My Action Plan for Managing Grade 9 in a Social Media Environment

     The story you are about to read is true.  The names have been changed to protect the innocent—and the not-so-innocent as well.

     With about 11 minutes left before the end of 6^th Period one February afternoon, Kerraneshia from my English 9 class asked to use the restroom.  Although class had almost ended, I gave her permission to go the restroom because she convinced me she “really really” had to “use it.” Kerraneshia returned to class about 10 minutes later, and about a minute after her return the bell sounded, and class was dismissed.  Unfortunately, before the tardy bell could ring to signal the start of 7^th Period, pandemonium broke out in the hallway. 
     I peeped out my door to get a sense of what was happening and discovered a crowded hallway full of students thumbing through their cell phones as their individual mobile devices rang in unison. Further down the hallway, I could see the semblance of an altercation ensuing between two female students. From a distance, one student appeared to be Kerraneshia.

     I would learn later that day Kerraneshia, whom I had generously excused to “go use it” had done more than just use the restroom.  While away from my classroom, she had also used the "AirDrop" app on her iPhone to send out an inappropriate video of another female student.  Sitting in the bathroom stall, she had thumbed through the iPhone of her 14-year-old male cousin, Deundrew, also a ninth grader, and found a video of his 13-year-old girlfriend in a compromising situation.  Without his permission, Kerraneshia shared the video with every unsuspecting iPhone holder within range who was willing to click the “accept” button.

Current Social Networking Policies

     As I reflect on current policies regarding social networking in my school, I am reminded of the importance of having policies in place to address the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media use in a high school setting. Currently, my school has only a few generic policy statements regarding complying with “all applicable Board policies when using school district technology.” Most of the policy statements are directed at students who use school technology rather than professional staff who use it.  The zero-tolerance policy regarding cell phone use while on the school grounds is strictly for students. Likewise, the school district’s 1:1 Google Chrome policy  that prohibits the use of “anonymous proxies to circumvent content filtering” only relates to students' website access.  In essence, current Board policies do not specifically address teachers’ use of technology nor their use of social media for instruction, social networking, or collaboration.

Exploring Options for Facilitating Networking

     Participating in the online workshop Growing Personal Learning Networks over the last few weeks has been an eye-opening experience for me.  Along with learning of the immense variety of digital tools to facilitate professional learning and collaboration, I am now more aware of the responsibilities that go with using the tools.  I’ve also gained a better appreciation for the magnitude of uses of virtual networking tools. For example, I now recognize the importance of not only learning how to create online accounts to blog, tweet, or post podcasts but also understanding how to use those platforms to expand my professional learning and collaboration with coworkers at my school and colleagues outside of my school community.   

Social Networking Challenges at School

     The scenario described at the opening of this post suggests a need for some very specific social networking “do’s and don’ts” for students, specifically related to issues of privacy and access. However, as I consider possible hurdles to incorporating digital tools for social networking among teachers, I foresee different types of challenges:  increasing awareness of the various professional learning tools at our avail and getting faculty and staff buy-in to use the social networking technologies.

Addressing Virtual Networking Challenges

      In my position as Lead Teacher, I am unable to change any School Board policies directly, including those related to virtual networking; however, I do have influence to affect positive change related to using digital technology within my classroom and among my colleagues at school.   In the classroom, I can work to ensure students are informed of social media netiquette and require my students to use virtual networking for learning purposes only while at school.  While working with coworkers, I can foster awareness of the various professional networking tools available for expanding communication and collaboration. Because of the vast knowledge I've recently gained through the online PLN workshop, I can now assist school personnel in  not only using social networking tools for instructional purposes but also  for making use of  digital and web-based tools to improve communication and collaboration across the curriculum.

A New Blog for You!

(This is a repost of my first blog post on 7/8/19 which was mistakenly deleted.)

     

Raise your hand if you’ve ever found yourself in one of these precarious situations:

. . .The 3 o’clock bell rings.  You dash to your car, shift the gear to “D,” and speed through the exit sign minutes before the school buses can leave the parking lot.

. . .You call roll in your 9th Grade homeroom and discover that little Deonte—the class clown—is absent for the third day in row because he has the flu.  On the attendance log, you mark an empathetic excused absence next to his name, BUT in your own mind you say to yourself, "Yes! He’s out for the rest of the week!”

. . .You’re sitting in the very first session of your district’s back-to-school Fall Institute. Instead of giving your attention to the first speaker up, you’re thumbing through your cell phone and syncing your Google calendar app to chart all upcoming breaks—including Fall break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring break.

If you’re a ninth-grade teacher or administrator and you’re willing to admit at least one of these scenarios sounds vaguely familiar, just know that you are not alone!  Let’s face it, working with ninth graders is no glamour job, and sometimes the need to “get away from it all” can be almost overbearing.  An incoming freshman class can be the most challenging among all grade levels in a high school setting as our bright-eyed and bushy-haired youngsters bring with them a wide range of issues—raging hormones, unbridled energy, and fear and apprehension, to name a few. However, on the flipside, working with “mama’s high school babies” can be one of the most rewarding experiences ever.

If this is your school year to work with ninth graders, and you’re feeling just a little bit hesitant, then you might want to follow this blog.  Surviving Ninth Grade is tailored to the interests of teachers, administrators, and support staff who work with what some might consider a high school’s most vulnerable population. So, who am I to tell you this?

Over the past two decades, I’ve devoted over half my tenure in education to working with ninth graders in some capacity—as a classroom teacher, as a department head, and as an administrator of special populations. In other words, along the way I’ve garner the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to offer some important insights.  However, you don’t have to just take my word. In this blog, you will also gain insights from co-workers, colleagues in the field, and professional acquaintances I’ve met online who have willingly agreed to share snippets of their survival stories with me. I, in turn, look forward to sharing their stories in this blog as a source of inspiration for you.