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)
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