When I reflect on the idea of using social networking in the classroom, I sometimes feel as if my opinions are useless. I will read an article like the one in class to today called \”Tweeting Your Way to Better Grades,\” and think that technology absolutely has a place in the classroom. Even when the argument that I so often hear and use myself from time to time arises that asks what do you do if a student does not have internet access at home, this article leaves me with the answer: That is precisely the reason to use it. I feel it is my job to give these kids the opportunity to use technology so that they are better prepared for a society that engulfs it at an amazing rate.
On other days, my opinions come from a place of fear. How do you maintain those personal boundaries with students if you are inviting them to social networking places with you? How do you set boundaries with your time? If a students can find you in a number of ways outside the classroom, how do you make your own personal time your own? Also, there is the fear of what others outside the classroom are doing with this very public information. I know this seems small, but one of my main problems with people outside my group of friends using these types of technologies is how informal it is all getting. As a teacher, I am affraid that using an informal setting outside of the classroom gives them them the “okay” to use it inside the classroom as well.
But I am also afraid that my fear will lead to an even more frightening place. Vancouver just unrolled the new laws concerning teacher and student interaction in one of their schools as a result of a sexual abuse case against a teacher. Under the new laws, teachers are not allowed to expose their students to nudity, this includes a college art class. Teachers may not interact with students socially outside of the classroom, this includes email. When I read this article, I was floored. This is overkill to say the least; am I heading this way?
