The recent story of teachers who engaged in inappropriate behavior with students using Facebook has gained attention and outcries to ban teachers from “friending” students on Facebook. Innovative educators know this is confusing, rather than addressing, the issue. We can’t ban adults or children from using the places creeps go to prey on children. We need to ensure the places students frequent are safe which also means ensuring trusted adults are in these environments. Rather than what the media might have you believe, this means we need to encourage, NOT discourage educators from “friending” students not just on Facebook, but on playgrounds, in classrooms, and in the community. This is not a requirement of educators, but many of us know that those teachers who make the most positive impact in the lives of their students are the ones who see them as more than just a number or letter grade and instead realized the entire social-emotional being and are there for their students as supportive role-models.
As we look at the media’s confusion with promoting fear of the tool rather than the person, I think we need to take a look at the word “friend” and its meaning. Recently, many unquestioningly take the stand that adults should not be “friends” with students. Really? Is being a friend to a student really such a taboo action? Are we that mistrustful of all adults that this needs to be the default choice of how student/teacher relationships should be defined?
Encarta defines the word friend as follows:
1. somebody emotionally close: somebody who trusts and is fond of another.
2. acquaintance: somebody who thinks well of or is on good terms with somebody else.
3. ally: an ally, or somebody who is not an enemy.
4. advocate of cause: a defender or supporter of a cause, group, or principle.
More recently “friend” or “friending” has taken on another definition.
The building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friending
Friends, in part, define exactly the type of caring, concerned individual we want in our children’s lives. A friend is not someone who crosses a line or makes another feel uncomfortable. These are the people we teach our students to block from their online and physical lives and there in lies the solution.
The people need to be banned...not the places where people go: schools, playgrounds, homes, online networking outlets. Those places need to be safe and that includes ensuring trusted adults like teachers and family members exist as trusted friends / advocates / allies of their students.
While I understand what you are saying I think that there are a number of concerns with "friending" on Facebook. There is the age issue with Facebook and whether or not a student has an account. Which also speaks to the issue of equitable access to you as a teachers. "Sally can talk to you on Facebook, but I can't." While you can create lists to control who has access to what on your Facebook profile, there is a distinct difference in the relationship between a teacher and their student. While that is a caring relationship it is not that of a "friend".
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not an advocate for Facebook in a formal educational setting at the current time due to the signal/noise ratio, I do agree with your take on "friending"along these lines. I recently lined out a few thoughts on this here: "How Close Is Too Close?" => http://nashworld.edublogs.org/2010/08/29/how-close-is-too-close/
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this post. I friend students who demonstrate responsible use of social networking sites. I teach them how to be responsible and safe online, so when they friend me, they accept the ethics I have taught them, and the consequences if they don't follow the rules - I report and delete them. Students who request friendship from me know that I will be there to help them with homework questions, play a short game, or help resolve conflicts. I'm glad I'm there to be a role model and caring adult.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I agree with you. The one thing I would add is that it makes sense from a responsibility/protection angle to have a system in the school/college to have administrative oversight of any messages passed between students and staff. They shouldn't, in my view, be routinely monitored, but teachers who are prepared to "friend" students should be prepared to have that relationship 'auditable'.
ReplyDeleteIn the UK some teachers have been told not to friend pupils (or their parents) because of potential risks to the teachers' careers. Both this risk and the risk to children would be mitigated by enabling the monitoring of communications.
Yes, it is an invasion of privacy - but in most cases there is no need for a private relationship between teacher and pupil. Where there is a need (teacher providing pastoral care for a pupil, for instance) there should be other ways of dealing with it.
At the end of the day, though, it is easier to keep a record of what was said when the communication is electronic than face to face. Media such as Facebook actually provide a better ability to determine what went wrong, in the unfortunate event of it happening.
I agree that teachers should play a role in students lives outside the classroom. Teachers should be actively involved in the school community and the wider community and be there as friends and role models.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that I don't see Facebook as a community space. I think it's a much more personal and private space. It's not a blog or twitter feed where you're expressing yourself to the world, the global community of the web.
Most of the people I friend on Facebook are people I would invite into my home.
However, when it comes to minors, if Facebook is like their home, inviting adults in, without their parents permission, is inappropriate. If their parents or other trusted adults, guardians, relatives, are friends with them, it's ok. But even if nothing happens, you as a teacher and adult may have entered a private space unsupervised. In which case, we should find other spaces where we can engage with our students as advocates and allies.
