JacobBoulis

AllynGoodall
MichaelHeugel
MitchellShetenhelm
TaylorSeegraves
JayB.Gross
English12B3
10May2016

TouchingHeartsandBuildingRelationships:ShouldTeachersBeInSocialMedia?
Teachersusingsocialmediaisbecomingpopular.UsingTwittertoengagestudentswith
tweetisapowerfultool.Teachersandstudentsshouldbeabletocommunicateonsocialmedia
sitesforthebettermentofcommunication,teaching,andlearningintoday'stwentyfirstcentury
schools.Socialmediaprofilescanbeusedasaninformalresumeandbyteachershaving
studentsonfacebookitindirectlyteacheshowyoushouldpresentyourselfonthetheinternet.
Onamorepersonalsideitallowsstudentstogetalookattheirteacherslivesoutsideofclassand
canbuildarelationshipthatwillgobeyondschoolyears.Buildingamorepersonalrelationship
withateacher,thestudentlearnstotrusttheteachermore,sotheyaremorewillingtolistenand
comprehendwhattheteacherissaying.Also,studentscanlearnskillssuchascommunication
skillstotranslateintoaprofessionallevel.
ManyteachersuseappssuchasTwitter,Facebook,andevenRemindMetosendout
remindersaboutupcomingtests,homework,andifthereisachangeintheclassroomsschedule

thatmayrequireastudenttobringdifferentmaterialsthan
theyusuallywould.Byusingtheseappsateacherismore
likelytobeabletoreachouttostudentstohelpthem
succeedbysendingtheselittleremindersallowingthe
studentmoretimetopreparethemselvesforthenextday's
class.Currentlyabout1millionteachersareusingremind
meand17millionstudents
(Figure1)
andparentshavedownloadedtheapptohelpstayintouchwithwhatiscurrentlyhappeningina
student'sclass.
Onamorepersonalsideitallowsstudentstogetalookattheirteacherslivesoutsideof
classandcanbuildarelationshipthatwillgobeyondschoolyears.Forexample,JayB.Gross,a
teacherinShepherdHighSchool,postedapictureofLoganCrossatpromwitha10yearold
student.JayGrosstoldthestoryofLoganCrosscominguptothe10yearoldstudentandasked
thestudentifhecanbehistwinfortwinday.JayGrossisawestruckbyLoganskindness,
SoheaskedthelittletenyearoldboyifhewouldbehistwinAsmilefilled
thelittleboy'sfaceandenthusiasticallysaid,'Yes'andtheymadeplansonwhatto
wear...Thenextdaythelittleboycouldnotwaittogettoschoolandwhenhedid,there
wasLogan,smiling,dressedashistwin...Afterschoolthelittleboycouldn'twaittotell
hismomanddadabouthisdayandallaboutLoganKindness.Fromaveryclassy
youngman,aSeniorfromtheclassof2016...whoismakingthisworldabetterplace
(Gross)

(Figure2)
InFigure2,ThisisJayGrosssFacebookaccount.Helovestopostpositivepostsabout
Shepherdstudentswhenthestoriescomeby.ShowingachievementsfromShepherdStudents
throughthecommunitycreatespositivityabouttheschoolandpridetobeinaschool.In
addition,studentswhoarefriendswithteachersonsocialcanseetheachievementsofother
students.Whenstudentsseetheachievementsoftheirfellowclassmates,theywanttocompete
withthemandfurtherbetterhis/herself.
Studentscanlearnskillssuchascommunicationskillstotranslateintoaprofessional
level.Whenteachersusesocialmedia,theteachersopenupopportunitiesforstudentsto
communicatewiththem.AccordingtoPBS.org,Mr.Goble,ateacheratLadueHortonWatkins
HighSchoolinSt.Louis,Missouri,usedsocialmediainhisclass.Ourschoolleaderstrustthat
mystudentsandIaremakingtherightchoices.Itreatmystudentsasprofessionalsandhold
themtohighexpectations.Inreturn,theyaremotivated,engagedandultimatelyholdthemselves

tohighstandards.(PBS)Studentsareheldaccountablefortheiractionsforsocialmediaand
requiremethemtotalk.Ifteacherswouldusesocialmedia,theycancreateaprofessional
environmentforstudentsofhighexpectations.Studentscanmessagetheirteachersviasocial
mediaortextingtoinformthemtheirsituation.Communicationskillsisanecessityinthe
professionalworldtoday.
Therearesomedownsideshowever,somestudentsmaynothaveaccesstotheinternet
andmaynotbeabletogetresourcesthatateachermayputonsocialmedia.Usingsocialmedia
withteachersmayalsoopenthewindowtoinappropriaterelationships.Thenumberofstudent
teacherrelationshipinvestigationsjumpedfrom141duringthe200910academicyearto179in
201314.Byallowingsocialmediacommunicationweareopeningupthepossibilityof
inappropriaterelationshipswithanyone,parentsneedtoteachproperinternetuseatayoungage
andmonitorachild'sactivityonanysite.
Teachersandstudentsshouldbeabletocommunicateonsocialmediasitesforthe
bettermentofcommunication,teaching,andlearningintoday'stwentyfirstcenturyschools.
Socialmediaprofilescanbeusedasaninformalresumeandbyteachershavingstudentson
facebookitindirectlyteacheshowyoushouldpresentyourselfonthetheinternet.Onamore
personalsideitallowsstudentstogetalookattheirteacherslivesoutsideofclassandcanbuild
arelationshipthatwillgobeyondschoolyears.Buildingamorepersonalrelationshipwitha
teacher,thestudentlearnstotrusttheteachermore,sotheyaremorewillingtolistenand
comprehendwhattheteacherissaying.Also,studentscanlearnskillssuchascommunication
skillstotranslateintoaprofessionallevel.

WorksCited
"TheTeachingAppattheHeadoftheClassBloomberg."2016.10May.2016
"JayBGross."
Facebook
.Web.10May2016.
"ShouldTeachersBeUsingSocialMediaintheClassroom?"
PBS
.PBS.Web.10May2016.
"27%increaseofinappropriatestudentteacherrelationship..."2014.10May.2016