Stephen Sutton

Elizabeth Beese
Case 5 - #4

When it comes to social media usage, when used wisely, it can be beneficial for
teachers and give them a way to connect with their students. Whether they decide
to use social media or not teachers have a responsibility to make sure that all
students have access to materials. For instance, one of the articles mentioned a
teacher who posted the homework assignments on Instagram so that the students
would see it and be reminded as they were scrolling through Instagram. In that
situation, though, the teacher also has the responsibility to make sure that the
homework is announced in class, or on a website, or maybe even both. If the
homework is only posted on Instagram, then students without an Instagram account
will not see homework which is not fair. Using Instagram, Twitter or Facebook can
be beneficial, but it should only be supplemental and not the main source of
announcements or posting of assignments. Teachers also have a responsibility to
maintain a professional attitude, and not post on social media about their students,
even if they do not think that anyone who will see the post knows the student that
is the subject of the post.

For the topic of social media there is very little that applies to time in the classroom
itself. For addressing the potential problems that social media can bring about,
teachers need to be wise in what they post, and who can see what they post. If a
teacher is unsure what is appropriate or not, the teacher can attend a workshop to
learn more about safe and professional social media practices. Social media can
have a variety of uses, and for students it is a way to connect with other students
and gain popularity. A teacher does not easily fit into either of those purposes, so
issues can often arise when a teacher connects with a student on social media. It is
wise for teachers to have two accounts if they want to be able to use social media
as a means for connecting with students. Having one personal account which
students are not allowed to see or follow or friend and then a separate,
professional account which students are free to interact with can help avoid many
problems. Distinguishing the role of a teacher from the personal life is crucial. Then
the teacher is able to post assignments, reminders, or supplemental material from
their teacher account, while not allowing any students to view or have access to
their personal account.

Students have said that having teachers on social media provides helpful reminders
since the students are apt to spend so much of their time on social media websites.
Because of this, I think that there can be huge benefits to being on social media as
a teacher, but if it is used incorrectly it can also be very destructive. If a teacher is
confident in his or her ability to manage social media accounts and not mix up

personal and professional aspects of life, the benefits definitely outweigh the
drawbacks. If a teacher is unfamiliar with social media it is probably safer to avoid
trying to use it, especially as there are still ways to communicate effectively with
students.