Educators, Students and Social Networking. Can these things really mix?
Facebook and Twitter have obviously become popular. I’ve been able to connect with some former teaching buddies using these tools.
Here’s the question. Should teachers and educators use social networking sites to communicate with their students?
What are the dangers in allowing this to happen?
Some districts have taken a hard-line view and won’t even let teachers participate in a social network. As an AP, I once had to ask a teacher to make her MySpace profile (yes, I know–MySpace is so yesterday) private, so that only her friends could view the profile.
Were my actions reasonable? Did I have a right to force the teacher to make that move? Can districts reasonably enforce a “no social networking” policy? Do districts have the right to do that? What role chould the community play in this decision?
I’m not sure I have the answers to these questions, but I think the discussion would be outstanding!