Week 8 Reflection: Social Networking Beyond Text

As I mentioned in a previous post, the English Department at my school has recently decided to pilot a school facebook group. In essence, teachers now have professional facebook accounts associated with the school, and friend students during the school year. It's yet another way for teachers to get information out to students. At the end of the year, all students will be de-friended to make room for the next batch of students.

Not everyone has jumped on board. First of all, why encourage students to check facebook for course information? Why not just have them check the actual course website? It's already a struggle to get students to check the course homepage and e-mail, so why create another excuse for them not to check the course homepage to stay updated? Advocates argue this is the way forward. Students are so in tune with social networking, that it is simply a crime to not acknowledge social networking sites as a way of getting in touch with students. Indeed, William M. Ferriter notes that "conversations - whether they are started on Facebook, through text messages, or in the hallways - play a central role in adolescents' lives" (Ferriter 2010). Why fight it?

Another reason that people are worried about communicating with students over social networking sites is the responsibility involved. With all the photo sharing sites out there, will teachers be responsible for acting upon any incriminating photos? Advocates see this as a lesson that students need to learn: be responsible with what you post on social networking sites. The points made in The Consumerist's scathing article on facebook's ownership rights is just one reason why students must be responsible with what they post for the public. As one reader responds: "License to use your photos against you when you run for office in 20 years" (Walters 2009). I mean, really - has anyone, let alone a student, actually read the mile-long statement of rights posted by facebook (http://www.facebook.com/terms.php)?

Having said this, I probably will jump on board the facebook campaign at my school very soon. Though I feel unsure about its purpose (I side with the question of why encourage students to check facebook for course information), I also believe in unity as a department. After all this a pilot project, and at the end of the year, the department will re-convene and discuss its worth. Stay tuned!

References
Ferriter, William M. "Can't Get Kids to Read? Make it Social." Educational Leadership 67.6 (2010): 87-88. Web. 12 Mar 2010.
Walters, Chris. "Facebook's New Terms Of Service: "We Can Do Anything We Want With Your Content. Forever."." Consumerist 15/02/2009: n. pag. Web. 12 Mar 2010.