Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!

Okay, let me first start off by saying that I don't think teachers and students being friends on Facebook should be an offense punishable by jail time. I do, however, have to wonder if some type of restriction, regulation or rule of some sort needs to be set in place. The article I read was written by the AP and published on NPR.org. It is in regards to Missouri Law makers rejecting a law that would restrict teachers and students communicating on internet sites such as Facebook. I do understand that this is a society of rapidly advancing technology. There is no doubt in my mind that there are going to be many instances, like this one, that will arise as our society continues to try and keep up the pace. Though I'm surprised this law was automatically rejected without some type of down-scaled suggestion. I remember being in elementary school and having the most foreign feeling when I'd see a teacher outside of school. I wasn't able to comprehend the idea of them having any other life than that of a teacher. I mean, didn't all the teachers live together at the school? Of course, I know better now. I can't help but think though, that the illusion created some type of mystery about the teacher that was to be "respected" or at least acknowledged. I feel like most people who have Facebook accounts freely express themselves. Sometimes too much! I can only imagine what it'd be like to be in school and see pictures of your female teacher boozing it up at the local bar breaking 14 out of your school's 15 dress code violations. Or your male teacher with this friends at spring break surrounded by bikini bearing bar bunnies. Do all teachers do this? No. But I feel as though it's highly probable that a grown, educated adult befriending their student on a social networking site, is likely to be a person whose actions reflect little thought and consideration. Should something like this have strict rules and consequences if those rules are broken? I'm not exactly sure. I do think that properly educating the teachers on this matter, as well as the students, could help in the discovery to what solution would be best. Not much surprises me, but even I was a little flabbergasted that the situation has gotten so apparent it merits an actual law be set in place. Why are teachers friends with students?! They're the educators, THEY should know better. I'm not saying it will be easy but many universities and colleges, including ACC, has set in place mandatory communication rules restricting professors to replying to students via emails from accounts other than the designated school account. I understand that in 5-10 years, every child in high school will have grown up completely engulfed in technology but it's still up to the people entrusted to educate these children, to know the differences between proper methods of communication and those such as Facebook and Myspace. These changes in society question situations we've never had to consider before. It's going to be a process of trial and error but hopefully we're not so diluted with a love for technology that we don't foresee the problems it can cause.