1. (The Ultimate Guide to Using Twitter In Education) Why is there resistance to using Social Media sites such as Twitter as a form of communication?
I think the resistance to using Twitter as well as other Social Media is a lack of understanding of how to use them and how they can benefit teachers and students. A lot of people, including me, think of Twitter as a form of useless texts being sent about people's lives. This may seem callous, but I am not really that interested in knowing you are running late to a meeting or you went to Starbucks for breakfast. People's lives are pretty full already. Reading trivial things about people may help me get to know people better, but it doesn't get my grading done, get my shopping done, or exercising, etc. Another reason could be fear of too much personal information getting out there and into the hands of people whose intent is to harm you. Or saying something that could jeopardize your job.
What are the benefits of using Social Media as a form of communication in education?
One reason to use it is that it is here and students are using it, so teachers need to know what it is and how it can be used to their advantage as they teach these techno. students. Watching some of the videos and slideshows opened my mind into different ways I might want to use it in my classroom. Recently, I added a blog to my class website. During computer time, students could go to the website to add ideas. My students really loved doing this. Some of the ideas expressed in the slideshow, such as a tweetstory, collation of classroom views, and communicating with an expert, seem more appeal to me now.
What are the dangers and/or drawbacks of using Social Media in education? A big danger to using Social Media is that whatever you say, tweet, is written down and can be used against you. Teachers have to tread very carefully not to say, write, tweet anything that can be considered inappropriate, threatening, harassing, racist, biased, derogatory, or bullying towards any student, other employee, or possibly public figure. Social media blurs the line of off and on-campus activities. After reading an article in The Huntington Post, Austin Carroll, Indiana High School Student, Expelled for Tweeting Profanity, students are starting to be disciplined for actions that occur off-campus. School districts, legislature, courts are having to make decisions of what will and won't be allowed. The legal consequences of using Social Media in education might outweigh the benefits of using it.
2. (Social Networking Best Practices for Educators) This article talks about two court cases, Snyder v. Millersville University and Spanierman v. Hughes in which two teachers were disciplined for interactions they had with students on MySpace.
Do you feel the courts came to the correct conclusions?
I actually do think the courts' decisions were correct. Both educators encouraged students to interact with them within the teachers' personal life. The Spanierman v. Hughes case really disgusted me. This person was interacting with students "as a peer" and showing inappropriate photos of naked men. He then tried to use the First Amendment to cover his tail. What I learned was the First Amendment only protects us if what is being discussed is a PUBLIC concern. It does not protect us when discussing private issues that may be disruptive to students' learning. As for the Snyder v. Millersville University case, this young lady encouraged students to join her MySpace page with her students after being advised NOT to do so. Then she made the mistake of referring to her mentor when the told not to do so. Again the issue of public concern vs. private concerns was brought up. Having read both cases, I have a better understanding of what NOT to do.
Is it ever appropriate to interact with students (present and past) on Social Media sites such as MySpace and Facebook?
For me, I don't every see any reason to interact with students on MySpace and Facebook. I consider my Facebook account as completely personally, and I don't want my students (present or past) to be part of this. I think a better way to interact with students is through a class website where the clear purpose is to communicate information with students AND parents. Students can interact with one another and the teacher regarding educational topics.
I think the resistance to using Twitter as well as other Social Media is a lack of understanding of how to use them and how they can benefit teachers and students. A lot of people, including me, think of Twitter as a form of useless texts being sent about people's lives. This may seem callous, but I am not really that interested in knowing you are running late to a meeting or you went to Starbucks for breakfast. People's lives are pretty full already. Reading trivial things about people may help me get to know people better, but it doesn't get my grading done, get my shopping done, or exercising, etc. Another reason could be fear of too much personal information getting out there and into the hands of people whose intent is to harm you. Or saying something that could jeopardize your job.
What are the benefits of using Social Media as a form of communication in education?
One reason to use it is that it is here and students are using it, so teachers need to know what it is and how it can be used to their advantage as they teach these techno. students. Watching some of the videos and slideshows opened my mind into different ways I might want to use it in my classroom. Recently, I added a blog to my class website. During computer time, students could go to the website to add ideas. My students really loved doing this. Some of the ideas expressed in the slideshow, such as a tweetstory, collation of classroom views, and communicating with an expert, seem more appeal to me now.
What are the dangers and/or drawbacks of using Social Media in education? A big danger to using Social Media is that whatever you say, tweet, is written down and can be used against you. Teachers have to tread very carefully not to say, write, tweet anything that can be considered inappropriate, threatening, harassing, racist, biased, derogatory, or bullying towards any student, other employee, or possibly public figure. Social media blurs the line of off and on-campus activities. After reading an article in The Huntington Post, Austin Carroll, Indiana High School Student, Expelled for Tweeting Profanity, students are starting to be disciplined for actions that occur off-campus. School districts, legislature, courts are having to make decisions of what will and won't be allowed. The legal consequences of using Social Media in education might outweigh the benefits of using it.
2. (Social Networking Best Practices for Educators) This article talks about two court cases, Snyder v. Millersville University and Spanierman v. Hughes in which two teachers were disciplined for interactions they had with students on MySpace.
Do you feel the courts came to the correct conclusions?
I actually do think the courts' decisions were correct. Both educators encouraged students to interact with them within the teachers' personal life. The Spanierman v. Hughes case really disgusted me. This person was interacting with students "as a peer" and showing inappropriate photos of naked men. He then tried to use the First Amendment to cover his tail. What I learned was the First Amendment only protects us if what is being discussed is a PUBLIC concern. It does not protect us when discussing private issues that may be disruptive to students' learning. As for the Snyder v. Millersville University case, this young lady encouraged students to join her MySpace page with her students after being advised NOT to do so. Then she made the mistake of referring to her mentor when the told not to do so. Again the issue of public concern vs. private concerns was brought up. Having read both cases, I have a better understanding of what NOT to do.
Is it ever appropriate to interact with students (present and past) on Social Media sites such as MySpace and Facebook?
For me, I don't every see any reason to interact with students on MySpace and Facebook. I consider my Facebook account as completely personally, and I don't want my students (present or past) to be part of this. I think a better way to interact with students is through a class website where the clear purpose is to communicate information with students AND parents. Students can interact with one another and the teacher regarding educational topics.