I have only used Facebook so far. I have always been one to avoid MySpace and things like it due to computer viruses and lack of an iPhone. I think Facebook is fun and I can see the uses in education if everyone could have access. However, I don't think I want to put many professional things on my Facebook account. I have it strictly for fun and keeping up with my family and friends. I don't my professional life to intrude on that too much. I might open up a professional Facebook account but I am already going crazy with log in names and passwords. Until I can get myself organized and keep that information somewhere easy to access I will limit the amount of stuff I sign up for.
Facebook has changed how I communicate with family members and high school friends. I find that I can see what they are up to without living near them and I feel connected to them in a small way. However, living in a small town and being a teacher has made me very careful with how I communicate with parents or former students. On one hand it is fun to let loose on Facebook and be silly but I can't truly be honest or say everything I am thinking because of who my audience is. I found that out the hard way. I was frustrated with a demeaning staff development I was forced to participate in and I made a "harmless" comment. It really set people off. My teacher friends knew what I was talking about and it allowed them to vent but my family and non-teacher friends thought something was wrong and felt the need to council me or try to "talk" about it. I made a simple, harmless comment but I learned not to do that anymore. Facebook has freed me to talk conversationally with others but it has made me aware of my audience more.
Obviously social media is positive in that we can communicate with more people in an almost instant way. That is really cool. It is a way to connect with our students as well by using new things that kids like to do what we want them to do. The down side of social media is the lack of "face time" that people need. We are social creatures but a lot of a social encounter involves hearing tone of voice, seeing body language and dealing with different personalities face to face. I like to visit with people in person and I think that many people lack the interpersonal skills they need for their jobs because they are always relating to others digitally. It is obvious to me that some people lack social skills and I don't see them developing social skills by hiding behind an iPhone or laptop. People skills are still important.
I don't really know how social networks are affecting "my" specific students because most of these sites are blocked at our school and cell phones are not allowed either. Technology like this does not really make an impact in my daily educational life. In a more distant way however, I have access to more information due to this technology so these networks allow me to be a different teacher - thus my students are impacted a little. One of these days when all of the kinks are worked out in our school district with regards to allowable media devices, program support, and access - I would love to try to use a media site for a class. I don't really know how yet. To be honest, I doubt I will invest much brain power into doing this type of project until all of the ducks are in a row. There is nothing worse than slaving over lesson plans and getting to a computer lab where the sites are blocked, the printers don't work, and the computers won't work. I have been there and done that.
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I agree that Facebook currently appears to have more use to teachers as a personal way of keeping up with friends and family, versus a professional way of communicating with parents or students. I do think, however, that the current generation of students don't see the same distinctions that we as adults do. For us, there's a clear line between personal and professional life; I'm not sure that the same line will exist for kids. For example, I recently read an article about how many medical schools are now formulating social networking policies after several incidents involving students posting messages or pictures that were incongruent with the school's purpose or desired reputation.
ReplyDeleteAnd I, too, know the frustration of attempting to integrate tools that are blocked by the school's filter! I think that many of those issues are on their way to being resolved, but it will definitely take time before we're ready, as a district, to integrate social media in the classroom.
I also wonder about your concerns regarding the way interpersonal interaction is changing. In my opinion, students tend to behave differently in an online environment than they would ever dare to behave in a face-to-face situation. Of course, even that trend can have positive implications. The student who never raises her hand in class, for example, might be comfortable posting a class question on Facebook. I'm sure social media is changing the way our kids think and interact, and I think we've yet to realize the full implications of that change.
You've raised some excellent questions and made some great points! Thing 3 complete!