Discussion question 1

[heather...@eagles.usm.edu]

In a world where almost everything is linked to social networking,
does it have a place in the professional education world? What are the
pros and cons to social networking? Do you think it is appropriate for
a teacher to social network with his or her students? Do you think
that this is a taboo that will stop? Or do you think that this will
eventually rule the world?

[heather...@eagles.usm.edu]

I do not believe that social networking should have a place in
education. There are too many problems being caused by social
networking and I don’t think it is professional unless you have
accounts set aside for this. Social networking can make things easier
but it can definitely become a problem. I do not think it is
appropriate in a public school setting for teachers to tweet or
Facebook each other. I think that this is an issue that will continue
to grow and will ultimately cause a lot of problems for teachers and
their personal lives.

[Sharon Goff]

I believe social networking can be a tremendous benefit within the school system. When teachers are communicating together to share ideas on educational experiences are definitely a plus, always keeping in mind the professionalism that is expected from an educator. Social networking for teachers is a great tool for encouraging, informing, and sharing with each other especially when distance is a factor and making face to face meeting impractical. But Teachers should not social network with student’s, this could be construed as inappropriate behavior for an adult, and have legal ramifications. I believe technology provides people, which may never interact together, an avenue to communicate together.

[Brittany Gardner]

I personally believe that social networking has a place in the world of professional education.  It can make it easy to gather ideas and materials from other teachers.  It can most definitely be a tool for calloboration, and it can support a community of learners.  However, teachers need to remember that social networking sites are just what they are called.  They are first and foremost a place to socialize.  Coming from a small town, I have known many of the students that I will teach from the time that they were born.  They are already in contact with me on social networking sites. Many of them are part of my family. However, if a teacher cannot think of a social situation that they would be comfortable in with a certain student, then it is best that they are not linked throught social networking sites.  Teachers must also remember that they are professional role models, and if students are able to view their profiles, then the profiles should show as much.  Because there are so many issues that could arise from this type of student teacher interaction, I think that it is best to avoid it all together.  However, I will say that there can be some exceptions to that rule.