Lee,
Agreed, modeling professional behavior is tantamount to the success of incorporating social media into the curriculum. Establishing a professional account on Twitter or Facebook has become routine for many K-12 schools, allowing parents and students to follow a teacher and contribute to the discussion and ask questions. I understand the apprehension many have about this form of communication, but I believe this will be a standard practice in education in the near future. I know several corporate-owned career colleges now allow Twitter after an initial knee-jerk reaction to several demonstrations of very unprofessional behavior by teachers on Facebook that made the national headlines several years ago. Today, schools are easing up on their social media policies, knowing it does have tremendous value in student engagement and retention.
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt