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Of course we will all be pegged as old fashioned, but this is exactly what I meant when I said "guilty or not". Read the comment from Paula Yohe too. A totally innocent comment on FB can and will be taken the wrong way by a parent and all of a sudden some poor teacher will be raked over the coals by her school administrators and the legal authorities. Yes, we need to keep up with the digital community but I don't know how easy this will be with social networking sites. I think I would rather do all the other Web 2.0 things and let someone else fight the FB battle. Gail Brewster Media Specialist Moline High School Moline, IL 61265 gbrewste@molineschools.org Phone (309) 743-8901 Fax (309) 757-3484 http://mhsav.wikispaces.com/ _____ From: Nancy Willard [mailto:nwillard@CSRIU.ORG] To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU Sent: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:42:58 -0500 Subject: Re: One more FB Comment Gail said I think = > we would all be wise to take a wait and see attitude because I think it's j= > ust a matter of time before some educator will be charged with an offense (= > guilty or not) through a Facebook type of contact. This is already happening. The school attorneys have been telling me that they are having increasing problems with this. It just has not hit the news in a major way. Usually, they just fire the teacher and hope nothing hits the media. One member of this list communicated privately to me telling me of a young teacher in her district who simply got headed in the wrong direction with a student - fortunately stopped before any actual physical involvement. But he is not teaching in the district any more. The problem is not older more established teachers who have been around the block more than a few times - and who are unlikely to be ones who students are going to flirt with (no offense intended - I would put myself into that category also ;-)). The problem is setting an environment where this is perceived to be acceptable for all teachers. The younger teachers who are the ones far more likely to get into trouble. They are more likely to be actively socializing on FB, have adult friends who are also really into socializing, and simply have not yet been in the position to recognize and know how to deal with situations when students have formed a crush - and they are also the ones who are more likely to have students interested in them for relationship purposes. These are the young teachers who are going to get into trouble. I am not talking about the true predator type. I am talking about young teachers who are simply going to get into a trap and not recognize that they have until things have gotten into a place where their jobs and credibility have been very damaged. And were it not for FB communications I do not think this harm would occur. I have spent a long time researching and thinking about how use of technologies can interfere with ethical decision-making. This is ever since when I was an attorney in the 80's (told you I was old) and I was giving lectures to teachers and librarians on copyright laws and those 5 inch floppies. I would have teachers/librarians say things: But nobody ever gets caught. The software is too expensive. The companies are making big bucks, and we schools have nothing. I'm doing it for the kids. So I have spent a long time reflecting on online decision-making. Interacting with students online will lead some younger teachers - who would not otherwise engage in inappropriate behavior with students - to do so. I guarantee you this is happening and will happen. Which is why I strongly believe that this is a practice that should be prohibited. AND I would equally as strongly argue that it is ESSENTIAL that schools establish web 2.0 environments that are for students and teachers to interact in an educational - non-social - environment. We can't prepare students for their future in classrooms designed to serve our past! Nancy -- Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D. Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use http://csriu.org http://cyberbully.org http://cyber-safe-kids.com http://csriu.wordpress.com nwillard@csriu.org Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Aggression, Threats, and Distress (Research Press) Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens: Helping Young People Learn to Use the Internet Safely and Responsibly (Jossey-Bass) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. 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