Dallas-Fort Worth area schools grapple with social media policies

Ninety-nine percent of our teachers mean well, but it's that 1 percent that ruins it for everyone," he said. "There has to be a definite division with kids because it's misunderstood too many times. There is a lot of value instructionally to this communication, but it's touchy."

He said students often have a hard time differentiating between a friend and a well-meaning teacher reaching out from the classroom.

"Too many people can't draw the line between the two," Shaw said.

He advises teachers to stay away from electronic communication with students, except for a classroom blog or Web page that posts homework, assignments or lecture notes.

"This is not the place to be social networking even with the best of intentions," he said.

Dallas-Fort Worth area schools grapple with social media policies | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | News: Education