Teachers and students “friending” on MySpace

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CNN posted an interesting story about teachers setting up MySpace pages and “friending” their students…and about a Missouri legislator sponsoring a bill banning elementary school teachers from doing so.  I was talking to Justin about this, and we both agree that a state bill banning this activity is completely overboard (another example of how politicians feed into the existing moral panic about these sites).  We also both agree that school districts should have their own policies about whether teachers and students can interact through social networking sites.  My personal opinion is that the vast majority of teachers and students would use the tool for beneficial and productive purposes, but that there is a slippery slope effect that would take place.  It is way too easy to move from talking about school assignments to asking more “personal” (though innocent) questions to sharing private worldviews and engaging in candid self-disclosure with another person online.  Anonymity and geographical distance while online, coupled with feelings of loneliness and the desire to connect with someone (anyone) when individuals interact through computer-mediated communication, make inappropriate messages between teachers and students a very real possibility.  I feel pretty strongly about this based on communications research done in the evolution of romantic relationships on the Internet.  Yes, I am aware of age and maturity differences between teachers and students.  Yes, I am aware that some might think I’m being a bit overprotective and old-school.  I just believe that the standard way of communication between elementary and secondary school teachers and students is perfectly fine and may not need enhancing.  Students need to learn to talk with competence and eloquence in-person with adults, rather than having the crutch of typing things out all the time.  This comes with opportunity and practice.  With post-secondary instructors and students – the potential for problems still exist, but I am much more fine with using social networking sites to connect with each other for the purposes of education and learning.  This topic is super fascinating and I would love to hear more thoughts.  Clearly I could go on, but I will leave it for now at that.

6 Comments

  1. This is a great topic… I just encountered a discussion about this in my recent workshop with a school district. I personally do not advocate for action one way or another (though I do agree that legislation is overkill!), but the discussion in my workshop was interesting. Some thought it to be OK, and I cited a few examples of teachers I know that utilize social networking (MySpace in particular) to connect with students. On the other hand, many teachers in that particular school district had been fired over their communications with students, as well as the content of their social networking pages. I think the conversation concluded on a good point, which was that no matter where the connection between student and teacher is occurring, teachers are responsible for being role models of appropriate communication and boundary-setting.

  2. This is a great topic… I just encountered a discussion about this in my recent workshop with a school district. I personally do not advocate for action one way or another (though I do agree that legislation is overkill!), but the discussion in my workshop was interesting. Some thought it to be OK, and I cited a few examples of teachers I know that utilize social networking (MySpace in particular) to connect with students. On the other hand, many teachers in that particular school district had been fired over their communications with students, as well as the content of their social networking pages. I think the conversation concluded on a good point, which was that no matter where the connection between student and teacher is occurring, teachers are responsible for being role models of appropriate communication and boundary-setting.

  3. Teachers and counselors are expected to embrace technology and communicate with students with technology. It is clear that EduBlogs, My Space, Face Book and many more of these cyber Medias are useful tools. Some school districts set up their on web-base sites for teachers to communicate with students. If used right this is a great tool, use wrong it can be harmful. Do teachers or counselors need to communicate with students outside of school, "sometimes", if kept on a professional level and direct to the point, it is acceptable. A counselor who gets an email from a student who threatens suicide on the weekend can help the child at that time and moment. A teacher who has a student having trouble with a lesson can get a quick answer in limited time. During the summer some kids still need the help of counselors and teachers. To prevent cyber communication is foolish, students use technology to communicate, and if use for the right reasons that communication can help the students through difficult times or times of needing help. If we don’t become lights in the dark for the students who will?

  4. Teachers and counselors are expected to embrace technology and communicate with students with technology. It is clear that EduBlogs, My Space, Face Book and many more of these cyber Medias are useful tools. Some school districts set up their on web-base sites for teachers to communicate with students. If used right this is a great tool, use wrong it can be harmful. Do teachers or counselors need to communicate with students outside of school, "sometimes", if kept on a professional level and direct to the point, it is acceptable. A counselor who gets an email from a student who threatens suicide on the weekend can help the child at that time and moment. A teacher who has a student having trouble with a lesson can get a quick answer in limited time. During the summer some kids still need the help of counselors and teachers. To prevent cyber communication is foolish, students use technology to communicate, and if use for the right reasons that communication can help the students through difficult times or times of needing help. If we don’t become lights in the dark for the students who will?

  5. Any teacher who wants to be friends with an ex-pupil, let alone a current one, has social development issues. There is no way they got to know that student well enough to become their "friend" at school, and if not, why are they taking steps to do so once they have left? Because they can't make real friends and the kids are easy targets. Leave young people alone for christ's sake and go mix with your peers.

  6. Any teacher who wants to be friends with an ex-pupil, let alone a current one, has social development issues. There is no way they got to know that student well enough to become their "friend" at school, and if not, why are they taking steps to do so once they have left? Because they can't make real friends and the kids are easy targets. Leave young people alone for christ's sake and go mix with your peers.

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