I am totally on the far left, and I don't think the govt. should be making laws about this. Ask me about universal health insurance and you'll get an earful though (please don't, actually). Why should elementary school aged kids have Facebook accounts--and wouldn't their parents monitor them? I think that in a situation like this, the accountability needs to be with the parents. I mean--people use Facebook differently. Some people post pictures of themselves, drunk in lingerie (I have yet to see these, but I am absolutely confident they exist). Other people post formal inspirational videos or links and very little personal info. As for what the teacher did in Cogito's example (EDIT: lol. Sorry--I meant Ashleigh's example)--that was bad all around. It is akin to finding a child's personal note and projecting it on overhead. But I still don't see how being friends on Facebook would be causing the problems. There have always been bad teachers who have abused their position, and there have always been good teachers who had favorites but still treated others equally. I don't see how Facebook changes the playing field much, except that any inappropriate conversations going on would be accessible in the hard drive--whereas otherwise it is just the student's voice against the teacher.
But when you come to think of it why is it Teachers? kids have adults, and children on their facebook. anybody can post pictures or say inappropriate things, I've seen kids younger than me post them, They were around 13ish What I'm saying is you can't stop people from seeing inappropriate things, sometimes all a kid can think about is something inappropriate and they have to post it. You never know what kids can post.. The problem is the Maturity of the child not the age.
When I taught I had all my student on IM, FB, Myspace, and I had their email and they had mine, most of them had my cell phone number in case I was not online to answer questions or if they needed to get an extension due to illness or family issues, their parents would call me sometimes as well. It made it easy for me to help them if they were having issues with an assignment. I loved my students with all my heart and years later I still keep in contact with them Most of my students have now gone on to college, with scholarships and the like, I have been to a few of their graduations and some have been to various functions that I have had over the years. IMHO any tool that a teacher can use to help their students should NOT be disallowed. However, there has to be a line in the sand. The FB page I had set up where they could friend me was not the one I used for personal use. No student should be subjected to the fight I had on FB with my mom or the ramblings of my Pakistani friends on the State of relations between our 2 nations etc. Bottom line when used right, I see no problem with it. Now if the teachers set it up like I did, recorded all calls, Im's, allowed the admin's access to the emails when ever they desired it, etc. That covers the teachers rear end, and allows the transparency needed.
^I agree, One of my teachers in particular looks out for me cause Im the shy quiet kid in the corner. Aka the loner. They see my writing abilities and they give me that support and also reviews my work and they're always happy to help with anything school related.
Your ideas seem well thought through, Blue_Lotus. I actually use my FB account for keeping in touch with family, which is probably why I don't see it as very scandalous. It sounds like "the line in the sand" was drawn by your own common sense--and although I believe that there are times when government should step in, it usually can't legislate anything nearly as complex as that kind of common sense. I hope the law is stricken down. I mean, yeah, a law that prevents convicted child molesters from accessing the FB profiles of children would make sense--but really, teachers aren't some group of bad guys, overall.
You know what should be done, and where I taught at it was a requirement before I was allowed to take up the post. It was mandated that every teacher spend 4 hours with a physiologist, and there was a mandatory session every other month after that. I was lucky to be in the private sector where the funding for something like that was ava. But if the physiologist felt that the applicant was prone to being overly involved then that person did not get the job. It was really simple. But yeah over all I used these tools to assist with the learning process, both here in the States and Over Seas, and I have never once been accused of doing something improper. However it was suggested that maybe I was a bit too hard on my kids because I demanded 100% effort at all times. Some parents here in the States thought that was impractical. The break down of the education system here in the US is appalling, IMHO Everyone should attend just 1 class in India, or China, then try to come back here... the dif is night and day.
I always found teachers who wanted to mix on some sort of social level with the older kids (those doing A-levels, 16-18 usually) a bit pathetic, frankly. Is this the same Missouri that right now is giving serious consideration to allowing college folk to carry concealed weapons about their places of study? I think somebody should be checking their water. (On both counts).
I think if it's up to when you're at secondary school (up to age 16) then no, students shouldn't have their teachers on Facebook and vice versa. When they are no longer at that school, and over 16, then I see no problem with it. Some form friendships with their teachers so this would be a way of keeping that friendship. Sixth form (aged 16-18), I think it's the same personally. Although the gap between teacher and student is more friendly then, it still seems a bit professional to me. So again, once they've left sixth form, I see no problem. Some people at university add their tutors/lecturers which I think is fine. The students are older and more responsible, as well as there is more a friendly atmosphere with university tutors. Saying this, in my view I don't think I would add any of my teachers/tutors or perhaps only when I'd left the place. I like to keep my professional (university/school) separate from my personal life. But if the teachers/tutors/school had a professional Facebook page that was purely for students to post their questions and concerns, then that'd be fine. So I'm a bit mixed on this, but I don't agree with making it illegal.
People should teach their children to treat anyone who has power over their future and no emotional attachment to them, as enemies. And I use "enemies" as "People you may have to lie to, convince, threaten, blackmail, or hurt". A teacher, just as a boss, a subordinate, a cop or a judge; is not your friend. From that point of view, the decision about allowing a teacher in your FB or not can be changed to "Would you allow a tax inspector, a judge, a cop or your ex-wife's lawyer on your FB?". So, it's about how much control you have over what's on your FB.
Personally, I think the law is pretty pointless. I'm actually friends with a few former teachers on facebook, a couple from grade school and my old band director from high school.
