Image: Stuant63
Here we go again. I was going to start the holiday and not write anything more before Christmas, but couldn’t keep quiet after reading the latest issue of the Opettaja magazine (the biggest teachers’ magazine in Finland). This was the first time social media made it to the cover, and the story itself was four pages, one of the main articles in the issue.
No reason to celebrate, though. The message was not about bringing an enriching social aspect to the education, nor was it about the changes in the communication system in working life. Oh no. It was about the horrible dangers of social media.
If there were any teachers who had started to consider extending their learning environments outside the classroom context, they sure won’t want to do it after reading this article. It described the most fearful threats, even the threat of physical violence as the result of using social media applications, and went as far as to conclude that most American social media tools are actually illegal from the perspective of EU legislation. Instead of spreading objective information, the tone was very clearly biased against social media.
Just how much fear can there be? In a country like Finland, where the national character is a bit timid and cautious, many readers are likely to buy stories like this. Here people appreciate safety and stability more than innovation or success. And if one of the main areas where innovation and development take place – Web 2.0 – is labeled as a threat and people avoid it the best they can, they are never going to see the larger social phenomenon the social media reflects: openness, networking and collaboration.
We don’t need more discouragement here! Stories like this are the worst kind of disservice to Finnish education. There are very real threats facing the education system, but they don’t come from social media. They come from blind-eyed suspicion and lagging behind the inevitable change in the world.
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That’s really disappointing to hear. Does the magazine accept letters to the editor? Perhaps you can write a letter including some of the arguments you’ve made here.
Hear hear Hanna again! I read the same article, and was at first enthusiastic about finally having something about social media for all the Finnish teachers to read. But, as you, I soon got uneasy about the message. Why this eternal caution and ‘we know best’ attitude in Finland? No wonder the latest studies indicate that we have fallen way behind many other countries in the application of technology and social media to enhance learning in our schools and universities. This particular article did a real disservice by just reinforcing all the suspicions and resistance to change that many teachers use as an excuse to keep teaching with 20th-century (if not 19th!) methods.
Why don’t you take up progressivescholar’s suggestion and write a letter to the editor of Opettaja magazine!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to you anyway!
I was quite shocked to read your post; can Opettaja magazine really be that old-fashioned and stuck-up?
Unfortunately I have not had a chance to read this particular article yet but if it is indeed that negative, someone needs to let people know that theirs is not the whole truth. I think it would be great if the readers of Opettaja would get another point of view that would explain the benefits of social media and its importance in the modern society. Surely the readers (i.e. the teachers themselves) don’t want to be left behind in the development, as Sinikka rightly suggests.
Thanks for the comments, and sorry for a delayed reply! I’ve spent a couple of weeks offline in Japan.
I might indeed do what all of you suggest and write a letter to the editor, trying to get a different view through.
During my trip I read the International Herald Tribune almost daily, and was astonished to see how many stories referred to the use of social media tools and how it’s irreversibly changing the way power relations work. There were many examples, not just once or twice. Then I got back home and saw an article in a magazine (I think it was Yhteishyvä) giving tips for readers in the use of IT tools. They had listed some applications that have been translated to Finnish, e.g. Firefox, and encouraged people to download these and burn them on a CD. Burn them on a CD?? Firefox? Sinikka is just right: we’re so falling behind in the progress. We’ve got to do something about it!
Greg, I watched a great little You Tube video that presents both sides of using social media- relevant for students especially in the teen age years. But I think the overall messages are relevant for all.
The issue is always informed, responsible use….
We do not put people in cars and expect them to drive responsibly and safely on our roads without prior learning of these skills. The same goes for the use of things like social media.
….The problem is that anyone CAN access these tools without the necessary ‘lessons’. This is what causes such problems…& then extreme reactions in attempts to remedy the situation.
This digital footprints video is a must-see for all teenagers and also older students, thanks for sharing! I like the car example, that exactly how it goes. The saddest thing is that many teachers are not willing to teach the kids how to drive, many are keeping their eyes closed and, I don’t know, hoping that the car would go away…