Too Cool for School?

Are social network tools appropriate in school?

Claudia Wickham
Concordia University
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Abstract

This paper explores a variety of resources that report on the issues schools are facing with the

incorporation of social networking tools in the classroom. It is necessary to first determine why

such a tool should be considered for classroom use. Who are digital natives? Who are digital

immigrants? How do we best connect to these students who are speaking a new digital

language? Are there resources to support educators in tying technology to the curriculum? Best

practices now come along with new risks. Is it possible that because of the risks of Web 2.0

forums that they really are too cool for school? Risks include cyber bullying, sexting and

harassment. With risks such as these leaking into the classroom districts are being forced to

write policies defining a stance on this ever changing world of technology. What do schools

need to consider when tackling this challenge? There is literature that suggests recommendations

for districts to consider when writing their own policies

Why Should Social Network Tools be considered for the Classroom?

Consider this statement, “Our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no

longer the people our educational system was designed to teach” (Prensky, 2001, p.1). That is a

bold statement that we as educators can’t ignore. Who are these new students with whom we are

strangers? “Our students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers,

video games and the Internet” (p.1). We must look at those of us who are not “digital natives”

as “digital immigrant instructors” (p.2). Mark Prensky isn’t shy about telling us that we are

speaking an outdated language and are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely

new language. Students are receiving information at a much faster pace allowing them to be

much more efficient with multi-tasking. Auditorium filled classrooms of students at universities

are a perfect example of this. Every student has a laptop. On every laptop each student probably

has multiple windows open from which they toggle back and forth all while participating in a

class lecture. We can’t assume that the students in our classrooms today are the same as they

always have. Most importantly, we can’t assume that “the same methods that worked for

teachers when they were students” (p.3) will work for students today. That is what will certainly

get us in trouble.

We can’t teach the way we were taught because our students today do not learn the same

way that we learned. “Today’s students are essentially different from previous generation in the

way they think, in the way the process, and apply information and, above all, in the way they

view, interact, and communicate in this technology-rich and connected world” (Shelly, Gunter &

Gunter, 2010, p.15).

“Teaching requires the transformation of content in ways that make it intellectually

accessible to students” (Mishra and Koehler, 2009, p.15). Educators have a responsibility to

connect with the “digital natives” in their classroom. If we’re not making that connection then

the information that we have to share is not accessible to them. “Teachers have to decide

whether to try to pull digital students away from their native digital world or to motivate digital

students by tapping into their natural inclination and inquisitiveness about all that is digital”

(Shelly et al. 2010, p. 16). When students feel more comfortable in the classroom there is an

open door to better understanding, better communication, and better learning (Sturgeon and

Walker, 2009).

Where’s the support?

Educational research is a buzz with an extensive “body of research showing that

technology can support learning in many ways (Shelly, Gunter & Gunter, 2010, p. 11). Most

importantly using technology in the classroom is motivational! One reference that teachers have

found to be beneficial when tying technology to the classroom has been the National Educational

Technology standards for students. “All educators need to understand these standards and more

importantly, strive to make sure that their students meet these standards” (p. 13). It will only be

a matter of time before students are assessed on such standards as they are becoming equally as

important as the core content standards.

The Partnership for 21 Century Skills has published a document to offer a framework

(See figure 1.1) for educators. This tool will help teachers integrate the skills necessary for

students to develop in the core academic areas. Students are “more engaged in the learning

process and graduate better prepared to thrive in today’s global economy” (2009). An entire
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theme of the framework is dedicated to Information, Media and Technology Skills. Districts are

beginning to introduce teachers to such tools to encourage the incorporation of a language that

will help them better connect with their students.

Figure 1.1 The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a unified, collective vision for

21st century learning that can be used to strengthen American education. They have developed

this graphic representation.

Times are a changin’

What we do know is “historically, technologies like record players, film strip projectors,

radio, overhead projectors, and tape recorders have all been considered “disruptive” when they

were first introduced to the classroom” (Ganis, 2009, p. 4). It is not at all a surprise that the

introduction of technologies such as computers, IPods, cell phones etc. are causing a bit of a

ruckus. Although we want to find the most effective way to connect with our kids, we must

thoroughly explore the risks at hand.