While I see the potential value in an application like Facebook, I disagree with "friending" students for 3 main reasons:
ReplyDelete1) As a teacher my students are not my friends, and I am not theirs. As an educator I think defining that difference is as important as the subjects we teach. Throughout life you come in contact with people in various capacities, some are friends some are not. I think there are valuable social skills in knowing the difference and how to interact with each.
2) A "social network" is just that, social. The teacher student relationship is not, nor should it be, "social".
3) I wouldn't give out my home address or home phone number to a student or parent. I don't offer, nor want, 24/7 access to my students and their families, nor do I what them to have that access to me. There needs to be that separation. I wont "friend" a student or parent either.
Using a Facebook page to post class information is one thing, maybe creating a separate Facebook page for "professional purposes" but I whole-heartedly disagree with “friending” a student with your personal account. I think that is highly inappropriate. I don't want my students seeing what I do on the weekends, or at night, that is my time. Personal time needs to be apart from professional time.
This not to say teachers can't be friendly with students or let their hair down occasionally around students, however I do feel very strongly about the definitive line between teacher and student and the idea of treating students as equals, as a friend, is a dangerous thing to do.
Again, I see the value in using a Facebook "page" to communicate with your students. They can "like" and follow the page, comment on it, etc. Parents can even view it and communicate via it. “Friending” from a personal account I'm completely against.
(*disclaimer* - I do have 2 Facebook accounts, 1 for personal use, 1 for school. In addition I created a Mr. Casal page for professional purposes)
@William Stites, Access is the same for all students so it’s equitable. Not having an account is a choice as is accepting a friendship. I’m not sure exactly what the relationship difference you feel there is between a teacher and their student on Facebook, but the same protocols and communication norms can exist between teachers and students regardless of the communication platform.
ReplyDelete@Sean Nash, love your thoughtful post and agree for the most part. My question to you is this. Why do we have to define Facebook as a tool in a formal ed setting? I want to use it to model for my students, teach into the building of personal learning networks and connect as they’d like me to. Do we need to define all ways of communication before allowing it? I certainly don’t think we should mandate any form of communication, but we should allow them all and ensure those communicating are doing so safely and responsibly.
ReplyDelete@vvtechleader Thank you for chiming in. You use Facebook in exactly the way I know other innovative educators do as well.
ReplyDelete@P, I agree! An educator, really any adult, actually any student, in short, any person should come to terms with the reality that what they do on Facebook, just like what they do in the classroom or on email is auditable. Peronsonally, I don’t quite think it’s an invasion of privacy as I don’t feel teacher / student relationships should be private when they occur in public places like facebook.
ReplyDeleteAnd here here to the smart insight, that yes! Facebook does indeed provide a better ability to determine what went wrong.
@Tyrian Archer, you make a good case, but I think you agree with me more than you might realize with your home analogy. As a teacher I believe in visiting children in their homes and I often had children complete permission slips to join me on the tour of NYC as better than the brick and mortar classroom. Any parent whose child has a Facebook account should be in that space as well. That is another adult necessary to keep our students safe online. Facebook, like a child’s home is indeed not a private space and neither is unsupervised when caring adults exist in these spaces.
ReplyDelete@Mr Casal,
ReplyDelete1) I respect your position that you don’t want to be friends with students, but not every educator feels the same way. While there are boundaries, I enjoy having friendly relationships with students. Expectations are set and I am the teacher, but we also enjoy the things as I defined above that come with friendship with others: an emotional bond, I think well of them, I am their ally and advocate.
2) I disagree. I think folks are getting hung up on terms. I use Facebook for much more than socializing. It is an important and powerful part of my personal learning network. For students it is a great place for them to connect with those that share passions and interests and for me to serve as a role model.
3) Those are personal choices. My address and phone number are publicly available and I make clear that a mutually agreed upon appointment is necessary to communicate with me in either. I set expectations. You don’t want students/parents to have access to you. That’s okay. I do.
While I understand your policies work for you, I disagree that there needs to be that separation. Therein lies an important part of this topic. It’s okay for educators to approach this all differently, but the approach should be up to them.
