A teacher in America has resigned from a Massachusetts high school after parents saw comments she had made about pupils on Facebook. According to reports 54-year old teacher June Talvitie-Siple described her students as "germ bags", while their parents were "snobby" and "arrogant".

It is believed that Ms Talvitie-Siple thought her comments would only be visible to friends and was not aware her privacy settings would be visible on the internet, reports ABC News.

The issue of online security has grown steadily over recent years as the popularity of social networking has grown. Teacher Support Network has created a number of factsheets on the issue. If you are concerned about online privacy, these may help:

• 12 ways to protect your online privacy
• Cyberbullying and online safety: resources for teachers
• Privacy and security on the internet
• Twittering for teachers - consider using privacy settings