Edugeeks, what is your position or your LEAs position on adding students on PSN/Live

[nikaso]

My LEA basically says no contact with students outside of school, I think the rule was originally designed for social networking but I presume it extends to things like the PSN / Xbox Live as well. I just wondered if this was the same everywhere?

 

I run a gaming club at school and of course many of the students who attend play various COD/Halo games online and keep badgering me to add them so they can kick my ass (they wish ) which I have to keep explaining I can't do.

[jamesfed]

We haven't had anything offical about social networking from our LEA in quite some time - maybe some kind of parents consent form would help here?

[localzuk]

Nothing official here, but the guideline is that we shouldn't add pupils to any social networking or gaming site site we are on. The possibilities for problems are endless and doing so simply opens you up to unnecessary risk.

 

I would never talk with a pupil on an online game outside a school activity, or on any social network.

[EvLPhenom]

tbh, i wouldn't want to add students to my xbox live gamertag as I use my xbox to get away from work and computers and have fun. I wouldn't want kids from the workplace adding me and badgering me to play cod/halo with them. If like they say its just to have a go at beating you (although they never would ) i would get a console in on one of your club days and show them how its done that way. if you havent already done so that is.

 

As for social networking thats completely personal and would not want kids and most staff looking at what i do in my spare time and see me on pictures that maybe there.

[Butuz]

The answer is simply. Don't.

 

Butuz

[korifugi]

My thoughts on this? Never

 

Don't add them as you can be opening yourself up for all kinds of trouble - while we all know that the annoying player running around with a shotgun going 'lol' is likely to be a 14 year old, we don't actually know who they are. The second you put a face to the online username, that goes out ot the window.

 

All it takes is a 'holier than thou' parent to hear of this and you could be staring down some fairly hefty allegations.

[teejay]

Don't do it. All it takes is for one of the little darlings to get peed off that you've kicked their ass amd get their own back by making false accusations.

[Admiral208]

Dont do it!!

 

Think of it this way. im sure no one has ever been in trouble for not 'networking' with students outside of school.

[sonofsanta]

It opens you up to too many accusations. Don't think about it in terms of "what could go wrong", think about it as "how would this look if I had to defend myself against an accusation". Any contact outside school could easily be interpreted in a negative light.

[bushby]

my rule of thumb is not to add them untill they have left the school and are over 18

[maniac]

Member of staff here was suspended a while back for that exact reason, so definitely don't do it.

[AngryTechnician]

The rule of thumb is that you should avoid having any avenue of communication with a student that cannot be monitored by the school/LA. If you add them on Facebook, PSN, or any other gaming network or forum that allows private messaging, then that avenue exists and the oversight is gone. You are then in a very tricky situation if an accusation is made.

 

Most importantly though, you follow whatever policy the school/LA puts down, even if it goes beyond this. If an accusation is made and you have ignored school policy, you've lost a key defence.

[pete]

Hell No. For the above reasons.

 

There's enough whiny kids on PSN/Live/Steam/Whatever without actually encouraging communication.

 

Besides, they'd only get their exercise books wet from the crying after I explode their shiny new Tengu in WH space.

[JoeBloggs]

yeah... don't add students.

[soveryapt]

I think it has just about been covered but for what it's worth .. DON'T DO IT!!

 

If once they have left school and they are no longer in full-time education and over 18 then yes, maybe consider it, but even then it could still be dodgy ground ..

 

If your LEA says no to social networking this will most likely extend to gaming consoles and such as with the gamer tags, you are networking socially, allbeit to kick someones ass on $favourite-game-for-kicking-ass, but it's still a social event.

 

Best to steer clear and (like has been muted) if they really want to take a beating on the game, do it in school as part of the gamers club, obviously making sure whilst at it that your not promoting the use of age restricted games for underaged players etc etc ..

[CAM]

They kick you ass, they smacktalk, you get annoyed and "how dare you" since you have a position of authority over them.

 

Or worse, the other way round and you smacktalk them! Probably know what will happen...

 

Of course, if you know their name and they don't know yours nothing saying you can't hunt them down in the game and shoot them. I would in EVE.

[featured_spectre]

I have 1 student added, my nephew. And I regularly kick his backside at COD/MOH but he kicks mine at fifa...I blame my brother/his dad for this. Lol

[GrumbleDook]

Like everything else an element of common sense can be applied here. You would not invite them to watch you go out drinking with your mates, you would not invite them to your birthday party, you would not invite them to your wedding ...

 

Ah ... some of them you might ... because you are related / godparent / Mother / Father / etc ...

 

Outside social activities can leave you in a difficult position. Even if it is thing like sports clubs you need to keep a certain level of separation (even with family) as although *they* might be sensible and respect your position, there is no guarantee others will do. In general, it is better to be safe that sorry ... and remember that some of life will always be ACE (A**e Covering Exercise)!

[mgarland]

Just gonna put my comments in here... Mine is an exceptional case but I thought I would drop it in.

 

When I was a 6th form student (3 years ago) I had all the IT techies added on steam and we became really good friends.

 

They are who inspired me to become a techie myself. Now I am 21 and they are in their 20's too we go out drinking together go for curry nights and even have mini LANs.

 

I know that my experience does not speak for everyone... but I do think it can sometimes be a positive experience. Having said all of this I then went on to be a techie in a school and I would never dream of adding students on steam just because you open yourself up to so much rubbish.