001+Cyber+Presence



How Does Social Networking Affect Teachers? Becky, Tara, Travis, & Windi Education 346 Dr. Minerva Ladores September 20, 2011

As educators, we have a responsibility to teach our students to the best of our abilities. This means that we cannot pretend that social networking is going to go away anytime soon. Believe us when we say that social networking is here to stay. We need to focus on learning as much as we can about the different social networking sites in order to better serve our students. The focus of this paper is to help you, as educators, become more familiar with Facebook, Skype, and Twitter. We will not only focus on the negative aspects of these sites, we will also focus on how they can be utilized by you, the teacher, in the classroom. It is our special honor to instill good values and manners into our students, and one way in which we can do this is to encourage them in the correct ways to communicate effectively, both in person, and online (Ramig, 2009, p. 9). Photo by [|knutsonhomesinc] http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i401/knutsonhomesinc/Social%20Icons/facebook.png Let us begin with the positive aspects of Facebook. Yes, there are positive aspects in regards to utilizing Facebook in the classroom. According to Ramig, students that range in grades Kindergarten through Third can start out by pairing up with another school by posting messages using Voice Thread. Once the students reach second grade they can then begin using wiki sites for blogging (2009, p. 9). Most students, even as young as Kindergarten have heard of Facebook, so now is the time to talk to them about Facebook and explain to them how using Voice Thread and wiki is very much the same as Facebook. When you are sharing this information with them, you don't want to forget to have a discussion on social networking do's and don'ts. According to Ramig (2009), upper elementary is a good age to begin posting “thinking questions” that they can answer via the social network site your classroom is utilizing (p. 9). Is Facebook really something that can be used for learning in and out of the classroom? According to Davis (2010), “many schools use social networking websites like Facebook and Ning to facilitate communication between students in different countries and to create platforms to send instant messages and blog about homework (p. 14). In New Jersey, according to Davis (2010), New Milford High School keeps it's fans, all 1,100 of them, up to date on academic achievements and on school sports events by using their own official Facebook page (p. 15). Online College (2009) posted an article that lists “100 Ways You Should Be Using Facebook in Your Classroom”. The list is divided into sub-categories which are: class projects; facilitate communication; benefits; Facebook resources for students; tips for educators; Facebook applications for teachers; Facebook Applications for both students and teachers; Facebook groups for teachers;Facebook in K-12; and Facebook to help find a job (pp. 1-8). For example, under the class projects category the writer mentions being able to share book reviews, playing a reading game __Knighthood__, polling your class, among other ideas (Online College, 2009, p.1).

fritz, b. __100_0007.jpg__. September 2009. Pics4Learning. 21 Sep 2011 

One thing to keep in mind when using social networking sites in the classroom is, privacy. According to Ramig (2009), the most prevalent privacy law is Child's Online Privacy Protection Act, COPPA (p. 10). Two other federal laws are: Children's Internet Protection Act and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Davis also states that “private wikis, blogs, or other social-networking tools designed for school use can often be more beneficial” due to the privacy laws (as cited in Davis, 2010, p. 17). Lastly, don't let your fears of social networking sites deter you from teaching your students through using them. Educators need to take this seriously and realize that we hold the power to use this as a teaching tool or just let it slip right through our hands. If we don't teach our students social networking skills and etiquette, who will? Social networking can be a very positive form of communication between teachers. However, there are several risk factors that go along with social networking if used improperly. One of the most dangerous forms is Facebook. Teachers should not befriend other students on Facebook. There are some things that should be kept confidential and students should not have access to certain things. For example, pictures of your family or certain activities that you have participated in should not be so easily accessible by your students. The relationship between teachers and students should be professional only and Facebook befriending crosses those narrow boundaries. Too much trouble can come from being friends with other students on Facebook. Also, if administration were too see inappropriate pictures or posts on a Facebook account then that can cause the teacher to be fired. In addition, say a student were to be on Facebook and a parent were to see pictures or posts that they feel are unprofessional then they may contact the school and inform administration of the inappropriate material that their child is subject to. The teacher could then be fired over this too. No matter how one looks at it, the risks are too high to befriend students on Facebook. Teachers are to act as professional as possible and students should not have access to out of school extracurricular activities. It is one thing for a student to present a problem or talk about personal matters to a teacher, but the teacher should never be the one mentioning their problems or personal matters to the student. Social networking can have very positive outcomes when used correctly in the classroom, but using Facebook to acquire students has friends should be avoided.

