Social networking vs. friendship
I think one of the most common mistakes new teachers make is trying to become friends with their students. That said, I am curious as to how other instructors feel about using social networking sites (e.g. Facebook) as a way to interact with students.
I agree. We have this policy and everyone knows this policy. After graduation our alumni may connect through social networking.
Hi Kimberly,
Any type contact should be kept professional, regardless of the tool being used. I use email as a way to communicate with my students professionally. I agree, Facebook is open to personal information being shared.
Patricia
There are sites such as LinkedIn for keeping profecssional contact with graduates. Facebook has so many opportunities to allow personal information to cross the line of professionalism. It's also easy to do professional networking with a dedicated email account.
Hi Stacy,
Great points made! The social websites can serve as a great tool for communicating/teaching as long as professional activities are taking place. Any type of communication tool can be misused if the user see fit. Personal relationships can be developed via the tool, the telephone. Let's keep all business strictly professional.
Patricia
Hi Jenny,
It is not good to have muddy water at all with your students nor your coworkers. I too do not have any of my students nor my coworkers as my friends on facebook. I keep my work relationship strictly professional.
Patricia
I use Facebook actively in my personal life. However, I refrain from "friending" anyone with whom I have a professional relationship. This is not because I have in appropriate material on my Facebook pages, but because I don't wish to share anything personal with my colleagues or students. It is my job to instruct my students and to earn the respect of both my students and my colleagues; I have personal experience with friendships muddying those waters so I avoid it.
There are huge benefits to using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Facebook can replace phone calls and email in communication efforts--- as it is far more expedient. Group projects, continued research and job networking can be utilized through such forums. Links, notes and video can be placed on Facebook for students to access. This serves as a “free” learning management system to colleges that do not provide such a service.
However, using these networks should never be an excuse to communicate in a non-professional manner. You are still an instructor and mentor to these students and must continue ALL communications as a professional. This means either the instructor needs to set up 2 accounts in which personal and professional communication is separate. Or, the instructor needs to use the “control” settings to what students see posted.
Twitter has been used by schools, such as Carnegie Mellon, to generate nationwide conversations between students, faculty and community business leaders. Such experiences connect students toward real world scenarios and professional relationships. The advantage of such prospects is that people can learn from best practices in their area of study or professional field and “think globally, locally” (Ross, 2005).
Some colleges have a “no fraternization” policy. The policy manual of the individual college needs to be read and understood as to what their definition of that is.
Ross, D. (2005). Vantage MBA. Franklin University Marketing Department. Columbus, Ohio
Hi Ciara,
I certainly understand your perspective, and I respect your policy. I would suggest that if no policy is in place wait until a student graduates to become their facebook/twitter friend.
Patricia
We have a very strict policy that states you are not to 'friend' students on social networking sites. I feel it allows the students too much access to your personal life, and can give them the wrong impression. I also don't want to know too much about my students personal life. I feel this can all lead down a very bad path.
I feel that using social networking and having students as "friends" is alright as long as you don't make it too personal. I personally have 2 social networking accounts. One is my personal one that will only include a select few graduates that I want to keep in touch with. The other is much more professional. I only include school related things on it and offer the students a place they can use to chat to one another about homework, classwork, or other school issues from home or their mobile device. While we have a website for students to use like that, many of them do not have computers in their home or access to the internet. However, many of them do have fancy phones or other devices that have the Facebook app available. With that said, my professional Facebook page has not been used in a long while as our policies changed so we are no longer allowed to "friend" students in that way at all. It worked for what I was using it for when I was allowed to do so, but I do see how some people could overstep the instructor/student-friend boundary.
I think social networking sites could be used to the benefit of the instructor IF the instructor maintains a professional, class like demenor with the student. I know that most of the students use these sites as outlets and are one them very frequently. If you have a challenging student that is hard to get ahold of...try to message him/her. This can convey that your are there for the student and are supportive of their educational experience. DO NOT request to be their friend because this can cause the student/teacher line to become too fuzzy and that could create problems in the classroom.
I feel very strongly about not crossing the instructor/friend line. It is inappropriate and can lead to complications. I also do not agree with social networking. Facebook is a huge issue and personal lives of students and instructors should not be available for either the instructor or student to view.
