Ontario College of Teachers says teachers should communicate through ‘established education platforms’
An Ontario College of Teachers report advises its members to avoid using social media for personal communication with their students. The College recommends that teachers do not accept Facebook “friend” requests from students, to avoid following them on twitter, texting, or exchanging personal email addresses or other non-work related contact information. According to the Toronto Star, which obtained an early copy of the report, teachers should only use the internet to communicate through “established education platforms” such as a course website. Few school boards in Ontario have guidelines for using social media and the College hopes to establish rules so that professionalism is maintained while permitting social media to be utilized where it would be educationally appropriate.