A short post today to express my horror at the following school policy (approved July 7TH), from Mississippi's Lamar County School District: no social network communication (or texting!) between teachers and students.  According to the article, several other districts are considering a similar policy. 

 

I understand that the Internet, especially content-authoring tools and social network sites, open up a heated discussion about the safety of our students and our responsibility as educators to ensure that safety, but that conversation aside, to what extent does this district's policy say emphatically that teachers are not trusted as professionals to make these determinations?  Some of the very best, most effective teachers I know communicate with their students through social network sites.  While I currently choose blogs and texting, it seems these connections could be in danger, as well. 

 

The Lamar board commented that this move was not in response to any misuse--that it was a pre-emptive decision to keep problems from occurring.  In what world would we be told not to contact a student by telephone because the contact is too personal?  But this is essentially what this policy does to student-teacher communication.  Kids do not email--if you ask them--they'll tell you that their PARENTS do that.  Instead, they IM, text, etc.  So communication is curtailed, and once again school is relegated to the dark ages.  It reminds me of a quote from Prensky in the March 2008 Ed Leadership: " 'Whenever I go to school,' says one student I know, 'I have to power down.'  He's not just talking about his devices—he's talking about his brain. Schools, despite our best intentions, are leading kids away from the light."

 

As teachers, do we want to be protected by policies, or do we want to risk incredible learning for, and connection with, our kids? 

 


Comments

Kim R.

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:01:05

Change has arrived in fundraising. I came across a website www.raisewhileyousave.com (RWYS) the other day when looking into Green fundraising oppurtunities, as I am fed up with my kids going door 2 door and selling cookie dough and magazines. I looked into this new fundraising program which is helping parents Save Money while raising money.they are also helping great causes which don't have any budget to run a fundraiser, as they do all the work for you, by building you a webpage attached to thier website. Thier products are these really snazzy energy saving product kits, which can save parent $100's of dollars on those bills we all hate to open. I thought I would share this information as we could all do with a little extra cash during this economy Im sure. My friend who is a PTA mom is always complaining about the difficulty of getting new ideas, and the lack of interest they have in the same old boring fundraising oppurtunities. I think this is very clever, as the schools and community fundraisers, don't purchase anything, the kids don't need to do anything, the kits save money and help raise money, and apparently they even send the kits out to the parents home, so PTA moms like my friend no longer need to chase moms around the playground to tell them thier products are in the sports hall for collection. we've all been there. :)

 



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    Hi, I'm Donna.  Washington state English teacher and, now, blogger.

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