Social Media is a useful tool to pass information. Nowadays, almost everyone is on social media including teachers and students. Now the question arises, should teachers use social media platforms to promote social justice. We have a great debate in our classroom and there were many relevant points to which I am agreed. I think teachers should use their voices and advocate for the concerns of the classroom or school. Also, as per Ribble’s nine elements of digital citizenship, we should be good citizens and explore ways to protect everyone’s privacy. We have seen how black life moment was discussed on social media and how all the citizens came forward to support it. So, we can say that social media when used correctly can be a powerful tool both offline and online.
As said by Jennifer in the classroom that “there is no such thing as neutral education” and being an educator we hold that power and potential to pass the messages. We should practice good social media and value differences in teaching and learning and it’s always fine to have opinions.
If you are not willing to share any concern on social media or post anything anonymously, means you are not supporting it completely. As a teacher, we should share our responsibilities towards society. Social Media opens the door and helps to share the feet on the ground activism. Some students in the classroom may choose to ignore it but as a teacher, we need to teach how to be on the side of truth. We can teach students how to be safe and respectful while sharing anything on social media.
Dalton and Brooke came up with a very strong that social media is not a place for activism. When we look at the teachers and students, we should not make it mandatory that all teachers should post on social media. If you want to support any concern participate in rallies and support the cause. If a teacher is posting and students will follow it without giving a second thought as the teacher is a role model to the students. Also, when we share so many things on social media, we limit the critical thinking of students.
Discussing LGBT rights in posting it on social media can make students start judging you. It comes back to the teacher, and they can even lose their jobs or can create a big impact on the position of teacher. It is not always our responsibility to do this outside the class. Moreover, If there is no proper information passed on social media, a teacher can be a problem. Freedom of speech doesn’t always mean that they are supporting the correct side. Social media is not only the way to be active citizens, and teach our students about the world we live in. This can give wrong messages to kids to become active on social media. Taking action is more important than talking on social media as teachers can be found non-trustworthy when there are only words and no actions in real life.
All in all, I think it is not only the duty of teachers to guide students about the use or misuse of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and so on, but parents should keep an eye on younger children so that they do not follow any wrong path in that growing period. Teaching ethics, and morals, and following the right path should be the main area.
Yes, I too think that teachers have an obligation to teach students about how to conduct themselves online and when using social media. However, the prompt itself talks about teachers having a responsibility to be social justice activists through social media. I agree that teachers need to advocate for social justice in their classrooms, however, I do not agree that teachers should be using their personal social media accounts to promote social justice activism. There are different levels of activism and if we are forced to do something we are not comfortable doing, then it is not an authentic activism approach.
Hi Amanpreet,
I agree with you that teachers should educate students about how to safely and respectfully share information on social media. For example, talk about what is appropriate information could be posted on social media, how to express your opinion appropriately, do not judge people who have different opinions than yours, etc. Those topics could be included in the class about social media. If teachers post anything on their personal social media accounts to the public because sometimes students would like to search for their teachers on social media and add friends. They will see what teachers posted. I think teachers can express a political opinion on social media, but be careful about the privacy setting. Don’t let your post show to all public, maybe change it so only friends can see, and don’t add students as your friends.
Echo
Great post, Amanpreet. I agree that teachers should be using the 9 elements of digital citizenship and teaching students about activism (whatever that may be for students) but I do not believe it is our “responsibility” to be social justice warriors. I feel teachers can take on that task if they wish, but implying ALL teachers must do this creates a political landmine field for students, parents, and coworkers. Thanks for the shout-out! It was definitely an interesting debate!
Thanks for the great post Amanpreet – it’s given me some new things to consider as I struggle to write my own post about this topic. On one hand, I am a huge proponent of social justice; on the other hand, I am unsure if students need to be privy to my online accounts. I am open to verbally sharing my beliefs when relevant to classroom discussions, but I also don’t want to dominate students forming their own opinions (as you said). Students know about my different activism pursuits, but again, that is never shared with students via social media. I have a responsibility as a teacher, but I also have responsibilities as an individual outside of work – responsibilities to my family, etc.
I further agree with your statement that “parents should keep an eye on younger children so that they do not follow any wrong path in that growing period.” Parents, social media platforms, and governing systems also have a responsibility to our youth (not just teachers).
Amanpreet,
I enjoyed your post and I always enjoy your comments in class. I think that your cultural lens is very important and can allow fellow classmates to see things from a different angle. I also agree that the comment “there is no such thing as neutral education” is very important. Whether you stay active on social media or you stay completely silent, your teaching within the classroom will always be somewhat biased and influenced by what you believe and have grown up with. At the end of your article you tied in the importance of parenting. I think this is an imperative piece of the puzzle. Ultimately, I think the parents need to be shaping their children and monitoring their involvement on social media so as to guide them on how to navigate the news and/or fake news that they encounter. From there, they can develop critical thinking skills.