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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects Medford man sentenced for sexually abusing incapacitated friend Historic U.S. Hotel subject of debate Police still looking for Christopher Sellars Deputies investigate report of home-invasion rape in White City Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects Medford man sentenced for sexually abusing incapacitated friend Police still looking for Christopher Sellars Deputies investigate report of home-invasion rape in White City Emergency Services Politics and Elections Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Education Ashland schools expand chickenpox exclusion rules Former Medford school board member Paulie Brading dies Ashland robotics team aims to build a winner Design and innovation program proposed at Talent Middle School College on the K-12 dime Environment New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Ashland trails up for changes Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure State News New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon Purchase will transfer large Central Oregon ranch to BLM Kitzhaber focuses on inequality in inauguration speech Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Oregon State University plans $60 million forestry complex Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Robert (Bob) Merlyn Fasel Audrey Nyoda Kerr - Delora Lay Van Horn Donnalee Bell Norman D. 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Achieve both in your home decor this year Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Health Ashland schools expand chickenpox exclusion rules Community blog: Dont Let Fear Run Your Life Dr. Murray Feingold: Separation anxiety common in adults Health Watch: Staying fit as a frequent flyer Community blog: Tale of the Tape Hiking Biking Faith Old stained-glass windows face threats Churches start new year with messages of hope (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Since You Asked: Sheriff's Office sells off foreclosed homes Mt. 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Medford man sentenced for sexually abusing incapacitated friend ... Historic U.S. Hotel subject of debate ... Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects ... Medford man sentenced for sexually abusing incapacitated friend ... Historic U.S. Hotel subject of debate ... Dr. Elaine Heffner: Children, privacy and big data Comment By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now Posted Jan. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now Posted Jan. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News Almost everyone has had the experience of going online to search for answers to a question or information about a product. Amazingly, soon thereafter, emails begin to appear relating to the topic of the inquiry or advertisements for related products. It becomes clear that information is being gathered about us – our interests, our tastes, even at times something about our income bracket, gender and who knows what else. In one sense a personal profile is being amassed about us as individuals. In another sense, we lose our individuality becoming part of a demographic and socio-economic statistic that lumps us with others for the purpose of marketing or other purposes of information gathering. Increasingly, the information obtained in this way has been collected as data – or “big data” – and is being used in a variety of ways in different fields. On the one hand, technology is said to have increased the information available to us and opened more possibilities. Yet in other ways information and possibilities are constrained by pre-selection based on data supposedly revealing who we are. What is the relevance of this to parents and children? Parents have often asked me whether or not outside evaluations done of their children should be shared with a child’s school. This was a difficult question since often evaluations were done because of a child’s difficulty in some area. It could be helpful to the child for a teacher to have fuller understanding of a problem. But how would this information be used in the future? Would such information be sent to future schools or beyond? Would a child be characterized by a particular period of time and behavior that may no longer apply or be relevant? In the past, there has also been a greater belief in the possibility of confidentiality – that a teacher or school would use information responsibly, with respect for a family’s wishes. In this age of technology, when everything is computerized, there is a greater concern about confidentiality and privacy. It is not just that we daily read about companies being hacked and information stolen. It is also clear that systems are so interconnected that information is disseminated often unintentionally and without the knowledge of the individuals involved. Susan Fuhrman, president of Teachers College, Columbia University, points out that new platforms are developing that connect various databases storing educational information about a student. These are used not only by the student, parents and teachers, but also researchers and developers. Researchers are interested in assessing the effectiveness of teachers and schools. Commercial developers, however, may be interested in the data in order to develop products responsive to the perceived needs of students that will be of interest to buyers. In other words, they want the data in order to sell products. Dr. Fuhrman suggests that parents and students should be raising questions about confidentiality, ownership and control, and consent. How secure is confidentiality when student identities are protected by coding? Who owns and controls access to data? Do parents and students know about the various uses to which the data is put and what is the mechanism for consent? She herself raises questions about the tradeoffs implicit in current uses of data – what is gained and what is lost. Ultimately, these are questions we need to ask about the use of data collection generally. With regard to education, we can ask if the benefit to education generally really outweighs the loss to the individual if data driven methods replace a teacher or parent’s knowledge of a child. Truth does not always lie in numbers. Elaine Heffner, LCSW, Ed.D., has written for Parents Magazine, Fox.com, Redbook, Disney online and PBS Parents, as well as other publications. She has appeared on PBS, ABC, Fox TV and other networks. Dr. Heffner is the author of “Goodenoughmothering: The Best of the Blog,” as well as “Mothering: The Emotional Experience of Motherhood after Freud and Feminism.” She is a psychotherapist and parent educator in private practice, as well as a senior lecturer of education in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Heffner was a co-founder and served as director of the Nursery School Treatment Center at Payne Whitney Clinic, New York Hospital. And she blogs at goodenoughmothering.com. By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now Posted Jan. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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