It is official, we are neck deep in the world of social networking. Everywhere we turn, people are "liking", "following", "tweeting" and "posting" pictures, information, advertisements, and daily occurrences in their lives. There is no escaping it! (Cue the horror music) So naturally as educators and schools we cannot ignore the lives of our staff and students in the social networking world. Rather than encouraging and promoting social networking to their staff to promote student learning, teachers now have their backs against the wall and must monitor anything and everything they put on these pages.
Staff and student relationships are no longer face to face, we have bridged the gap to social networking and texting relationships. Different districts have positioned themselves on one side of the debate or the other. Are any relationships with students on social networking appropriate? Even if they are for school purposes? The answer from many districts is heard loud and clear, NO!!!
The following information was taken directly from Beebe Public Schools in Arkansas. The website states, "Staff are discouraged from accessing social networking websites on personal equipment during their breaks and/or preparation period because, while this is not prohibited, it may give the public appearance that such access is occurring during instructional time. Staff shall not access social networking sites using district equipment at any time, including during breaks or preparation periods..." The site continues on stating what teachers can and cannot do on social networking pages. It outlaws, "Sharing personal landline or cell phone numbers with students; text messaging students; soliciting students as friends or contacts on social networking websites..." The list goes on and on. Many districts, including the example used, discourages the usage of such educational tools and disallows the outreach to students on social networking websites. (Using a megaphone) HOW CAN A TEACHER REACH THEIR STUDENTS, HAVE A PERSONAL LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL OR USE THIS TECHNOLOGY TO ENGAGE STUDENTS WITHOUT PUTTING THEIR CAREERS ON THE LINE? (That little bird doesn't look so innocent anymore does it?)While this may not be representative of the district or school that you personally work in, we can all agree that social networking in the classroom shades a grey area in education. As educators I believe we deserve a unified understanding of social networking, our students, and the classroom. Thoughts anyone?
http://beebebadgers.org/beebe_public_schools/Section3_files/3.45.pdf
Very thought provoking topic! It would be very interesting to see different sides of the issue. Teacher POV, Administrative POV, Student POV and Parent POV. I bet everyone has a very different and valid idea of how to embrace this new form of communicating and connecting with each other.
ReplyDeleteWhile many district's response to social networking between teachers and students, it is happening and will continue to happen. There is really no way for the district to put a stop on this and even monitor this because this can certainly happen outside the perimeter of the school. Until something horrible happens to the relationship, then and only then will it get the attention of the district. Districts or school systems should set limitations and set consequences. Nice blog David!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't have an issue with students communicating with me outside of school hours. When students email me outside of school hours to ask a question about classwork I am impressed that they are taking the time to learn and do an assignment well. That being said, sometimes it is difficult to explain something via email. In this case, is it wrong to call a student and speak with them over the phone? Are there some methods of communication that are permissible and others that are not? I agree that these boundaries are not clearly established or presented to teachers.
ReplyDeleteWow on your "About Me!" I liked the way you made a journey out of it and shared your relevant insights and results. Kudos to you and your passions. I see we share many common values, especially that all students can learn rigorous content.
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