Learning & Leading Through Technology

by modeling, redirecting, reflecting, and adjusting. And we encourage our willing teachers to interact with their students on social media, redirect them if necessary, and even occasionally call out inappropriate behavior.

Because if we as adults do not help them recognize and live out appropriate norms, we as a society will reap the consequences of the inappropriate norms they learn in our absence. This approach isn’t cheap, or easy, or automated. But the most valuable parts of education never are.

—J.D. Ferries-Rowe is the chief information officer at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Indiana. He tweets as @jdferries and blogs about digital citizenship and other topics at geekreflection.blogspot.com.

our students how to treat each other respectfully. There will always be con-flict. The question is how to best help them handle this conflict, particularly when it happens on a highly visible forum, such as Twitter or Facebook. Instead of spending our time monitoring and reacting to inappropriate posts, we need to spend it arming our students with tools for handling conflict so they will know when and how to face it if necessary, how to avoid it when appropriate, and how to seek help when it is more than they can handle.

—Anne Pasco is chair of the Blended Learning department at Huntley High School in Huntley, Illinois. Follow her on Twitter @apasco

158 or visit her school district’s website at www.district158.org.

Here’s what other ISTE members had to say about this topic.

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Reallocate Resources to Digital Citizenship Monitoring students’ social media posts is an archaic and backward way to teach digital citizenship. Positive reinforcement is essential to promoting successful students, and punishing ex-“post” facto does not properly address the (albeit serious) issue of cyberbully-ing. The time and exorbitant resources poured into policing social media could better be spent properly educating students in all areas of digital citizenship.

Erica Ellis

Concurrent student coordinator Mesa, Arizona

In Loco Parentis

In loco parentis is a legal doctrine under which school systems assume parental rights, duties, and obligations. It has shaped the rights and responsibilities of schools and teachers for centuries. Just as educators check for comprehension and application of curricula, districts should monitor the public posts of those under their care for acceptable use.

Arlen Walker

Educational training coordinator Idaho State University Pocatello, Idaho

Who Is Liable?

Let’s say a student is considering suicide and writes this on Facebook. The school misses it, and the student unfortunately commits suicide. The parent wants to know why the school did not report what the child was posting, as they were previously [told] that the district would be monitoring cyber-activity. Therefore the parent felt safe and did not monitor it themselves.

Rich Gaskill Associate professor, Ashford University Clinton, Iowa

Allow the Teachable Moments Monitoring students’ social media posts is by definition an after-the-fact action. Better to spend time up front helping students become mindful citizens and humans so that online interactions can be civil, playful, helpful, supportive, and distinct. Mistakes will be made but, like all mistakes, will offer opportunities for engaged and wise teachers to help students reflect and learn.

Steve Taffee Educational consultant San Francisco, California

Better Sooner Than Too Late

After a child has committed suicide due to bullying or has posted how s/he plans to take a gun to school to wreak havoc, engaging and reflecting are akin to grief counseling for the survivors. I agree that these are great tools to use, but intercepting a kid who plans to murder his classmates needs to be discovered before the event, not after the fact.

Larry Edmonds Educator, editor, writer, speaker, trainer, and coach Arizona State University Phoenix, Arizona

Freedom of Speech

Social media posts are the modern-day equivalent of conversation. If there was a proposal to monitor all words that came out of students’ mouths just in case there was bullying or threats to student safety, there would be a public outcry that this violated freedom of speech. Social media needs to be included in the updated interpretation of speech as defined by our first amendment.