In the midst of a very interesting talk about CSS on Saturday, I received a message on my phone letting me know that Missouri had decided to pass a law banning Student-Teacher friendships on facebook. I stopped what I was doing, being exactly the sort of person I appear to be, and showed this message to everyone around me. On my way home, I then heard an interesting story about it on NPR.
I appreciate the dilemma here.
On the one hand, we must protect those who cannot protect themselves. Heck, in the case of many students, we should protect them from themselves. On the other hand, though, it seems that if a teacher were likely to become a predator, then banning a connection on facebook wouldn’t really hinder them. We as a society have been dealing with them long before facebook and long after the next big social network arises.
I should be clear that this does not apply only to facebook nor does the legal language specifically call out Mr Z’s social behemoth.
This is aimed at restricting private contact via the internet where permission would be required for a third party to view or partake in the interaction. This does not ban facebook fan pages and, if I’m reading this correctly, would also allow all twitter interactions save for a DM.
The aim is not to ban facebook, twitter, or any other social networking site.
It does, however, call our teachers untrustworthy. It assumes that anyone can be a predator given enough privacy. It assumes that all parents are semi-negligent. There is an extent to which it also refuses to meet students where they are.
Social Media is a big thing for a reason – that’s where everybody is.
I understand the thought behind this, but I disagree with the choices made. To thwart a potential problem by outlawing it rather than managing a recognized risk with education is meaningless.
More than blocking teachers from using a viable and rich tool to connect with teens when they need it most, we are removing an opportunity for students. We lose the chance to teach ethics, analytical thinking, social dynamics, and generally accepted behaviors.
That is a very good point about “calling our teachers untrustworthy”. It really does just that.
I think the ban is simply the easy “solution”. A quick policy that requires little thought and is instantly applicable to everyone w/o needing to come up with set rules or guidelines.
I agree with you. It seems to me that we could either educate better or come up with a better interview process for teachers.