In response to your unnumbered points. I don’t appreciate your judgement on the decision of me and other respected colleagues to friend students on Facebook. I respect your decision and I believe you should do the same. I do want my students to see what I do on the weekends and at night. For me it does not need to be apart. Please keep in mind, that what works for you, does not apply to us all. I love that my students were highly connected to my evening and weekend volleyball passion. It made me more real to them and models an important and healthy lifestyle. If there were something I was uncomfortable with them knowing, I simply would not share it.
I understand your strong feelings about the definitive line, but please be open to the fact that engaging in behaviors as I mentioned above is a choice and it is a choice that many respectable educators are making. I respect your approach. Other approaches also need to be respected. What is dangerous is when folks label those of us who are willing to take on this role as dangerous. We are not. We see ourselves as role models and mentors and after all, isn’t that what we want from educators?
1) I respect your position that you don’t want to be friends with students, but not every educator feels the same way. While there are boundaries, I enjoy having friendly relationships with students. Expectations are set and I am the teacher, but we also enjoy the things as I defined above that come with friendship with others: an emotional bond, I think well of them, I am their ally and advocate.
ReplyDelete2) I disagree. I think folks are getting hung up on terms. I use Facebook for much more than socializing. It is an important and powerful part of my personal learning network. For students it is a great place for them to connect with those that share passions and interests and for me to serve as a role model.
3) Those are personal choices. My address and phone number are publicly available and I make clear that a mutually agreed upon appointment is necessary to communicate with me in either. I set expectations. You don’t want students/parents to have access to you. That’s okay. I do.
While I understand your policies work for you, I disagree that there needs to be that separation. Therein lies an important part of this topic. It’s okay for educators to approach this all differently, but the approach should be up to them.
In response to your unnumbered points. I don’t appreciate your judgement on the decision of me and other respected colleagues to friend students on Facebook. I respect your decision and I believe you should do the same. If there were something I was uncomfortable with students knowing about me, I simply would not share it.
I understand your strong feelings about the definitive line, but please respect that engaging in behaviors as I mentioned above is a choice and it is a choice that many respectable educators are making. I respect your approach. I suggest other approaches are also respected. What is dangerous is when folks label those of us who are willing to take on this role as dangerous. We are not. We see ourselves as role models and mentors and after all, isn’t that what we want from educators?
As I said, I see value in Facebook as a tool. I am beginning to use it too. It is just, in my opinion, inappropriate for teachers to friend students via their personal account.
ReplyDeleteYour opinion is different, that is fine. I made no negative comments about your opinion I just voiced my differing opinion.
Maybe the difference is that I work with a k-5 population. Maybe the difference is that I'm not worried about what a student might see me post, but more what they see friends I'm connected to post. Facebook is becoming more and more open, despite their constant security/privacy changes. I can see far more about people I'm not friends with due to a common connection then I ever could before. That is my concern.
You reference your students, what age are they? Do you teach in a high school? Our different classroom environments/experiences probably also account for our differing opinions.
(and I'll take the repeated comments back to me as server glitch as opposed to beating your point home ;) )
@Mr. Casal, perhaps I’m being sensitive here, but when you express that a practice that I and others educators I respect engage in as highly inappropriate, I see that as a negative comment. You are judging those of us who are dedicated educators as being inappropriate, and we are not. Facebook is a platform with no intent so unless I am doing something highly inappropriate on Facebook, using it as a tool to connect with students is fine. Again, like the media and others, platform and behavior are being confused.
ReplyDeleteYou share that it is not you that you are necessarily concerned about, but rather you are concerned about something your friends may post. For me that is not an issue. The very few times over the years (maybe three comments) that a friend has made an inappropriate comment or joke, I’ve deleted it and emailed them privately. They’ve apologized. Thanked me, and it never happened again.
You ask about the age of students I’m referring to. To me the age is irrelevant to my point which is that I want to be in the environments of kids online or offline whatever the age or grade.
And...yes, some sort of server glitch on the repeated reply. Perhaps Blogger agrees with me and took the liberty of beating my point home, but it was not intentional on my end :-)
My intention is not to offend. I am a product of both the NYC public schools and a Jesuit education so I tend to find consensus for myself through questioning and looking for the opposite angle to decide which side I fall on.
