We’ve all been made aware of the benefits and of the negatives of social networking sites, particularly as they relate to our children and students. We’ve learned to caution them about the content and photos that they post, because even if they think that their profile is private or only available to friends, it could live on forever and be reviewed when they are applying to colleges, jobs, etc.
Well, lately there’s
been some press and publicity about the way some teachers use these sites. And, I hope that you will be using extreme
caution about what you are posting, as well. An example of this is
in the following quote, “Like several other teachers interviewed, Webster said
she thought her page could be seen only by people she accepted as
"friends." But like those of many teachers on Facebook, Webster's
profile was accessible by the more than 525,000 members of the
Colleges and universities are not the only places that are checking into social networking sites. According to that same Washington Post article, “ Local school officials said they don't necessarily scrutinize Facebook when they conduct background checks on teachers. But in some parts of the country, they do.” "I know for a fact that when a superintendent in Missouri was interviewing potential teachers last year, he would ask, 'Do you have a Facebook or MySpace page?' " said Todd Fuller, a -spokesman for the Missouri State Teachers Association, which is warning members to clean up their pages. "If the candidate said yes, then the superintendent would say, 'I've got my computer up right now. Let's take a look.' "
In the May 12, 2009 issue of eSchool News there is an article that states, “While the legality of denying college admissions based on social-networking information is untested, employers in the United States can decide not to hire an applicant solely based on his or her web-based photos, blog entries, or videos, according to the study.
"There is little guidance, [because] many situations simply have not been tested in court," says the study, which was written by Nora Ganim Barnes, chancellor professor of marketing and director of the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts' Dartmouth campus
In addition to being cautious about what you post online, there is another controversial issue that is particular to teachers: should teachers friend their students and vice versa? This poses several questions: What should you do if you see inappropriate pictures posted by your students? Do you really want your students to view your personal life? Does being your students “friend” lead to other more familiar, inappropriate behavior?
Teachers across the country in recent years have been fired or suspended for online postings. The incidents have divided educators. Some say teachers can use social networking sites to help students, who communicate regularly online. Others say the risks are too great. They say some cases of teachers having inappropriate relationships with students started with electronic messaging.” Teachers and Facebook: Privacy vs. Standands, Charlotteobserver.com, Nov 14, 2008
In the current issue of Learning & Leading with Technology there is an article that presents two opposing points of view. It’s entitled “Can Facebook Replace Face-to-Face? “ Learning & Leading with Technology, September/October 2009
I think that these are untested waters and that there is a huge benefit for teachers to be able to use a social networking site for educational purposes. However, there are many negatives that go along with this: privacy issues, confidentiality, inappropriate behavior and more. How do you feel about this? Do you think there should be laws or school policies regarding this issue? Please share your opinions…we want to hear from you.
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