Responsible use of Social Media in Education

Teachers use of social media can be effective if approached in a professional manner. The Guilford County Schools Social Media Policy states that there are very clear appropriate and inappropriate ways to use social media in a school setting, or as an educational leader. Putting privacy settings in place on social media is required from all teachers. Teachers shall not communicate with students or parents in an unprofessional manner. Appropriate communication consists of using the teacher's academic email to communicate with parents regarding the student’s work, class activity, student concerns/behaviors, or other school related matters. In this article written by Vicki Davis for Edutopia she makes a valid point by urging teachers to not mistake social media for socialization. She draws an interesting parallel by saying social media in a classroom is to socialization, as students working in groups is to hanging out after school. This resonated with me because Davis is completely correct. Just because two things are associated with the same concept, doesn’t mean they are completely the same. Students should be able to be trusted with using social media in class without the automatic assumption that they are not paying attention. A line that I find interesting in the Guilford County Schools Social Media Policy is that the government gives schools the right to discipline faculty if their postings or social media actions disrupt school operations. It stated that this right overrules the teacher's right to “freedom of speech”. This exemplifies how serious of a matter, and how sensitive of a topic, social media in education truly is.

When talking about teachers association with social media, one wrong social media move or choice can ruin a teacher's career and a school's reputation. Guilford County Schools Social Media Policy expresses this concept well by stating that, “Your online behavior should reflect the same professional and personal standards of honesty, respect and consideration that you use face-to-face and in work-related settings.” This is basically saying that nothing should be done or posted by a teacher that wouldn’t be appropriate or comfortable for them to do in a school setting. It is vital to understand that once you sign a contract to work in the education field, you represent the school whether you are physically there or not.

In the video made by the Catholic Education in Melbourne, they explain the basic guidelines teachers should follow. I believe they do a great job reminding teachers that things we might not see as a big deal, could be dangerous. For example, the video discusses never letting a student use your phone. In normal adult life, this happens all the time. However, it creates so much unknown danger no matter how harmless it may originally seem. It is also important to remember that teachers should never use a social media network to complain about a student or a personal student matter. This seems like common sense, but sometimes teachers choose to vent, thinking no one will see it, and so much trouble is created for the teacher and school. Teachers should be allowed to use social media to further academic knowledge, however they should always be aware of the possible “what if’s” that come with the internet.

Regarding the use of social media by students in a school setting, it can either help or hinder the learning experience. In today’s society, it is hindering not introduce children to technology early on because that is what the world has become. Today’s children will use the internet and technology for most of their needs, and teachers need to recognize and prepare them for that. This video  introduces a teacher from an elementary school in Canada recognizes that social media is important to establish in a classroom. She executes this in an interesting way because she has her students create an online portfolio so they can always go back and see their progress. I also found it interesting that she found penpals for her students to practice their writing and also learn about other places in the world. Yes, I do believe that the teacher in this video may have been a little far fetched with the amount of social media she involves first and second graders in, however her points and objectives are beneficial for her class moving forward. Today, the internet is helping kids learn all subjects and lessons such as math, grammar, writing, reading and numerous other subjects. Social media allows students to share their work with each other, and help one another without having to be next to their classmate.

Teachers can properly use social media in the classroom in so many ways. They just need to be cautious and aware of the situations that could be unsafe or dangerous for the students, the school or themselves. In my eyes, there are far more positives from integrating social media into the classroom than negatives, however one negative has the ability to overrule all positives. Teachers should stick to the mind frame that in an educational setting, social media should be used solely to further the student's educational growth. They should also keep in mind that their media choices outside of the classroom have the same precautions as if they were in the classroom. Today's children will be heavily reliant on technology whether we like it or not, so I believe that schools and teachers should be able to find an appropriate balance between social media and on-screen based teaching.