ERIC Number: EJ955120
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 2
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-175X
EISSN: N/A
Class List [not equal to] Friend List
Hunter, Eileen
Educational Horizons, v90 n2 p21-22 Dec 2011-Jan 2012
The Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, also known as the Missouri Facebook Law, forbids exclusive or private conversations between teachers and students on Facebook. A judge has granted an injunction against it, but this issue has sparked a debate among teachers about whether they should be Facebook friends with current students and in what ways they might use Facebook to communicate with students to enhance their learning. Like many teachers, the author agrees with the basic tenet of the law: Teachers and students should not be contacting each other through private chats or messaging. Students must realize that anything they (or one of their "friends") post on Facebook can come back to haunt them. They can jeopardize their educational, professional, or athletic goals by having inappropriate posts on Facebook. The author contends that while many students today use electronic means (Facebook, Twitter, email, instant messaging, texting, etc.) as their primary form of communication with their family and friends and that they may be most comfortable communicating that way, there must be a professional boundary when it comes to communication between teachers and students. It is imperative that teachers and students recognize and respect this boundary. Just as teachers do not want to know all the details of students' personal lives, students must understand that teachers' private lives are not open to them. While there may be some positive value to it--reminding students of upcoming assignments, spreading the word about meetings or practices, and answering homework questions--teachers will have to be prudent and sensible about Facebooking, tweeting, instant messaging, and emailing students. If teachers use electronic communication outlets responsibly and professionally, then there should be no room for any type of misunderstanding.
Descriptors: Electronic Mail, Teacher Student Relationship, Learner Engagement, Social Networks, Web Sites, Internet, Computer Mediated Communication, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Educational Technology
Phi Delta Kappa International. Available from: Pi Lambda Theta. 408 North Union Street, P.O. Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402. Tel: 800-766-1156; Tel: 812-339-1156; Fax: 812-339-0018; e-mail: plt@pdkintl.org; Web site: http://www.pilambda.org/index.php?pageId=49
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Missouri
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A