Photo by aivo12_photos from http://media.photobucket.com/image/social%20networking/aivo12_photos/Networking.jpg?o=6

Skype is an excellent way to communicate with others who are in a different county, state, or even country, than the one that you live in. This way of communicating is very helpful to teachers if used correctly and appropriately. One might ask, “How can Skype be an appropriate tool in the classroom setting?” Here is how. Teachers from all over the world are able to use Skype. Some of the countries involved include: China, South Korea, all of Europe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Thailand and more (Skype in the Classroom). With Skype, if a class is studying one of these regions, the teacher can Skype a teacher in these countries and the students can get a primary source about the country and what it is like to live there. People can do all sorts of research but not every site is correct and to hear it first hand from an actual citizen of the country is amazing. Children who are in primary school will especially find it fascinating because they don’t truly have a grasp on how the internet works. Kids in secondary school can find this as a useful tool if they are taking a foreign language class. This site will allow them to speak with a native user of the language and can help them practice while helping the native speaker learn English in return. This site is also an excellent way for teachers in America to collaborate with each other and get lesson plan ideas, advice, and just new friends in different classrooms to see how things are done in their school systems. Skype as a company has created Skype in the Classroom due to the growing number of teachers using Skype to help educate their students. Right now, there are over 17,000 members of this site and it is a fantastic source for any teacher or future teacher to use (Skype in the Classroom). So what shouldn’t you do on Skype as an educator? Don’t Skype with your students. It can lead to problems if the student misinterprets something. You could be accused of who knows what and it will get messy. Don’t Skype your student’s parent/guardian for the same reason. One good reason would be that the parent/guardian might have a spouse who does not look kindly on this type of interaction with their child’s teacher. Crazy as it sounds, this could lead into divorce and you will be the cause. Keep your professional life in the classroom. If you are using the program Skype in the Classroom, do not use it for financial or personal gain. It is to be used as an educational tool only, not a dating advice hotline or anything else personal. Don’t be a personal advertisement and promote companies with spam like “50% off when you visit this site today.” It is okay to mention good products that you have used in your classroom but do not say it because you get commission or somehow gain something if another teacher buys the product. If you use Skype in an appropriate way, then this tool is an excellent and fantastic addition to your classroom.

Photo by: itsamarv from http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j393/itsamarv/_forums/ocean/board/a6419fa7.png

There are many pros and cons to using Twitter to communicate between teachers and students. When using Twitter, as with any social network, you need to ensure that safety and privacy are the number one priority for you and your students. Teachers should keep it simple, do no more than two tweets in a day, and make sure they are professional and school related. The messages on Twitter should be short, simple, and to the point. Also, be sure to include the parents by letting them know what it is, how it works, and that it is a free service. Some of the pros to using Twitter with your students is so they may be introduced to new types of technologies. Even children in kindergarten know about social networks, so they can be introduced to them early on. Twitter can be used by teachers as reminders for important assignments and homework, as well as changes in assignments or questions for the teacher. According to Davis (2010), Twitter is quite good at directing teachers to applications and web sites that can be helpful to them. Twitter can also help answer teachers questions in a very timely fashion (p. 4). As stated in Davis (2010), “Twitter is like a giant conference that’s on all the time” (p. 4). Some of the cons of using a social network like Twitter between teachers and students is that there is always the risk of it being used inappropriately. Teachers may be accused of communicating with students in an inappropriatemanner, so teachers need to be sure that parents are on board with the idea. Twitter is a great way for teachers to communicate with their students, as long as the proper precautions are taken in the beginning.

As one can see, social networking can be both a help and a hindrance to the professional teacher. One way to ensure your safety is to always be conscious of what you are doing. As Jimminy Cricket would say,"Let your conscience be your guide!" Always ask your principal what they feel is appropriate social networking in your school district. If you utilize social networking in the classroom just remember the advice that we have given to you. Have a great time teaching your students and helping to keep them and yourself up to date with technological advances that are accessible to you.

List of References Davis, M. R. (2010). Social networking goes to school. //Education Digest, 76 (3), 14-19.// Retrieved from [] Ramig, R. (2009). Social media in the classroom. //MultiMedia & Internet @ Schools, 16 (6), 8-10.// Retrieved from [] Skype, (2011). Skype in the classroom. //Skype.// Retrieved from [|http://education.skype.com]

Date Finished November 16, 2011

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