ReplyDeleteI'm not judging the educator as inappropriate, however I feel a certain action is. I think the disconnect is I am coming from the elementary school level, where students aren't even supposed to be on Facebook due to the age restrictions (FB has a minimum age of 13). Also, I am in the classroom on a daily basis and your position tends to deal more with adults, correct? So I find myself getting sensitive when I hear about things I "should do with my students" from people who don't actually spend their day in the classroom.
You put this post up and asked for thoughts. I'm just offering up my own. Your thoughts are yours and that is fine, I'm just responding with as honest a response as possible. I feel that frank discussions like this, tense or uncomfortable they may be, are the best ways to get to the most effective conclusion. George Swain has basically my same opinion, so maybe it was the language I used that touched a nerve.
Again, not trying to offend, just trying to offer up my honest thoughts and reactions as I feel that is the best way for all involved to learn and grow.
Enjoying the discussion...
@Mr. Casal,
ReplyDeleteI too enjoy the conversation and very much appreciate your taking time to focus energy on this topic. That itself demonstrates your dedication to your work and willingness to thoughtfully consider issues affecting education. I also like your approach in finding consensus through questioning and looking at different sides.
What is pushing my buttons here though is the judgment of educators as being inappropriate for using a medium that many of us are using appropriately. I have a realistic fear, that this can quickly move from judgment to imposition of a ban like the unfortunate one NYC educators are currently operating under that doesn't enable teachers to allow students to use their digital devices for learning.
While it okay for educators to make a choice not to use a particular medium, naming those who make a different choice as doing something inappropriate...well, frankly, that's just not appropriate. (Not sure if I just contradicted myself there :-P )
You say that you are not judging the educator as inappropriate, but you did. You said it was your opinion that, "It is just inappropriate for teachers to friend students via their personal account." There. You judged me and other educators who are doing fantastic things using this medium with their personal accounts.
As far as the grade level, I don't feel that's a disconnect. Due in part to my sharing the story of a teacher using Facebook with first graders, Facebook is considering a change in policy on the age restriction of students using Facebook if they are doing so under the guidance of a teacher or adult. Regardless, there are other social media sites that I have recommended teachers set up and use with students of any age where the teacher creates her own social network...I like to call it a learning network though.
I also want to clarify, that while I am saying I feel it's important for adults to exist in student's worlds I'm not saying how you should do that and if you don't I'm not judging you for doing something inappropriate. I think educators should make the choice to do what they think works best for the educator and his students. What I am saying is that those who make the choice to go this route shouldn't be called inappropriate by the mayor, you, or others. These are caring and progressive educators who are very appropriate and making a positive difference in the lives of children.
I do very much appreciate your thoughts and I do hope you continue to share. I guess what I want to shed light on, is that as educators we need to respect the choices our colleagues make about how they do business and if it's using a medium that personally doesn't seem appropriate for your needs, that is fine, but I remain offended when educators who are making a different choice are labeled as doing something inappropriate.
Also, regarding George...and you, well, I'm hoping to push both of your thinking a bit and wrote a post today dedicated to doing just that (http://tinyurl.com/FB4Admins). If you haven't already, I invite you to read that post and join the discussion there as well.
You mention the first grade class referenced here on your site. If I recall correct, that teacher used a "page" on Facebook, not a personal account to friend students. I see these as 2 vastly different things.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with teachers having pages, or even "professional" accounts for the purposes of communicating and friending. My problem lies in using one's personal account to friend students. That is where I see an inappropriate crossing of a line in the student/teacher relationship.
Much like George I am friends with former students via my personal account. If Facebook takes away the age 13 requirement I may end up being friends with current students via my "professional" account.
I see almost 600 students in a week. Most of those are not siblings. For me to have students (and potentially parents as well) connected directly to my personal life is, in my opinion, far to much to ask and crossing a line of appropriateness. I need to have the sanctuary of my personnel life to fully appreciate and enjoy the daily joys of my professional life, and vice versa.
As for other social networks, I thought Ning was great. Before they eliminated their free platform I had a Ning for my old school. Parents, teachers, whomever. What I loved about it was it has all the aspects of a social network, but had far more administrative abilities. If Ning was still free I'd join you in the cry for every school to have a Ning. Sadly that is not the case. Facebook is close, but at this point I'm not ready to champion the cry for Facebook access without limitations. To me unfettered Facebook access/interaction between students and teachers treads to closely, and crosses, a line that I fel is important to have.
