Teachers and students often connect with one another online in college. Kara McElwrath teaches an online privacy class at UIS. She has an account for friends and another for students, which is solely for professional purposes.
McElwrath encourages all of her students to have two accounts once they begin their careers. One account for family and friends. The other for colleagues, and in teacher's cases, students. It should be used to share websites and educational videos. And she says, nothing else.
"As a teacher I wouldn't want my students to know whether I'm having a good or bad day," says McElwarth, "I wouldn't want to post on Facebook that I'm getting ready to go on vacation because then anybody can then see that, 'Hey I'm going to be out of town my house is going to be empty."
While students and teachers on college campuses are connecting, many K-12 school districts have strict policies prohibiting teachers from 'friending' a student online.
McElwrath was featured in a November 17, 2010, report by WCIA-TV.
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