What if......

I hear a lot of what if regarding social networking and the school environment. The basic concern is all about safety and influence. The concerns are along the lines of

• Teachers shouldn't have contact with students
• Teachers shouldn't ever text message students
• Why would anyone want to have this kind of contact
• What if a teacher has an inappropriate relationship/influence on a student
• What if... What if...

Basically, what if something bad happens... maybe we shouldn't do this. It is the reluctance to adopt. Technophobia is common and probably at some level necessary and appropriate. Early adopters often jump in and start to use a tool or technology without worrying about the while the

My what if is....What if we don't connect this way?

What will happen if we don't connect? What will happen if students begin learning from other sources? What will happen if students form relationships online only with their own age peers? What happens when the only adults online are those trying to harm young people. What if the only example of online behavior are those who aren't accountable for their example. What if students really want to stay connected to a teacher that was a positive influence on them. What if we shut down the personal connection because of the fear of inappropriate connections? What if we become so out of touch that we become irrelevant? What if this has already happened?

I honestly believe there is a perception that all relationships online have the potential of being sinister. I guess that is true. There is a certain sense of freedom or license and anonymity. But every f2f interaction we have has the potential of turning sinister too. Look at the headlines, how many loving trusted spouses have turned on the family?

What if we don't use the technologies? What if?