And again, I'm not trying to insult or offend (and I do truly appreciate you allowing dissenting posts on your blog) but I have to ask, when you say "my students" who exactly are you referring to? Based on your online profiles you are not a classroom, or school based, teacher. When you "friend students" what students are you friending?
I ask for this clarification because I feel it is important. As an educator who deals with 600 students a week, and almost an equal number of parents, I wonder how close our daily views as educators are if you do not actually have regular students.
Thank you again for the dialoge
c
@Mr. Casal,
ReplyDeleteAs I’ve shared through my original post, the others on the friending topic, and my comments...what I take issue with is that Facebook is being portrayed as the tool that got teachers fired. The mayor is saying it is inappropriate to friend students on Facebook. As you state, a personal account is different than a professional account or a fan page and depending on the teacher or the situation any of those options may work well. For several teachers in my PLN, separate accounts just don’t work. For others, they keep a personal and professional account. Still others use a Fan page. These are all people I respect and they are using a platform that is “appropriate” for their needs. Yes, they all are vastly different, but the mayor and media lump them together.
You’re sticking to your guns that it is inappropriate and crossing a line if an educator uses a professional account. Again....the medium has no intent. Respected educators who co-exist in such environments are not crossing the line by their mere existence in these places. Those of us who use our personal accounts with students don’t appreciate being labeled as crossing a line. Tell us a behavior we engaged in to cross a line and that is a different story.
You make it clear, that you would not accept the friendship of a current student who specifically reaches out to you and requests it. You are someone who needs to keep your personal life as a sanctuary. That’s fine and appropriate for you, but why do you feel it is okay to judge others who don’t need to do the same? Why is it that they can’t make choices about what is appropriate and in the best interests of their students.
I’m also surprised that you will let Facebook dictate what you will do. These tools weren’t made for educators. I think educators should use their own judgement and think outside the ban if it is in the best interests of their students. If kids under 13 are using this platform (and they are), do you really want them navigating it alone?
Regarding Ning, again it’s just a platform. Sure, that particular provider sold out, but as quickly as they did there were dozens behind them willing to offer free services to educators in the same space...you can read about them in my blog. So, you are welcome to join me in the cry for access to use a social media platform. The name of the platform is inconsequential.
To answer your question about “my students” I’m referring to those from the past and present who I’ve had the opportunity to work with. While, the numbers are fewer today since I serve in an administrative role, I have the great pleasure to run a program where we believe adults partner with students for learning and that means students join teachers at professional development. I also meet students through the schools I support and my very favorite way to meet students across the globe is through my personal learning network. I also have another group of students who I am friends with who are the children of colleagues and friends. I will accept the friendship of all those who ask. While I see this as a place, you’re eager to throw in the dagger, I think that’s too easy, because I’m not just defending how you judge JUST me. I’m defending what it is that you, the mayor, the media et. al. are accusing all those educators I respect of doing...and that is being inappropriate with our relationship with students. That is a big accusation, and for the record, though you want to differentiate the type of accounts, which few outside understand, you are lumped right in there with the rest as it is simply “friending” in online spaces that is considered inappropriate. So, I ask you. Do you like being judged by politicians, the mayor, and others as engaging in appropriate behaviors, despite the fact that you have made deliberate decisions to serve in the best interest as your students? I would guess you do not, and neither do the rest of us.
As a teacher I feel I am being judged every day by many different people. Politicians are but one set of people I feel judge us as educators. Parents, students, colleagues. We are, especially these days, very public figures.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem being judged and questioned. I feel it opens up a dialog for change, improvement, understanding, etc. I feel a lack of judgement leads to stagnation in craft. If no one judges me how do I know I'm doing something right, wrong, or indifferent?
With regards to the "age 13" issues, you said "I'm surprised you let Facebook dictate what you will do." The Terms of Service of Facebook is a legal document. Am I supposed to teach my students it is ok to lie and deceive because the tool is "worth it"? That is not something I am comfortable with. For me part of teaching them about the internet is teaching them to recognize truth and fiction, safety and danger. How can I teach them honestly about the pros and cons of the internet if I ignore a sites terms of service. I wouldn't tell my students to pirate software or download pirated software. I can't, in good conscience, interact with them in an environment accessed through dishonesty.
I'm ok with friending students, current students, from a professional account and using a Fan page. And I'm curious, we speak a lot of our duty as educators to prepare our students and teach them about their world. Where do you see parents in this equation? What is their level of responsibility? What is your position on friending the parents of your students.
