I subscribe via RSS thru Google Reader to a ton of sites and blogs.  Whenever they make a new post; it’s pushed to me to read right away.  This keeps me up to date and informed.

I found a link on Online Universities.com that included a list of the “50 Best Blogs for Education Leaders.” Check the list out and subscribe or bookmark the ones that you like the best and reference them; I found a few gems myself!

Meet Justin Bird.  He’s a sophomore at Oak Forest High School in Illinois.  His family is considering suing the school district because he was suspended for criticizing a teacher on his Facebook page.   According to the article:

Oak Forest High School’s superintendent says the Facebook posting disrupted the school day, and that’s why the student was suspended.

Bird’s suspension has raised questions about whether school officials overstepped their authority.

A few keyboard strokes, a click of the mouse and a new Facebook page is born. And almost just like that, Justin Bird was suspended.

“I did this on this laptop in my room, sitting on my chair. I don’t know how they can come into my house and suspend me for what I did on my own time,” said Bird.

This type of action by school districts has happened all over the country.  Can a school district justly punish a student for what they do at home?  When I administrated after school dismissals and there was a fight after school off school property and out of the school safety zone, parents would come to the school to complain.  We explained that we have no jurisdiction about what happens off school property; a police report would have been their best recourse.

School leaders: Is the same true today?  Do you believe that you have the authority to manage what a student does off school property, and if so, explain.

Students, you’re welcome to weigh in on this as well.

A spotlight web page was created on the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) website last September, and asked if social media in the classroom is a good idea or not.

To use social media or not to use social media… that is the question facing many school districts across the country.

• Should video sharing sites like YouTube be used in the classroom?
• Should teachers use FaceBook or Twitter to communicate with their students during class and outside of the classroom?
• How can sites like this improve how we educate our students?

There are many questions with just as many answers circling around this issue. That’s why we’ve opened the discussion up to you: our parents, community members, students and staff. We’d like to get your thoughts on social media and how it should be used when it comes to educating our students. Read the comments below and chime in when you agree, disagree, or have an idea of your own that you’d like us to know about.

Check out the full article; there are answers from both camps.

How this effects you and your school:

Social media isn’t going anywhere, and since students are starting to have such sophisticated phones & portable devices, it’s going to come in the classroom.  As a school administrator, ask yourself: “Will I attempt to ban it altogether, or will I find a balance that appeases both teachers and students, while still making learning the priority?”

Thoughts? Leave a comment below.