading this article and liked how it was posted from a credible source like The New York Times. I also liked how the article provided links for information referenced within it. I think that future teachers should read this article so that they can see the parental concerns associated with technology and their future classrooms. I am proud of what California has done and hope that many other states follow in creating better safety technology standards for its students.