Potential Problems

If we want to connect with our students (aka digital natives) we may perhaps consider

bringing into the classroom the technologies that they are most comfortable with. Web 2.0 Tools

such as Facebook and Twitter are extremely popular among students. According to the Centre

for Learning and Performance Academy, “Social networking sites let people create online

connections with others.” As Chris stated on our course blog, “Like it or not Facebook is here to

stay and EVERYONE is using it!” “A recent National School Boards Association report stated

that 96 percent of U.S. teens and tweens (students 8-12) who have Internet access use social

networking to connect with their peers” (Shelly, 2010, p. 15). How awesome would it be to

create a class page or a teacher page on Facebook and use it to communicate with your students!

Imagine the discussions. It’s even possible to make assignments accessible via Facebook.

When I inquired about the use of Facebook in my classroom I was stopped dead in my

tracks because the user agreement on Facebook states that all users should be 13. Most of my

students turn 13 at some point in the school year. So, my dream was squashed. The more I

thought about it however, the more I shied away from it because there are many potential issues

that could arise if by incorporating these into our classroom. Cyber bullying, sexting and sharing

of private information are just the tip of the iceberg. Once you put anything on the internet it is

out there for everyone to see. Some sites have the ability for students to create special

clubs/groups, which were intended “as a way for users to exhibit their personalities….it has

backfired and mushroomed into a source of cyber bullying and harassment.” Whatever the tool

is that the teacher is using, the teacher would need to have full management ability so that

students could not create a hostile environment. Hopefully, “teachers are professional enough to

know what is appropriate” (Barrett, 2006). “The issue of ethical conduct is especially relevant
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for those in education, because teachers across the United States have been dismissed for such

broad and undefined reasons such as “conduct unbecoming” and immorality” (Fulmer, 2002).

School districts are coming face to face with the challenge of how to connect our “digital

natives” and “digital immigrants.” Ann-Louise Davidson discusses how educators will be

empowered to help our students “develop critical skills to select information and to make

decisions about information.” However, Tim Psychl, an associate professor of psychology at

Carleton University states that “while discussion groups, chat, blogs and email can be valuable

tools in the classroom, using commercial products like Facebook and Twitter can lead to

distraction and procrastination.” This would be the downfall. Because students are so

comfortable in forums such as Facebook and Twitter, and there are so many interactions taking

place, it is possible students might miss the point and not meet classroom expectations. He

advises that teachers seek out social software that is specifically designed for education.

Hopefully, if we can get our hands on software that is specifically designed for the classroom we

will then eliminate the risk of teachers getting in trouble for misuse of the current “popular”

technology.

What are districts saying about social network tools in the classroom?

When gathering the research for this paper it became very clear that districts are

scrambling to put their words together to define the terms of appropriate use of social network

tools in the classroom. Millard Public Schools Director of Human Resources simply referred me

to our Code of Ethics. Honestly, that document just left me with more questions. There was

nothing specific within that document at utilizing social networking media in the classroom.
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Upon further investigation it appears that our district is in the process of creating a very specific

process for teachers to go through when inquiring about the appropriate use of any Web 2.0 tool.

Funny enough, I discovered our most recent staff development newsletter hanging on the

bathroom wall. It states, “The easiest way to ensure compliance with all of the carious policies

that govern technology in the classroom is to use the Technology Standards Form. Questions on

this form include: 1) Who is the site creator? 2) Does the site display advertisements, 3) Is the

site secure, 4) Does this site store user information? If yes, is its privacy statement consistent

with MPS Board Policy? Now that is where I think teachers will just run for the hills when

inquiring about the use of web tools. Once the form is complete it has to be signed by a building

principal and submitted to the Director of Technology. Then the Technology Division consults

with Educational Services to determine if the web tool is appropriate in the classroom. Once that

is all said and done one can only imagine the half of the school year has passed and the

enthusiasm for the tool itself has been lost. Let me remind you, I educated myself on this

process by reading a document on the bathroom wall, not through a formal staff development

session. Unless staff members are asking questions and actively looking for answers regarding

the use of technology then they are not being educated on where our district stands. That is a

concern.

