Roger,
I see great value in creating a department Facebook page- it keeps the students engaged outside of class and they can see of of the exciting projects their peers and instructors are working on. Monitoring the comments/discussions is key if you are moderating this page- keeping the discussion professional is very important when using Facebook for educational purposes.
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
Rommel ,
I would definitely ask your Dean/Department Chair- the school should have an acceptable use policy on file that outlines your campus guidelines when it comes to incorporating social media in the classroom. I certainly wouldn't want you to get into hot water!
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
This has been a wonderful discussion and, though I see the potential use of communication through social media, the possibility of misuse or crossing the line is too risky. There are other forms of technology that can be implemented to improve or enhance communication between instructors and students. Students can contact each other on their accounts and instructors can do the same but, to maintain professionalism, the two should not merge. IMHO
Yes I think it is a great way for students and instructors to learn from each other even when the students are finished with the course. For example if the student learns something new on the job, he/she can share it with the instructor and the new students who are taking the class. Its just very important to keep it professional and not share personal information.
I agree with the to close for comfort involvement, our campus does not allow interaction on media between students and teachers so our hands are tied on this one
Good Point. I agree with Theresa's response as well. Early on in my teaching career a message board was set up by a staff member who did not communicate this to faculty. They also did not moderate the board. It quickly turned into a space where several students mocked another student in the class. Drastic measures had to be applied to clean up the situation because of the initial lack of communication.
Robb
Personally, I do not think that students and instructors should be connected via social media outlets. My situation is a very uncommmon one, but I am the same age as my students. However, I have a minimum of 3-4 more degrees than they do. That is the only thing that really seperates us. I often enjoy some of the same foods, entertainment, social scenery, etc. but there is a very fine line that I walk as a professor/instructor. Therefore, with the guidelines within the institution that I am employed instructors can not be friends with students on social media sites anyway. I appreciate that rule because some students do not know how to seperate personal occurrences from professional occurrences.
There may be some who disagree and think that it is fine and dandy. But, wait until things go sour and a student makes a bad grade. The tables turn quickly.
This is certainly a rather loaded question that would draw audiences from both side of the isle. I personally believe that social networking is an excellent tool to reach, especially, those students who would not perform as well in a classroom setting for various reasons. In addition, Social networking is also an excellent ancillary tool to supplement classroom activities by making the instructor available to students outside class hours and office hours. Moreover, students can use a dedicated course site/account to post questions, collaborate with other students, get answers, download files and other resources provided by the instructor, etc. On the other hand, one has to think about the potential misuse of the opportunities social networking provides.
I think this is a great idea as long as both students and instructors; "keep it clean" so to speak. My only question is, should I ask permission from my superiors first? We have a very strict social media ruling with students and my attempt at introducing new technology in the classroom may be misconstrued as fraternization.
This is something that I have struggled with until recently. I was afraid that it might break down the distinction between personal/social life and the professional learning environment. We have recently set up a social media page so that our students can be updated on what is going on in other classes and what kind of projects other students are working on. It hasn't broken down the professional learning environment at all and has inspired excitement in the field and discussion about techniques used on projects from other aspects of the program.
Many students, including those over 40, are already using social media. Applying it to the classroom brings a familiar activity to their learning efforts.
I feel that any opportunity to connect with the students on a professional level and engage with them in a way that they will benefit is great. However - instructors need to check to see what the policies of their institution are. At mine - we have been told that we are NOT aloud to connect with student via facebook. There hasn't been much discussion about twitter or linkdin.
I personally believe that instructors should not engage students via the social networking outlets until the student has graduated or is no longer attending the college. I think it presents too many opportunities for events to unfold in a negative manner that could eventually result in the teachers termination. I have seen it happen. So any time someone invites me as a friend on Facebook or connect via Linkdin, I do not respond until the student is no longer attending the college and will not be returning.
Students and instructors should connect on social media. The main caveat is that both need to maintain a professional demeanor when communicating on such sites. Since students are mostly already on social media, if teachers are not, they are missing a huge portion of their students' lives. Education is about connecting with students. Teachers must go where they are.
Connecting with students via a personal Facebook or Twitter might not be the best idea but setting up a professional account can be helpful. Another great social networking site where connection between student and teacher is necessary is LinkedIn. It is a purely professional site that allows for professional skill building.
Having students connected is a powerful means to get them involved at their own pace and when they are ready to learn. Great tool to utilize!!
I BELIEVE THIS IS A WONDERFUL METHOD TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY STUDENTS.STUDENTS ARE QUICK TO ALLOW YOU IN THEIR WORLD AND TEND TO OPEN UP MORE THAN IN A STRUCTURED CLASSROOM SETTING...PAUL T. ROUGEMONT
Absolutely, with the obsession of having the latest, most advanced cell phones and laptops, students have the tools needed for class and the enthusiasm to complete the tasks at hand. Incorporate the obsession of networking and sharing ideas, imagine the results that can be obtained.
I personally do not believe that social media is the correct way for instructors and students to interact. It violates the privacy of both parties, and opens the door for problems to occur.
However, student interest in social networking sites can still be a benefit in the classroom. Using a site like Schoology, which is structured like facebook, but private to the class and monitored by the teacher, can permit social media-like interactions, which interest students, without violating the lines between student-instructor and student-friend.
Some of the classes I teach are Fundamental and College Math. The courses are focused on the working fundamentals for Medical and Network Technology students.
Although the author of the text created a video of how to work out every problem in the book, I can see the value of creating a Class twitter account to encourage students to ask about specific math problems where I can post a solution back the entire class. Woohoo!
I think it's great for students and teachers to be connected on social media, but I also have some of the same concerns as others. I would feel like my students are constantly watching what I'm doing in my personal life. With that in mind, I do not request friendships, but if a student requests me, I'll wait a few days (hopefully they forgot they requested me) and I'll accept it.
