Teachers and Social Media

Cabarrus County in North Carolina all employees including teachers, principals, and the rest of the staff must use the school system's e-mail or school system websites or webpages when wanting to communicate with students or parents on-line about any school-related matters. Employees are not allowed to use personal websites, personal email accounts, or personal social media accounts (including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and Google +) to communicate regarding school-related matters or to simply communicate with other employees or students about school-related matters. In the school system guidelines teachers should not communicate with students, parents, or even other teachers on a personal email, or social media account. Which i think is the best way to put it, no teacher should be communicating with a student or parent on Facebook, twitter or on a personal email. Being a teacher is your job and you need to keep everything you do on a professional level. 
Employees are to maintain an appropriate, professional relationship with students at all times.  Employees are strongly encouraged to block students from viewing personal information on employee personal websites, personal email accounts, or social media (including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and Google +) in order to prevent the possibility that students could view materials that are not age-appropriate.  If an employee creates and/or posts inappropriate content and it has a negative impact on the employee’s ability to perform his or her job as it relates to working with students or other employees, the employee will be subject to discipline up to and including dismissal.  This section applies to all employees, volunteers and student teachers working in the school system. But on a professional level some teachers have found that using social media in an effective way for their students to learn from. 

This video shows great ways to use social media in a learning way. As some may think social media is a terrible source for teaching. It does have its perks. You can make a Twitter or Facebook account just for your class. On these accounts you can post homework and assignments and what the lesson of the day was. Its an easy way to get kids excited about learned, but also an easy way for the students to get distracted. Students are going to go on social media, so why not make it easier for them to get some educational information. When you make these accounts you have to make sure to keep them professional. No personal information should be posted from the teacher or the students.  

In this video it shows the harsh truth of being Identified in the world. Many things can identify you but one main point is social media, it can identify you in many ways some bad and some good, as teachers we need to be role models for our students. In this Article it portrays how to keep your personal life separate from your professional life via social media. But as a teacher you need to know how being a social media can identify you as a teacher. Most teachers i have communicated this issue with have made it a point to make all your personal social media accounts very private and take many precautions when becoming friends with someone on these social media sites. 

REFERENCES:

 Adames, K., & Adames, K. (Directors). (n.d.). Identity SHORT FILM [Motion picture]. United States.
 CCS School Board Policy - PSRES BYOT. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015.

 Domain TV, P. (Director). (2014). Social Media in the Classroom: Forget Textbooks! Use Twitter! [Motion picture]. United States.

 Managing Personal vs. Professional Identity on Social Media. (2014, June 12). Retrieved September 14, 2015.