There needs to be regulations between teachers and students when using social media. It can be a very valuable source for teachers to get to know students on a more personal level and see the way they think or feel that you do not always see in the classroom. It can also help the students feel more comfortable talking to the teacher about things they do not understand or feel uncomfortable about. It takes away the pressures of the other children around and puts them on a more personal level. However, there are things that could go wrong. A teacher or a student could take the bonding the wrong way and try to create an unhealthy relationship or have an unhealthy obsession. The social media used between teachers and students should not be solely social websites like facebook. They should use social sites that have a learning side to them and less personal information and pictures. These sites include blogs, a class website and twitter. The parents should also have access to it so they can see if anything inappropriate is forming. Less personal sites create a discussion for the students to follow and show the teacher what they know and how they express themselves. Social media can be a major benefit only if its used in the right way.
Article in the US News
I agree with you when you say that social media sites like twitter would better suit teacher student relationship, rather than Facebook since it is less private. They could also use Edmodo which was developed as a social media site for teachers and students. I think however, that if teachers want to be friends with students on Facebook, they should wait until after the student has graduated, in order to avoid any problems.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you as well. There are social media websites out there for educational purposes. Students and teachers just need to keep personal life separate from their academic careers.
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