I view Facebook no differently from Twitter, Flickr, PBWiki, etc. I am an engaged 21st Century Educator, modeling appropriate online behavior and providing assistance to high school students and former ones, too. As a teacher librarian, I am compelled to teach responsible use of 21st Century communicative tools. These are great public spaces, or networks, for the educator to provide professional guidance, no different than if I saw these same students at a game, mall, or other public space. If asked for homework help, or if they were acting inappropriately, or if they wished to just say hello, I would respond the same as if I were speaking to them in Facebook, or other networked environment.

I do value Facebook for touching base with family members across the country and personal friendships which I have developed over the years. As for students, I use this environment to:
1. publicized upcoming Book Club events or Library happenings
2. promote reading and discuss new titles
3. give homework assistance (no different, from my “Ask a Librarian” services in our online research resources)
4. guide a student towards responsible online use

I’m really happy to see this discussion coming up. Schools are really limiting the potential that technology has to offer. I understand their need to consider liability but eliminating resources does not seem like the educated thing to do here. School is the place where students should be able to learn about technology and how to use it responsibly. It should be okay for students to realize their teachers are people outside of the classroom. In fact, it would help many students feel more connected.

In addition to limiting the use of social networking, I’m seeing schools eliminate the use of other technology as well such as not allowing mp3 players. We could be encouraging them to expand their musical horizons or leading them to podcasts and other applications for their ever diversified “toys”. Instead we treat technology like it is the root of evil instead of highlighting the true learning potential that it offers.

Your comments about the punches such restrictive policies make to innovation and moralization (is that a word?!) remind me of Barry Schwartz’s Ted Talk:

http://snipurl.com/cv8t1 [www_ted_com]

Rock right on,
Bill

Bill Ferriters last blog post..TWIT: They Always Wonder

Like you said, this policy shows a complete lack of trust in this district’s teachers…and that is too bad.

Nice post, Dean.

Matt Montagnes last blog post..Dallas, TX Teacher Online Review Session

Chad Lehmans last blog post..Web 2 Many

I’ve had midnight conversations with students about academic work, about their lives, about sports and politics… you name it. I’m always careful to let them know that I’m still the adult / principal that they see in school, but those conversations are priceless. The teachers who take the time to set up those dynamics find powerful bleed-back into their classrooms.

One of the challenges of teaching / raising kids today is that social media has created an even deeper level of disconnect between adults and kids, as kids can now communicate faster and more easily without adult supervision than ever before. When we put ourselves into that world, we act as guides for our kids in ways that are absolutely invaluable.

Chris Lehmanns last blog post..Old Ideas, New Tools, Teaching… and a Quick Thought….

It’s not about this being the magically tool but more about an attitude around how we view technology as having some mysterious aura that we have to try and control. I think Mitchell said it pretty well.

To me this simply represents a way to mold our learning into silos and boxes that we can control. I have nothing against using district tools. In many cases these serve us well. But when a district tries to restrict communication, that concerns me. Facebook, I think is seen as a space that is less professional and certainly without a district stamp or logo, it may well be. The key here is that many tools like Skype, Facebook and others contain both professional and personal content. That’s not going away.

Ask Chris Lehmann of the Science and Leadership Academy how often he as multiple skype chats and Facebook chats open at night with students. That’s simply the best way for them to interact. It’s not for everyone. I don’t say every teacher has to use these tools but I know of many teachers that take advantage of these spaces to build great relationships with their students. Many teachers would never friend a student on Facebook and that’s fine and I totally understand the rationale. But I also don’t want to judge those that do. In my view it comes down to meeting kids where they are at. I think by participating in their world at some level it buys them credit but more importantly simply facilitates a natural communication. Let me try an analogy. It might be like saying “all communication in schools with students must take place in certain rooms under the supervision of at least 2 teachers. Teachers must not communicate with students in hallways or on the school grounds without another adult present.” Grant it, that’s a little absurd but it does illustrate that many of those passing comments, discussions or encouragements won’t take place if we restrict interactions to certain places. The use of IM and Facebook are spaces where students already are and if they are willing to meet with teachers there, why not? The benefits far outweigh the risks.

The “risks” are in my view a mindset of control that has to be relinquished.

Dean Shareskis last blog post..Control is a Worthless Pursuit

If you believe that, then do you believe that this is something you couldn’t accomplish in a way that the school could monitor and keep records of? Could you accomplish this with email? Moodle? Don’t fight to use the outlawed tools, fight for something better: a solution that gives you the benefits of the outlawed tools without the risks.

Students need to communicate. They desperately need to communicate. It’s a necessary part of making them well rounded human beings.

Lindsay Prices last blog post..The Great Baltimore Change Plane

We have done too good of a job regarding public awareness of internet safety concerns.

It seems that all internet and online interactions and conversation is considered somehow more sinister than face to face interaction. When policy like this is enacted it works. It keeps the honest, diligent and respectful teachers from using online resources to connect to their kids. The adults who are already edgy and willing to flout convention and the rules are by default the only ones left for young people to interact with online. When are we going to be able to take back the territory. Sure, ban Facebook and leave the students to the wolves, or create sensible policies and structures that allow people to make the healthy and useful connections that the internet enables. Online interactions are not by their nature any more sinister than face to face interactions. A predator who wants to harm students has many tools open to them. I admit that because of the pseudo-anonymity of the web it can be easier to reach a casualness and level of comfort that would not necessarily develop in face to face interactions with students, but online is not always sinister.

Policy that bans online communication seems simpler on the surface. Some online interactions can be bad so let’s ban all of them, seems to be the philosophy, but again. Who are students interacting with if all the wholesome teachers in their lives are banned?

Mitchell Jorgensens last blog post..Posted in Response to Remote Access

Mark Ahlnesss last blog post.."99 pictures of friends on the wall, 99 pictures of friends…"

Thanks for the resources, Dean, and for starting the conversation. I’ll be passing both on.

Gail Deslers last blog post..Happy First Birthday to The Edublogger!

wmchamberlains last blog post..I Know That!

Joanna Sanders Bobiashs last blog post..The need to inspire and to motivate…