How can/Should social media be used to help you develop/collaborate/communicate as a professional? What are the critical issues to consider?
Social media helps educators stay connected and network with each other. It is very useful in sharing ideas, methods and cutting edge ways to use technology in the classroom. In addition to being useful tools to communicate and network with, social media can help you discover your own leadership abilities and refine yourself in the professional community. The critical issues to consider in social media is good digital citizenship and respect for each other. Remain professional and respect privacy in your personal life and the life of others. Social media policies should be considered which is your company's principles and guidelines for communicating online to the outside world. Legal and ethical issues need to also be considered. The key to remember is when using social media that all the laws, policies and social rules that apply in real life also apply on the internet. Material on the internet is protected by copyright. You have no legal right to copy someone's work. Data protection laws protect personal data. Don't let personal data become public via social media tools or social media tools to share personal information with collaborators. Social media tools are very public and we need to remember what we write to the public has an impact on our reputation as a professional. What would you do if you were to come across an inappropriate post made by one of your students outside of the school. Do you address the post and, if so, how? Whom do you involve in the conversations? What considerations must you make in determining your course of action? First of all I would not address the post on social media. I would speak to the student alone and with the administrator. I would also include the parents or guardians of the student. I feel that the parent needs to know if their child is being inappropriate in anyway even online. I am a parent and would like to know if my child was in trouble for inappropriate behavior. I would consider the situation and context of the inappropriate post. I would explain to the parent and administrator my course of action and reteach digital citizenship and why it is so important. I would explain to the student the problems that arise from inappropriate posts. I think it would help the student and all those concerned to post an apology. On a personal note, I had to do this with my own teenage son. I made him post an apology. He happily cooperated in this course of action. His post wasn't profanity or harassment, he just wanted to impress his friends. It was still inappropriate and it concerned the administrator at his school. Posting an apology shows that the student is taking responsibility for inappropriate behavior and it is a good solution because they also have a chance to preserve their reputation. I would let the student know that in the end, they hurt themselves the most. They are the ones that future colleges, employers and other significant people in their future will check up on. Their reputation is the one at stake and it is very difficult to change people's perception of how they think of a person after their reputation is tainted. I believe this is true for adults as well as students. Cyber bullying, harassment and disrespect of any kind should not be tolerated online with social media or offline.
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AuthorDiane Williams ArchivesCategories |