Inappropriate Use of Digital Media

Social media use can be tricky for an educator. Although details of your profile and everyday life are not necessarily related to your professional life, it is important to remember that everything you post (or that is posted about you) is permanent. I have seen many examples of teachers posting questionable content, and also developing social media contacts with students, which is a slippery slope. Over the years, I have had many students send friend requests, and the response is always the same: "after you have graduated." I prefer to keep professional and private life separate.

To go along with that sentiment, I am a very technological person, but as an educator, I have avoided the world of Facebook based solely on the news stories that indicate that a Facebook incident or posting is the root cause of MANY firings, warranted or not. It is frustrating for family and friends, but the risk/reward ratio is too great given my line of work.

I agree with telling the students that I may go on Facebook after they graduate.  I have limited Facebook to members of my own family as I want to protect my privacy and theirs for the time being.  I enjoy Facebook, but I have been careful in this regard.  I enjoy texting and talking on the hone and visiting with students and family in person as much as I can do so.  I live in a small community where we all see each other often and the people are very active in the community and they know they can call me when necessary.  I communicate with regular classroom teachers when checking on a student as to how he or she is doing in a class so it can help me evaluate how to help a special education student do better by assisting the student appropriately.  Email is a great tool also in this regard.  For me this is a more appropriate use of the digital media for evaluating how a student is doing while being mainstreamed.  I am interested in how the students are achieving his or he goals on the Individual Education Plan so as I can give feedback at the IEP meetings with the parents, administrators, students, and social workers, and regular education teachers.  This way new goals can be set that will be on target and everyone concerned will be informed.

I agree it is frustrating to friends and family at times, but after explaining to them about how important privacy is they usually understand.