Missouri Facebook Law and Implications for Educators Everywhere

We all know that communications technologies can be great educational tools, both inside and outside of the classroom - if and when they are used correctly and appropriately. While browsing the Huffington Post site today, I read about what is now being referred to as the Missouri Facebook Law. In part, the law is intended to keep staff members - including teachers - from contacting students privately online. While the idea certainly has its merits (after all, we all want students everywhere to be safe from the harm of any potential online predators), the law, which was passed last spring, definitely infringes upon the basic constitutional rights of teachers everywhere. (Of course, whether or not it is appropriate or ethical to be Facebook friends with their students is another issue altogether.) The part of the law that addresses this online communication issue has now been repealed but it brings up an interesting point - how much should we be sharing with our students online and when does it stop being professional and start being inappropriate?

I am sure individual school districts have their own policies on these kinds of things, which makes me wonder if a state law on the issue is really even necessary. I would certainly never Facebook friend a student, but I know of people who make a second "professional" Facebook profile so they can add their bosses, coworkers, etc. - would it be inappropriate to do the same for our students? And if Facebook is a no-no, what else is off limits? One article from the Huffington Post briefly mentioned that online courses or online components of courses, such as blogging or discussion boards, might have even been affected by the law. How do we know how much online communication is too much?

This issue definitely brought up more questions for me than answers, and even though it really has no effect on us here, it is definitely an issue that we need to keep in mind when designing and implementing lesson plans that require the use of communications technologies. I can't imagine a similar law being passed in NJ, but if our local school districts have strict rules about these kinds of things, we'll have to change the way we think about using technology in the classroom to make sure we are not crossing any lines.

I am curious to hear what you all think of the law: do you think it should have been repealed? do you think teachers should be Facebook friends with their students? how can we ensure we are using technology appropriately in the classroom? and what kind of effect would a ban like this have on your own future classrooms?

Interactivity #1: Technology as Autobiography

There’s no denying how much of an impact communications technology has on our everyday lives. Whether you’re a tech-savvy computer wiz or just getting by with an outdated flip phone, many of us (myself included) would be lost – or, at the very least, really bored – without the many communications technologies we use regularly. After some consideration, I have to say my cell phone, my laptop, and my iPod are the most important to me. Each of them has shaped my life in some way and they allow for me to be constantly connected to the outside world.

I ranked my cell phone first; more portable than a laptop but capable of just about all the same things, my cell phone is what keeps me consistently connected to what’s going on. I can get the news, Facebook and Twitter updates, texts, picture messages, phone calls, emails, check my bank account, play games and music, watch videos and movies, view, edit and create Microsoft Office documents, and more, from just about anywhere. My laptop is second because it can do all that and more, but I’m not on it as much. My iPod, though a few generations outdated, is still one of my favorite technologies because it was the first type of communications technology I learned how to use.

Because of these technologies I have become very resourceful. If I have a question, I can Google the answer in less than a minute. The internet is full of countless resources for people who are looking to learn; in fact, this summer I learned how to crochet by watching Youtube videos with step-by-step instructions. More than that, you can connect to like-minded people, either through blogs, websites, forums, or even Facebook Group pages, where you can exchange ideas and learn more about the world around you – that’s how I decided to become a vegetarian when I was in high school! The internet can really be a great educational tool.

Of course, I’ve also experienced the downside of these technologies – feeling “too” connected and overly accessible. People expect you to be instantly available to them, but when you get busy or when your phone is going off every 5 minutes, it can all feel a little overwhelming and annoying. Every once in a while, I’ll shut off my phone for a few hours (but this doesn’t happen often due to the feelings of anxiety I get about being disconnected from what’s going on).

While watching the video about Olivia, the first thing I noticed is that technology is not necessarily as easily accessible to her as it is to me. This will probably be the case for some of my students, and it’s definitely something I’ll need to keep in mind as a teacher when assigning work that require the use of technology.

 It is our jobs as teachers to use this technology to incite interest and enthusiasm from our students about what we’re teaching, but we’ll probably also have to teach some of them how to use the technology first or show them what possibilities exist for using that technology to learn. It can be useful to tap into what they do know how to use – Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. – and show them the educational merits to those sites. I also think it would be interesting to explore the ways to incorporate cell phones into the classroom, since that is a technological device that most students do have regular access to. At the end of the day, it’s about being able to keep their attention for long enough to teach them something, and technology is a great way to do that.

The students in the second video reminded me a little more of the kind of technological dependence I see and experience in my everyday life, as they described their devices as third appendages or absolute necessities. Although one can argue the downsides to this dependence, teachers need to use it to their advantage as a way to engage students. If we can find a way to show students the educational side to technology, we can even inspire them to seek knowledge on the internet on their own, like the students in the second video. The possibilities for every content area are literally endless.