Facebook Frenzy: Are student/teacher online relationships going too far?

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:36:29 GMT

By Haley Twist - Staff Writer

Photo By: Haley Twist
Barry Falls, Forestview junior, opens Facebook.com to log on and access his page. “I know Facebook has a bad reputatuion sometimes, but it has a great system of helping people stay in contact with other people that they can’t see every day.”

The number of people creating Facebook pages is steadily increasing. The site that was once designed for college students is now home to adults as well as teenagers. According to a 2006 ComScore survey, almost 40% of those registered on Facebook were over the age of 35. This poses the question, is it appropriate for students and teachers to have a relationship on Facebook? Facebook, a social networking website where people can create personal accounts and interact with each other online, was created in 2004 for college students. But in 2005, a separate portal was created for high schools. The high school students who use Facebook are required to register as members of their high school. Now there are only 2,000 colleges registered on Facebook, compared to the 22,000 high schools registered. Some schools, such as Mercyhurst College, actively encourage their students and staff to enroll on Facebook for learning purposes and help getting to know each other. The website’s name itself refers to the paper "face books" showing members of a campus community that certain preparatory schools and U.S. colleges give to new students, faculty, and staff. But the friendliness on Facebook only goes so far. Teacher Pablo Malavenda, the Associate Dean of students at Purdue University, learned this the hard way when he befriended many of his students on his Facebook account. Using Facebook, he discovered some of his students selling cocaine and had them kicked off campus. The enraged students created a Facebook group called "We hate Pablo," complete with directions to Malavenda’s house and instructions to hurt and even kill him. When Malavenda discovered this, he alerted the police and the students were sentenced to academic suspension for five years. In another instance, The Charlotte Observer reported that four Charlotte-Mecklenburg teachers were found guilty of using vulgar language and posting inappropriate comments on their Facebook pages, such as "I hate my students!" and calling their school "ghetto." Sexually suggestive pictures were also found on the pages. One of the teachers was fired and one was suspended with pay, although the dismissal is not final because the teachers have a right to appeal. Forestview teacher Mrs. Kelli Waldrop has a Facebook page that she uses only for communicating with her college friends and family members. She does not interact with any students on her page, and feels that students and teachers should not use Facebook for friendly purposes. "I think Facebook could be a great tool for students and teachers if it were strictly school related. But there are so many problems with students and teachers having personal relationships on it," said Waldrop. In fact, when signing on to teach at Forestview this year, Waldrop was required to sign a contract acknowledging that she had a Facebook, and stating that she would not use it for student relationships or allow students to access her page. Other teacher unions, parent-teacher associations, and school boards across the country are drafting policies and issuing advisements about which online relationships are acceptable. The Lamar County School Board in Missouri recently implemented a policy forbidding teachers and students from having any social-networking relationships whatsoever. Another Forestview teacher, Mrs. Sally Griffin, says that many of the things that teachers post on their Facebooks could give students the wrong impression. "Some things on the teacher’s Facebooks could give students the possibility to allege that the teachers did something bad," Griffin says. "I have a Facebook, but I only allow graduated high school students on my page." Some teachers, along with students, believe sites like Facebook could help them connect with each other. Forestview junior Barry Falls has a positive outlook on the situation. "I’ve never talked to a teacher on Facebook, but I think it would be a very convenient way to talk about assignments. Teachers should be able to do whatever they want outside of school without being monitored by the school board," said Falls.

The Jag Rag

Facebook Frenzy: Are student/teacher online relationships going too far?