Education expert and Facebook non-user Displaced Plainsman responds to the Brookings School District's consideration of anti-Facebook-fraternization rules with the techno-historical analogy of the week:
The logic behind limiting teachers' use of social media seems akin to an effort to prevent a teacher in 1901 from using an Underwood No. 5 typewriter because the machine allowed one to write letters quickly and anonymously without revealing one's identity through one's handwriting. Instead of banning social media or texting, schools need to find ways to teach students how to use these tools as adults not as expensive toys ["Teachers and Students and Texting," Displaced Plainsman, 2011.01.10].
Well said! Telling teachers they can't interact with students via social media like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs tells kids that social media are just for kids and dangerous predators. The above commentary identifies perfectly our obligation to teach kids otherwise. We should be promoting digital literacy among our students and our teachers. That means showing people how to integrate the World Wide Web into their daily work, not treating the it like a mere playground where adults are suspect.
check out this link too for similar (alternative) perspectives. Rutland is holding off on prohibiting social networking between students and teachers. The general professional codes of conduct/teacher ethics rules already in place would cover this area. There is no need for special rules. While we are not encouraging teachers to "friend" current students, neither are prohibiting this. This decision should be one of personal choice for teachers.