The Ohio Dispatch reports that the local teachers’ union has recommended teachers not participate in social networking (like Facebook and Myspace) and not befriend students on those sites because of the appearance of impropriety.

Miguel Guhlin sees this as a possible affront to free will. I wish the teachers union would approach social networks by offering suggestions on how to use them rather than banning them outright and fostering fear among teachers who may have never experienced such networks. I wonder if the Ohio union has experienced a less sleazy network like Classroom 2.0.

My rules for teachers using social networks would be these. Make sure you’re fully dressed in your pictures. I’ve seen a lot of teachers break this rule.

Don’t befriend students. I do agree with the union on this but for different reasons. I don’t think just because you befriend them online that there’s an appearance of impropriety but I worry about a teacher’s legal responsibility as a mandated reporter of child abuse.

If I were to add a student as a friend I would NOT be adding them to monitor their online activities anymore than I would my other friends. However as a teacher, I worry that if a student posted in their journal, for example, something that hinted at child abuse or depression I would be obligated to report it and yet due to the superficial way I typically use Myspace I probably wouldn’t be aware of it. Same with bullying unless it was blatantly obvious.

My point is that even if we don’t want to be guardians, if you add students to your friends lists I believe you’re legally and ethically in a position of a guardian that you might not want to be in.

So, unions do avoid declarations that smell of technology fear.

Teachers, do check out these networks but do be careful.