Fake My Space / Facebook Issues
Are Educators at risk?
As I tried to put my thoughts together for this blog it was such a challenging task. Challenging because the readings were very controversial and as an educator myself I was very concerned on how students disregard us through the use of social networks.
The first Amendment seems to play a crucial role in this issue; The “Freedom of Speech”. So it is ok for students to voice their opinions in a very derogatory way against educators because of the first Amendment. The posting Fake MySpace leads to expulsion; lawsuit http://mycrimespace.com/2008/02/22/fake-myspace-leads-to-expulsion-lawsuit/trackback/ was very disturbing to read. The student posted inappropriate pictures of his principal/ school leader and was expelled. The parents filed a lawsuit stating that their son’s rights were violated. In other words he was just freely expressing himself. WOW!!! How can ones rights be violated after blatantly disrespecting the principal openly to the world. What message are we sending to our children?
I believe the level of respect for educators is decreasing daily. Educators should be respected by students, not just in schools but even outside of schools. Students should never think it is acceptable to use the internet to voice their opinions about their educators. They should be held accountable for what they do online.
Their arguments maybe “I did not use the school’s computer, I did not say anything to cause disruption at the school, I used a fake name, I did not say anything to jeopardize his /her job.” http://www.splc.org/news/newsflash.asp?id=1812
Students are so exposed today, that it really bothers me that they are using the internet /social networks for the wrong reasons. As educators do we have rights? Who is out there as our protectors? So should I feel scared after disciplining a student because the reaction maybe a slanderous post on My Space or Facebook? An administrator was not even conscious of the fact that a fake MySpace account was created with false statement about her, the school and even the students. http://www.adn.com/2009/04/04/v-printer/748805/abusive-myspace-page-draws-principals.html .How can students be so heartless and inconsiderate?
Educators need to careful
Many school districts are encouraging educators NOT to have students as their friends on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. Some teachers may say they liked being connected to their students online to monitor them or build a good relationship with them. I do endorse what school districts are doing. I do not think it is appropriate for educators and students to engage in social networking. Educators’ personal lives should not be entangled with their profession. I do not need to build a relationship with my students through social networks and my responsibility is to monitor them at school not what they do at home or in the presence of their parents.
Educators also need to be very careful as to what the post on their Facebook page or MySpace page. Postings should reflect our characters. I definitely do not agree with a teacher or administrator who posts negative messages about students and other teachers. If educators are displeased with a student’s behavior the internet is not the place to showcase your thoughts or feelings. A math and science teacher was fired after she called her students ‘Germ Bags” on Facebook. A teacher was suspended after posting a note saying he “hated his students and his school. This is where it becomes controversial; one might say the teacher has the right to “freedom of speech” I totally agree but there is a saying that say “Character is higher than intellect.” ~Ralph Waldo Emersons, Having a good character is better than losing your respect and your integrity.
Some teachers and administrators are getting themselves in trouble with the law because they are friends with minors on social networks and it is alleged that they are using inappropriate languages. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/102810-teachers-students-facebook.html
School Policy on Social Networks
My school has not openly discussed the use of school networking between teachers and students. However the administrative staff along with the technology facilitator continues to hold workshops educating parents and teachers on internet safety, internet protection, and the use of social networks. One of the issues they stress on is making sure that our Facebook, MySpace and other social networks are very private. Sometimes students have access to our accounts because we do not check to ensure that our personal lives are not open to the world. A surprisingly larger number of school employees do not know about their settings and they assume (their information) is private. One elementary teacher wrote on her profile “I only have two feelings hunger and lust.” Her settings were not private and one of her parents saw her post and reported it to the principal. The teacher was reprimanded and almost lost her job. Another teacher had photos on her Facebook account posing with a bottle of tequila and dressed in a skimpy bathing suit. Again her FB account was not private. She was displaced because she was a relatively new teacher on a probationary contract.
Educators should be aware of the negativities that are associated with social networks. Therefore it is very essential to be seek information and know what is out there in this global networking world. http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/8/7/guidelines-for-educators-using-social-networking-sites.html
This YouTube link is interesting. It gives you an insight of what happens when you put all your information on social network sites. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7gWEgHeXcA
Conclusion
Social networking can be a positive tool to use even in the classrooms. Before the internet, life was good nobody knew your business or no one found/ had any information about you. Things have changed over the past years. Therefore it is very important as educators to monitor our social network sites, making sure settings are privateand students are unable to find information that they do not need to know about us. Also I honestly do not know how we can stop scandals against educators. All we have to do is to be CAREFUL.
I'm right there with you about privatizing your network account. All along I had a FB account and it wasn't until this past week that I chaged my status to private. I realized that too many persons were popping up on my wall because they were friends of friends and that left me wide open. I'm a very private person and my getting the account in the first place was really an experiment. I also agree with NOT having students as friends on the sites. I do not think it is appropriate plus my school district has been known to relieve teachers of their positions based on what they believe was inappropriate comments between teacher and students or a picture the teacher posted that the student should not be able to see. The communication line appropriate and not appropriate is very thin and because of this I would encourage as you havejust refrain from getting involved. Good post.
ReplyDeleteI like the first question that you asked. Are teachers at risk? My answer to that is a resounding yes. Yes we are at risk from students who are maliscious and will choose to write things about us on the web. Yes we are at risk of being let down by our administrators who stand on the side of the student because it was not done on school compound or property. Yes, we are at risk of being shunned by the courts for the very same reasons our administrators give. Yes, we (teachers) are a nation at risk? How can we do our jobs effectively with such a weight hanging over our heads.
ReplyDeleteYou made some very good points. First "encouraging educators NOT to have students as their friends on social networks". The name "social" should be a red flag. As teachers the relationship with out students should never cross the professional line into "Social" and so the children we teach should not be on our social pages. Secondly, "Educators also need to be very careful as to what the post on their Facebook page or MySpace page". I was surprised to read just how many teachers had made the mistake of posting nasty statements about their students and school on these sites. If we are to get the respect we deserve we cannot subject ourselves to stooping to the kids level. We are the adults, the professionals and we must play that part.
ReplyDeleteGood post. I have not (yet), but I wonder if the same "no students as friends" on Facebook applies (or should apply) at the college or graduate level? I know that quite a few of my colleagues use Facebook as a connection to their college students.
ReplyDeleteDo you realize that you do not have to have students as friends for them to cause damage. think about it!!! I am sure that you are doing all that the district recommends, no students as friends etc.,,, but then you reprimand one student and he creates a profile as it was you with lewd and vulgar things,, school district supends you pending investigation, your world is in caos. Can educators really protect themselves from this????
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I have always been very cautious of social networks because of some of these very problems. You said it right,people have access to your information even if they are not your "friend", information that can be used against you. Thanks for you advice, girl,good post!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting points you brought forward. I am also in agreement, 1. Teachers and students should not be 'friends' on these social sites. 2. Students should also be held legally accountable for their actions on the internet. I am most concerned about the parents reaction when their child is punished for putting these false information about other people on the web. You tube video was indeed interesting and love your images. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete