Author's Teclehaimanot and Hickman write about the perceptions about interactions between students and teachers in Facebook or other social media websites. Teachers must understand how to interact with their students in a way that promotes positive perception of the teacher and classroom environment. Students may not wish to have a social relationship with teachers, but if the student contacts a teacher for friending it is generally considered acceptable, not the other way around. Since social media promotes social interation, the actions of active learning, social learning, knowledge construction are all components of a constructivist environment. This is similar to the research of Lev Vygotsky’s theory of sociocultural perspective, cognitive growth is societal and not individual. It also may be more specific to Vygotsky’s proximal development scheme of MKO (more knowledgeable than others). Research generally supports the acceptance of teachers to be on Facebook from surveys. However the biggest difference in acceptance of teachers using Facebook was in the gender survey that revealed a large difference of opinion. Students generally had positive perception about teachers personal information, however a possibility of losing their professionalism also was apparent.
My thoughts: I have utilized social media for my own personal means, as well as hosting art image galleries for interested individual who share art ideas on the web. Free server space and the ability to control art images and privileges is a better choice than web hosting such as Flickr as I can have my profile attached to my work. My profile is not set to private, like some teachers opt to use so no one will find them on a search. My profile is available to my friends, relatives, students, or former students. I have a personality that is similar to my online profile that does not create compromise me in the classroom. I know of certain teachers who have 300+ current and former students on their Facebook. Their classroom charisma corresponds with their online personality. My students know who I am, things that I have accomplished, and the hobbies or activities I am interested in. If they want to reach out to me for a friend add (I do not reach out to friend them for a friend add), I am worthy of their trust and admiration.
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