To Social Network or Not to Social Network? That's the Question.

 

Social Networking on a Cattle Ranch: Follow the Leader

Sprague River, Oregon

June 2011

 

2 Chronicles 1:10 NIV

"Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

The administrator tapped on the microphone to get our attention as we finished breakfast Friday morning.

"Hello. Hello! I need you to quiet down so we can start our meeting."

The gathering of staff and faculty members whispered final hushed sentences to each other, finished their conversations, and settled in to listen to an hour's worth of school policy issues from the faculty handbook.  Most issues were unchanged, but this year we had a new topic arise: Social networking.

Educators in Missouri are currently trying to interpret a new law passed in the state designed to regulate social networking among teachers and students.  The law in Missouri is a result of some teachers across the country who have abused social networks and have committed criminal acts in the process.

Other teachers, who follow exemplary moral codes of conduct, have used sites like Facebook to communicate with their students outside the classroom.

As a personal policy, I don't "Friend" current students and tell those who ask me to be their "Friend" that I will be happy to have them look me up when they graduate. Otherwise, I use Facebook as a means to keep up with former students.

Social networks and blogs have grown in popularity in the classroom the past few years as a tool educators have used to connect to our tech-savvy students. However, the adults in the room need to make sure they don't misuse these tools. Unfortunately, there are evil people who would pervert any approach to helping others learn.

I have mixed feelings about this issue. I have seen social network sites work well for my colleagues, yet I also have heard horror stories about teachers who were run out of a school due to student-teacher discussions taken out of context by students and parents who had an ax to grind with the teacher.

Technology is here to stay. There is no way to put the lid back on this Pandora's box. How school systems address the issue of social networking will vary around the nation for now, but I expect one day there will be a set of norms established for all us educators.

In the meantime, as with any other technological tool, teachers should employ extreme caution in their dealings with students.

This world gets more complex every year. I pray for God's guidance as other educators and I begin working with our students this year.
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Lord, protect teachers and students from those who would misuse communication tools.