Recently The Los Angeles Times published an article stating that the New York City Education Department has released a set of guidelines for teachers that bans teachers from "friend requesting" their students on Facebook. The article, titled "Teachers, No More Friending Your Students in New York City," states that teachers are still allowed to use social media sites, however they are not allowed to contact students using sites other than purely academic sites created for classroom use.
After reading the article I can't decide what shocked me the most: the fact that this article implies that it is common for teachers to contact students outside of class for non-academic reasons or the fact that action is being taken now rather than earlier. The article even implies that teachers are unaware of the negative connotations that come with connecting with students through social media sites.
This article addresses a side of technology inclusion which perhaps needs to be spoken about more. As technology continues to influence society, the personal and professional norms continue to shift. While I understand that people need time to adjust to these constantly changing roles, I also think that it is especially important for teachers to be conscious of their actions both in and out of the classroom. Teachers play a pivotal role in the lives of students, and now more than ever I think teachers have the ability to make or break a student's education.
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