Redefining Teacher-Student Relationships

My world changed this week. It hit home just how different our relationships with our students are about to become.  One of my students, eager to explore our class' new internet tv station, pursued his interest at home.   He knew the name of our station, Hub21, but did not have the link.   So, he did what we all do:  he conducted a search.  He found me on twitter and decided to become a follower.  He then linked to my blog, found the post with the link to Hub21 and began exploring. At a certain point he ran into difficulty and rather than waiting until the next day to ask for help,  posted his question on my blog.

I happened to be online when the question came through and was somewhat taken aback.  I knew that this was new territory and was uncertain how to proceed.   I could have ignored his question; after all, my work day was over and I was on my own time.   But I would not do this to a colleague.  If I could help, I would answer while the page was open. And so, I answered.

It feels strange, knowing that my students can participate in and observe my musings and professional progress as I transition into a Web 3.0 teacher. It feels strange that they can find me through Social Media.  It feels strange that they might even be reading this post.  An element of privacy has disappeared.  Boundaries have shifted and I'm not yet able to articulate what this means.  I just know that my world is different now and I really need to think about it.