Been thinking a lot recently about social media.
This was not a banner year for technology integration in my school, or in my classroom. There were more trips to the “Swap Room,” misplaced or borrowed chargers, and blatant disregard for Internet safety, common sense, and use. It’s indicative of the chaotic year we’ve had, too. I am not complaining, just processing and reflecting. I have already taken personal steps to correct ways I can be a better teacher next year, and that’s very positive.
I consider myself tech-savvy and love to use the Internet for good and not evil, and try to have some common sense and balance my teacher-life with my creative-life and personal-life. Not easy. And supposedly I am a grown-up.
But we have given immature, developing humans a very powerful tool. I am not suggesting we clip Icharus’ wings, but dang. They really have no concept for how permanent this seemingly impermanent tool is. All thoughts and notions, venting and vexes, seem to go magically away into the ether. But just talk to a politician whose career options have been, um, compromised, or a young college girl who posts an ignorant opinion. We all make mistakes, and yet this generation’s mistakes are stamped in stone. If sticks and stones break bones, the bandwidth really hurts.
I love to read good writing, and came across this post: Social Media Guidelines
For a final project, I allowed my students to start their own blogs. In spite of my warnings, a few chose to think it would be funny to use their real names, or trash-talk other students and call them out by names.
And if they fail this final project, that one bad grade isn’t going to be the most damaging thing unless I can, at the eleventh hour, get one of them to heed those warnings.
This is no joke.
