Social media is becoming the norm as opposed to the exception in many schools.
With that happening, many administrators are rushing to make a list of policies and guidelines to ensure that teachers are using the medium wisely. Yet the more policies and guidelines we have, the more we deter people from using social media. I even recently saw a profile that explicitly stated that all students will be blocked from seeing their accounts as per district guidelines. When we do that, we limit the opportunity to model what “appropriate use” could look like.
To me, your social media guidelines can be summed up in one sentence.
“Anything you can say to students in class, you can say online.”
That’s it.
Saying it online is similar to saying it to a student. No personal versus professional, just understanding that the context of social media and that anything online would be considered a public space.
Too many rules and guidelines can deter innovation or even using the space in the first place.
The simpler we make social media, the more likely it is that it will be used.