As a teacher I would not accept friend requests from my current students. I am not inappropriate on FB and posts to my wall by friends are usually okay for viewing, but I feel there is a still a line there that should not be crossed. I think that my professional life and my personal life need some level of separation for each to work how they should. I disagree though, with this being a law. I have considered starting a secondary FB account to better network with parents and families similar to how a class website might function, but... I have to consider the implications of that for a while longer.
For high school and under, yes, I agree in having a policy in place that discourages student/teacher friendships. A law however is a bit of an overkill. I do have old high school teachers who are now friends, only three that were the rare ones that truly made an impact. Though, I only became friends with them after high school. However, for Colleges and Universities, no. Social networking sites are now considered to be a standard platform not just for communication purposes, but for networking as well. In fact, the only reason I have a Facebook today is because it was the main ways one of my fraternities communicated when I first started Uni. I also have professors as friends that I considered to be mentors now. Three years after a class, I still talk to old professors to ask them about something, get recommendation letters, references etc. I’ve gotten job offers and “inside info” solely by these professors who are in-network with top firms in my community. One of professors is the state president for a standard-passing professional organization of which I am a member. Most of my professors are honestly my colleagues now that it’s crazy to ban a friendship on a social site. There are risks involved of course. Don’t put something out there that you wouldn’t want EVERYONE to read. Use your common sense, especially in this day and age of technology. There will always be a few professor that demonstrate unprofessional behavior, but we’re adults. Delete them, and report them if you feel uncomfortable. Most Universities and Colleges do have detailed policies on how to properly use social networking sites, read up on them.
As a university teacher, and someone whose friend got into a lot of trouble because of too much personal detail becoming common knowledge around the students via Facebook, I second this. It is unprofessional and risky. Students can misuse info. Some inexperienced teachers can be incredibly naive. However, my contract only has a clause about 'keeping a professional distance' etc, it doesn't specifically ban Facebook and it seems a bit heavy to make a law about it.
This all reminds me of my terrible Middle School. My 2 band teachers had to delete every student after my principal passed this rule not to add students on Facebook. (My principal is really evil, we can't have Water in class and i can't use backpacks until highschool. Oh and we have dress code. thanks to one generation before i came there, they screwed it up and it's details i don't want to talk about.) Anyway, later my Vice Principal threatened to monitor everybody's Facebook pages and that we had to add her as a friend so everything is supposedly "safe". But her type of safe isn't right. So i rebelled and went on her Facebook page, and blocked her.
It's weird the same way I think it is weird for anyone my parents age to be added to people younger than me. But the idea of it being illegal seems absolutely terrible, regardless of how odd or pathetic I think it is. I think most teachers wouldn't want to add their students, and most students wouldn't want to add their teachers, and that it's pretty stupid of them to do it. But honestly I find the idea of having any particular friend on Facebook being illegal to be quite ridiculous. It's like saying it's illegal to talk to someone outside of work, or to have someone's phone number. Or maybe that is illegal in some cases, I don't know. But unless it's actual criminal activity, I doubt it.
I can understand the issues that could be present for students and teachers friending on facebook, but I fail to view it as a big enough issue that a law needed to be passed about it. It seems like another unnecessary regulation that we have to deal. I had two of my teachers as friends during high for, guess what purpose,....they were friends of mine. One of them I constantly kept in contact with for writing and whatnot, and the other I would hang out with during his office hours and discuss philosophy with. I think it was an extremely healthy teacher-student relationship. So I fail to understand the necessity of the law.
Well, when it comes to sexual predators targeting kids, reason goes out the window. If even the possibility of impropriety is thought likely, the legislators sharpen their pens (they aren't a very bright bunch, they don't realize pens don't need sharpening) and begin scribbling. They don't consider that the law attempts to cover a narrow stain with a broad brush. The smart solution would be to NOT make such a law, but quietly monitor those online communications. Otherwise, the predators will find other, less easily detected, means of contact. Why teachers? Because one fact of serial molesters is that they gravitate to positions where they are in contact with kids or teens in a position of trust - teachers, priests and ministers, pediatricians, camp counselors, etc.
That's true, Cogito, and sometimes it is even worse. Sometimes, they have considered it and know it is a bad law and vote for it anyway. They passed a law in Missouri a couple of years ago where people I know in the State assembly were saying, off the record, what a bad law it was. But they decided they couldn't afford to be seen voting against it (it was for regulation of adult businesses). Now the law is in court and costing the State a bundle of money, and it's still a terrible law to begin with. The legislators don't care.
Good for you. Just because she's bigger and in a position of power doesn't mean she can go around stomping on people's rights to privacy. She would never ask that of adults, I would assume, which suggests to me that she has no respect for children and doesn't see them as equals. And for that reason, what business does she have being around kids in the first place? I hope the this woman gets in serious trouble for attempting to do this, and that she never finds a job in the educational system again. That is just not okay.
Just an update, FYI. A court in Missouri decided that people opposing the law have a substantial likelihood of prevailing and issued an injunction against enforcement of the law while the issue works it way through court. I think the law should be struck down as a blatant Constitutional violation. For now, teachers and students can still be friends on Facebook or on other sites.
I don't really see a problem with students and teachers being friends outside of school/college/uni to be honest - I actually have the phone numbers of one of my previous college teachers who was really there for me the other day when I was unsure of what to do in regards to university. I think it is up to the individuals to decide whether they want to be friends, and that the students (or even the teachers) should exercise a bit of common sense if they think anything untoward is occuring. That being said, I don't think school teachers should be able to befriend a student until after they have left school - at least after the student is sixteen they can make their own decision about whether or not they want to socialise with the teacher on facebook, for example.
When my geography teacher was having an affair with me, we used facebook as our medium of communication. I can see why people would show a sense of aversion to such contact. It is probably best to illegalize it.
