Should teachers "friend" students on Facebook? The West
Australian and the Perth Now (Sunday times)
website reported last week that teachers in WA are being
"warned that contact with students on social networking
websites such as Facebook could lead to accusations they are
"grooming" pupils for sex." The articles reported that a new
set of guidelines published by the WA Department of Education
called Let's Face It, states that using social networking sites such as
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and email could blur teachers'
professional boundaries and lead to allegations of inappropriate
contact with students or improper conduct outside school hours.
However, Andrew Douch in his keynote address to the
Expanding Learning
Horizons Conference in 2009 supported the use of these social
networking sites as a way of connecting and communicating
effectively with students in relation to their learning. Andrew
engages with his students using a variety of means including MSN,
Facebook and email. He keeps a log of these conversations; a smart
idea. His school community are comfortable with Andrew's use of
this medium and it probably helps that he has established a high
profile as an educator exploring social media as a learning
tool.
It is an interesting debate that is happening throughout the
country and not just in the education sector. The Reach Out Pro blog
explores the debate through the eyes of health care professionals
working with young people.
But what do you think? Do you connect with students through
social networking sites? Are they an important tool in your kit for
engaging students with their learning? Is it just asking for
trouble? Can you trust students not to over step boundaries?
Join the discussion now and let us know what you think about
this debate.