Social Networking Counselors

Have you updated your Twitter yet?
What was your last blog about?
What is your status on Facebook?

These might seem like odd questions to be asking a high school counselor, but more and more schools are looking into the possible integration of some of these social networks into their schools to help improve the educational experience of their students.

There are varied responses to this. While some schools ban all of these sites outright, many are starting to acknowledge that it is a viable way to reach their students. A 2008 Survey conducted by College board shows 89% actively use Social Networking Sites, visiting these sites one or more times a day and spending an average of 32 minutes per visit. What may be surprising is that of these high school students using Social Networking Sites (SNS), 61% are using it to contact classmates for class notes, help with homework assignments, and other academic purposes. (Collegeboard, 2009)

One school uses Myspace to collaborate with another classroom two states away through comments, messages and blogs for various projects. Another uses it to engage the students in discussions about race and segregation. (Smith, 2007). At the Science Leadership Academy they firmly believe in using this new technology to help shape their students. “When I hear people say it's our job to create the twenty-first-century workforce, it scares the hell out of me," says their founding principal, Chris Lehmann. "Our job is to create twenty-first-century citizens. We need workers, yes, but we also need scholars, activists, parents -- compassionate, engaged people. We're not reinventing schools to create a new version of a trade school. We're reinventing schools to help kids be adaptable in a world that is changing at a blinding rate." (Smith, 2007)

Some schools are using it to bring up web safety and responsibility. Rather than ignoring the issue or allowing it to be someone else’s problem teachers and counselors are tackling it head on by posing questions and discussions to their students such as “what does it mean to be a fifteen year old calling him/her self nineteen and posting racy pictures?” Or “What are some possible outcomes from employers or colleagues who see your inappropriate collegiate spring break pictures?” (Smith, 2007) By engaging the students in direct conversation about these topics the faculty at these high schools hope to encourage safer net usage as well as encourage the students to connect with each other via the web.

While many schools are utilizing these online websites, the staff promoting it and who monitor the accounts usually draw a clear line between what is academic and personal. “I’ve no personal connection to my own Facebook account; and happily connect to anyone, including my students, within Facebook. Yet my twitter network is extremely personal to me; it’s my personal space, I don’t want to interact with family or students in twitter.” Writes Sue Waters of Edublogs.org. (2008) This allows a safer connection for these professionals to their students without divulging too much personal information but allowing them to still engage their students in a way that is more meaningful to the student. The use of blogs has also been more popular with various staff and faculty at high schools, allowing them to blog about their classroom experiences and strategies, which in turn provides a wonderful resource for other teachers and staff to draw from or connect to.

The whole idea of “Web 2.0” as it is being called may be a new concept to some folks working at the high schools, but it certainly is nothing new to the students attending. It is this constant moving forward of technology which can be difficult at times to keep up with, but is imperative if we are to stay connected to students and remain relevant in their world. There are also many opportunities to connect with people all over the world to share experiences- it just requires a little non-traditional thinking!


Academia Group, (2008) High School Students Tell All. http://www.academiagroup.com/ Accessed on 1/29/2009 http://www.academicagroup.com/node/5337

Collegeboard, (2009) Social Networking Sites and College Bound Students. www.collegeboard.com , Accessed on 1/29/2009, http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/trends/studentpoll/social-networking

Smith, F. (2007), My School, Meet Myspace: Social Networking At School, Accessed on 1/29/09 http://www.edutopia.org/how-use-social-networking-technology

Waters, S. (2008), Educational Networking and Staying Out of My Face, Accessed on 1/29/09 http://aquaculturepda.edublogs.org/2008/01/31/educational-networking-and-staying-out-of-my-face/