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HOUSTON -- What seems like an easy question -- Will you be my friend? -- is not necessarily so for teachers who have joined the Facebook phenomenon.
The social-networking Web site, whose popularity has grown from the college crowd down to teens and up to boomers, poses a prickly question for teachers who want to connect with their tech-savvy students yet maintain professional boundaries: Should teachers become virtual "friends" with their students?
Opinions are mixed. Opponents fear innocent educators will be branded sexual predators for chatting with students online, while proponents caution against overreacting to a powerful communication tool.
The issue made headlines this month in Houston after police accused a 42-year-old former high school aide of having sexual exchanges with a 16-year-old former student whom he had contacted via Facebook.
Such rare stories can alarm a community, said Melissa Pierson, who teaches instructional technology at the University of Houston, but educators shouldn't be afraid to use social-networking sites.
"Outside the classroom, in terms of connecting with students, there are some exciting possibilities," said Pierson, who also directs UH's teacher education program. But, she said, "teachers need to keep their educator hats on."
Most school districts, however, have yet to define the rules of virtual engagement. In the Houston and San Antonio areas, many districts block access to social-networking sites on campus computers, but they don't have policies addressing after-hours use between educators and students.
Houston high school teacher Lesley Guilmart said she finally caved last year and, at the urging of former students, created a profile on Facebook.
"It's kind of addictive," she admits. "I'm interested in my students, and I like to hear from them. I have a couple of kids in college now who have sent messages thanking me for helping prepare them. I had a kid send me a message asking advice about picking a major."
So far, Guilmart has become virtual friends with several former students and even linked up with an old teacher from North Carolina. She said she wouldn't mind connecting with her current students -- if they asked.
Aware of privacy concerns, Guilmart, 27, said she doesn't go searching for her students online.
"If they want to 'friend' me, they can," she said. "My Facebook is entirely PG. There's no cursing. There are no photos of me having a good time on the weekend -- nothing like that."
Pierson, the UH associate professor, cautions teachers against becoming "one of the gang" with their students on Facebook, but said such sites can help humanize teachers, facilitate online learning and provide access to potential guest speakers.
Mike Feinberg, co-founder of the KIPP charter schools, said he limits his Facebook contacts to alumni. "My personal threshold," he said, "is not to accept friends on Facebook from KIPP-sters until they are in college."