Districts are all over the place with their policies regarding social networks. Here are two

districts that are an example of the two extremes.

 “Weber School District (Utah) has a Web site that encourages parents and students to

connect to teachers through Twitter as a way to engage students, promote writing and

improve communication in the classroom (www.standard.net, 8/30/2010).

 Manchester School District Policy (New Hampshire) states that those that “use social

networking sites or other electronic means shall not post, use, or share any school district

data documents, photos, student information, or other district owned or created material

on any website or in any electronic document. (http://www.manchesternh.gov) This

would make the discussion of any classroom material impossible.

So now what? What to offer our districts when they are writing policies.

The Nashua School District (New Hampshire) requested a copy of neighboring

Manchester School District policy. Superintendent Mark Conrad intends on working with staff

to create a similarly worded policy. “Conrad doesn’t think the issue of teachers interacting with

students online has been a widespread problem, but he says he’d rather be proactive than wait for

something bad to happen (Brindley, 2010). “The Texas Association of School Boards

acknowledges the use of social media for instructional purposes and encourages local leaders to

consider allowing the use, with regulations” (Fox, 2010). If school districts are not proactive

then there are going to be teachers facing the loss of their jobs, there really is no choice.

Interesting enough, Oxiem, a marketing technology company has some great tips on

incorporating Social Media into schools. Their presentation is titled “Welcome to the New

Media World.” One suggestion is to first determine how your staff, students and community are

using social media today through a survey. With this data schools can then develop an overall

philosophy about how social media will be used to help students, staff and the community.

Another part of their plan is informing districts that they will have to ask themselves tough

questions. For example: 1) How will we monitor and enforce policies? 2) Do we need a
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different policy for students, staff and administrators? 3) How will we evaluate new social

media tools as they come up?

Finally, Oxiem presents key items for every policy:

 What is social media and how will we use it

 Reminders on confidential information

 Define who is responsible and indentify a main point of contact

 Responsibility for what’s written online

 What happens if the policy is violated

Where does your district stand? Do they have a stance at all? What questions do you

need to ask to push the issue so you are communicating effectively with the digital natives in

your classroom? There has to be a safe, common ground from which we can work. We will

neglect our students if we’re not finding a way to meet them where they are at in the world of

technology.

References

Barrett, J. (2006, September). My space or yours? Learning and Leading with Technology, 15-

19.
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Bowman, J. (2009, August 26). Facebook in classroom, bad idea? [Electronic version]. CBC

News. Retrieved August 25, 2010 from

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/08/26/f-back-to-school-social-media.html

Brindley, M. (2010, August). District considers social media policy. [Electronic version]. The

Telegraph. Retrieved August 30, 2010, from http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/print/?

sid=2502228

Centre for Learning and Performance Academy. (2010). What is Social Networking? Retrieved

September 3, 2010 from http://c4lpt.co.uk/academy/ism/networking.html

Chris. (2010, August 3). Facebook. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from

http://educ506aug2010.blogspot.com/2010/08/facebook.html

Foulger, T. (2009). Moral Spaces in MySpace. Journal of Research on Technology in

Education. (42)1, 1-28.

Fox, L. (2010, August 23). Dallas-Fort Worth area schools grapple with social media policies.

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http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/082310dnmetcybert

eacher.2a420c1.html

Ganis, Frank. (2009) “Social Learning” Buzz Masks Deeper Dimensions.

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Oxiem Marketing Technology. (2010). Welcome to the new media world. Retrieved August 26

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Prensky, Mark. Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. (2001) On the Horizon, Vol. 9(5). 1-6

Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., Gunter, G.A. & Gunter, R.E. (2010). Teachers Discovering

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Boston: Cengage.

Social Media Strategy. (2009). Education. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from www.kaleidico.com

Standard Examiner. (2010). Ogden School District may ban social networking site. Retrieved

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