I asked that all of my students follow me on Twitter at the beginning of the school year. You would have thought that I asked them to get a job or something heinous that would cause them harm. Parents were outraged that I would dare ask their children to participate in a social media site. Neither did they know, their kids already had accounts.
I was just reflecting on the conference we did in class a couple of weeks ago on using social media in the classroom as I began to coordinate an event for my dance team. It's funny that when parents need you to stay in contact with them on the weekends for frivolous reasons, they don't mind. But when I asked about using Twitter for my class, it was a problem.
I have never been able to understand how as a teaching professional, when I propose things to parents that could help their child it is rebuffed or at times REBUKED! I mean teachers have the same professional credentials as a doctor or lawyer yet we are treated as if we know nothing. I thought that by using Twitter in the classroom that we would be able to open the doors of communications and that my students would see me as a teacher that was accessible...for whatever they needed. Yet, it was seen as just another "gimmick" of sorts by parents. This was after I explained how the tool would be used and why.
I guess my question is why are teachers treated with the same respect as doctors or lawyers? If the doctor were to give a parent advice on how to take care of their body, the parent would accept the advice with no hesitation. Yet, when I provide advice and tips on how my students can become better writers and readers, it's shrugged off as no big deal. I know that tying that conference topic up with my rant may seem far fetched...but it's something that has been bugging me all school year.
When will parents begin to truly see the value you in using social media as an educational tool? Not all teachers will use it incorrectly...if any at all. Also, I'm sure that when Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook that he did not limit its capabilities to JUST being a tool that people used to see if someone was single, in a relationship, or married. He had the forethought to expand upon the basic principles of his idea from the very beginning. I'm sure the same can be said for the creators of Tumblr, Twitter, and other social media outlets.
We are a world that is moving towards a technology take over of sorts, yet we continue to try to shove ancient teaching practices and rituals down our students throats. It's no wonder that students aren't interested in school anymore.
Hi, Andrea:
ReplyDeleteI'm really intrigued about the response you received from parents regarding Twitter. I was wondering about this the other day--how parents would respond. I wondered because of the microcosm of our society represented in each classroom. Not every family allows their youth to participate in online activities--at least until a certain age. There are many ethnic/religous groups I could mention, but won't--that would look very negatively on their girls, especially, on a social media site. So, while using social media is/can be a great connection point between teacher and student, there are still many parents who won't think well of it for their children. Some may even feel threatened by an adult linking up with their child after school hours. Another thing to think about is making sure the social media account a teacher uses is strictly for educational purposes. There was that one teacher who was fired for showing herself on Facebook drinking alcohol while on a vacation. Somehow, some of her students "liked" her account. It was not restricted at that time. Things are little bit scary right now as social media is used for so many "social" things, that education doesn't quite legitimize their use in many people's eyes.
I am sure your plan was well developed and meaningful. You just can't always predict what people will do. You could send a message to parents further identifying your objectives and the focus of the Twitter account. That may help some to calm down. Best regards,
Lyn from OMDE 603
Lyn,
ReplyDeleteI made the account strictly for my classroom. It was marked private and the only people that could post on my timeline were people that I approved. I tried to make my intentions very clear and most parents did not object to it for the reasons that most of us think they would have. I see where you are coming from and thought about all of this before I sent the back to school letter home. I will say that many of my parents are very misinformed when it comes to using technology in the educational realm. They are also disconnected from their children, which is most of their kids already had accounts and they didn't know about it.
I pride myself on being a teacher that connects with her students. It's not a 100% hit all of the time but I try...very hard. Most young people want someone they can connect with that will listen to them and make them feel like their opinion counts. I also wanted to use the Twitter account as a discussion tool and will resume that part after our state test. Yet, most people can only see potential pitfalls as opposed to just the POTENTIAL of what this social media outlet can do for young, impressionable kids.
Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI thought you had made your intentions clear enough in the beginning--but when parents want to be difficult, they will be. :-) Mentioning that your students already had Twitter accounts brought to my mind one teen online phrase, "parents without a clue."
Your presence your student's social media world can help balance all the frivolous activity they will experience out there.