Thing #18

My Facebook

So, facebook is a great way to communicate to other teachers and parents. You can usually tell a lot about a person through their facebook page. I believe that it could be beneficial to be "friends" with parents or fellow teachers because it is an easy means of communication. However, it is important that a teacher (especially in secondary education) maintains a separation between teacher and students. I can see it being helpful in college being friends with your students, but like I said, you must remember the difference in higher education.

It's very important for educators to understand how these social networks work because teachers must inform their students how to be safe on these sites. Often times, students will post something too personal or become friends with a stranger. Or, even give out way to much information on their "info" tab. If teachers know how to use facebook, then they will understand how to inform students.

Personally, I love facebook because I can communicate and stay in touch with friends who live a good distance. Also, it is just an easy way to keep up with friends and their lives. (Even if they live close.) However, for the classroom, I can only see it being useful with parents and other teachers, but never with students. And, I never plan to being facebook friends with my students.