This is a great conversation and one I fell will help drive the broader one. With regards to the media and politicians, I tend to take everything they say with a grain of salt anyway (I use to work in film, tv, and publishing, I know how "stories" can be directed), so maybe that is why the media and politicians statements don't tend to bother me.
Here's a parting question (in a few parts) for this Sunday, regarding the next mayor... In your opinion will mayoral control continue or leave with Bloomberg? And along those lines, as an administrator for the DoE have you come in to contact with anyone you see as, potentially, the next mayor and what might their tech knowledge/agenda be?
thanks as always
c
@Mr. Casal, I too know I’m being judged and I invite that, but when the judgement turns to accusation that I am doing something inappropriate, there is a problem. When I’m doing what I think is in the best interest of education and the person making the judgement doesn’t even understand the tool I’m using, then makes a blanket mandate, well, frankly I don’t feel it’s the American way. When politicians, or just people who think differently take away the freedom of choice for educators to teach in the way they find most effective, there is a problem. Sadly, dialogue pretty much ceased to exist when Bloomberg banned cells. In New York City, this is a conversation most are afraid to have.
ReplyDeleteI agree we are public figures, which is why I personally have an online identity that I ensure I feel comfortable with. I also don’t mind being judged by informed people or by people who not going to impose their will on me. When it comes to social media or student owned learning devices, this is not the case. Uninformed politicians, media, and others are judging and making policy, sans research and knowledge.
And, Mr. Casal, just because someone who doesn’t know better judges that you are doing something wrong, even if he is mayor, doesn’t mean you are doing something right or wrong. As educators, most of us know what is right are wrong. The problem is that often those who don’t know the field are making judgement and enforcing policies. They need to listen to educators and students before making such judgements and policies.
Regarding your question about the Facebook policy. Nope. You should not tell your students to lie and deceive. You should tell them to question policies that are put in place. If they can make a case for change like Ms. Shoening did, you should teach them that they have the power to make a change. It is wonderful to empower students to know that if there is a good and/or moral reason, policies/laws should indeed be questioned. I challenge the banning of personal owned learning devices all the time and believe I will and have impacted the decisions of districts around the globe...and hopefully will do so locally. Homosexuals are challenging laws/policies about their rights. Not only do I think you should teach them that they should challenge policies that are in place, I’d say this is one of the most important lessons you can teach your students. As for Facebook, a first grade teacher in Nebraska is pushing Facebook to reconsider their policy. How cool is that??? What a great lesson for her, her colleagues, and her students.
I love the parenting question you pose. The answer to that is worthy of it’s own post indeed. In short, if students have parents involved in their lives, they should absolutely be involved in their online and physical spaces, however, I don’t put responsibility just on their shoulders. 1) Because they may not understand social media. 2) Because many students in NYC don’t have traditional parental figures in their lives. As far as accepting friendship of parents, yes! I would accept those friendships. Ms. Shoening shares that she loves Facebook because it’s been a great way to communicate with many of her parents. I’d love to be able to give them insight into educating innovatively.
The reason I don’t take what the media and politicians say with a grain of salt is because they have the power to drive the agenda, and do so in a way that makes sensational stories and get votes, but is not best for the children. This affects educators when they can’t provide the best opportunities for their students because of outdated or uninformed “BANdates” as I like to call them. That BOTHERS me a LOT!
Parting questions...I think the next mayor would keep control. Mayoral candidates who would be knowledgeable? Ummm...I know I’ll get a lot of backlash for this, but I’d be interested in seeing what Eva Maskowitz could do.
Eva Maskowitz. Not a name I expected. I like, and appreciate, the honesty.
ReplyDeleteA post about parents roll in all this would be great. In addition I think an interesting post would be about web censorship in general. As you know the instructional network in the NYCDOE is a heavily regulated and censored one. Not just Facebook, but sites like YouTube as well. A post about the overall educational administering of instructional networks would be interesting. Unfettered access for all levels/ages? Limited keyword restrictions? Parent survey to help decide a policy?
Related to that, the NYCSchools twitter feed had a post last week with a linked photo of Klein and Duncan on stage together. The picture was hosted on TwitPic. TwitPic is blocked within the DOE. I replied to that tweet asking about the irony. No response yet...