Harbinger ISSUE 4 | SHAWNEE MISSION EAST | PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS | OCT. 17, 2011
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How social media allows teachers and students to communicate beyond the classroom written by Jack Howland | photos by Grant Kendall
It’s always been the students who have pushed geography teacher John Nickels down the path of technology. When he got his first cell phone in 2000, his students taught him all about texting. When Xanga—a social networking site aimed at blogging —became popular in the early 2000s, they set one up for him. Throughout Nickels’ 47 year teaching career, his students have been one step ahead in the growing media, tugging him along with them. So naturally when Facebook became prevalent in 2006, it was the students who pushed him into joining. “I never put anything on it myself [initially],” Nickels said. “Then, I figured out it was a way for them to reach me; a way for them to contact me if they had a question.” Nickels has seen an increase of technology in education since the popularity of facebook—he says it’s been steadily on the rise. In a poll of 179 students grades 9-12, 40.8 percent say they are friends with a teacher on Facebook and 15.6 percent actively use social media to communicate with teachers. Additionally, 79.8 percent have liked a Facebook page pertaining to East and 80.4
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percent are members of a group with East ties. Principal Dr. Karl Krawitz says he is constantly urging teachers to “update their technology.” He believes social media tools, if used effectively, can be beneficial in the classroom. “[They’re] a powerful tool which can supplement so many things for both teacher and student,” Dr. Krawitz said. “It provides another avenue of communication.” However, across the nation, school districts have had a difference of opinion. According to Ian Quillen, beat writer for Education Week and co-author of the blog “Digital Media in Education,” there are varying opinions on social media depending on the district. He points out that in Washington D.C. a school district named Montgomery County is open to social media outlets, while the school district over, Prince George’s County, has banned students and teachers from posting photos of school events. Social networking, he says, is far from being a “uni-
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versally accepted tool” in education. “There is slowly less fear of social media and slowly more understanding of social media and how it can be used as an educational tool,” Quillien said. “But people still have reservation and with good reason.” Quillien notes that a good example of this opposition came on July 14 when Missouri passed a law that restricted teachers from becoming friends with students on Facebook. According to him, the stimulation was a “reaction to popular opinion” and mirrored thoughts about technology in schools. The law was quickly repealed after Missouri lawmakers said it went too far, but he says it still illustrated the point that educators involved in social media are often scrutinized. At East, Nickels feels that technology in education is effective if it is kept separate from personal life. He says that perhaps the greatest benefit of social media is that it makes the staff more accessible to students. In the past, if students wanted to reach him they had to send him an email at his school email account, which he says he only checks while at East. Nickels believes that social media ultimately enhances communication and should be encouraged. continued on p. 3
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pictures from the Fall Orchestra Concert