Education in 2013 is very different than it was when I was growing up. From iPads and eBooks to online courses and document-sharing, even free blog tutorials, kids today are learning in an entirely different environment than they were just 10 years ago.
It wasn't all that long ago that many of the teachers I knew would pay Verizon every month to not publish their personal phone numbers. I can't say I blamed them either - they deserved their personal privacy when not educating our youngsters.
Fast-forward to today, a time when more and more teachers in Millbury are utilizing email, websites, and social media to connect and communicate with students past, present, and future - both inside and outside of school. As a parent and someone who not only takes education seriously, but for whom a key to happiness is continuously learning, I think this is wonderful.
Conversely, as a (ahhem) young adult with a career of my own, I find it intriguing that educators in town are willing to put their personal time and online persona to use in this way, outside of their jobs.
An educator's perspective
Tom Reilly, an English and Journalism teacher at Millbury Junior Senior High School, had this to say on the matter:
"Teachers should use social media whenever possible to connect with their students because that's how their students communicate. Email is passe` and teachers need to take advantage of a variety of tools that are evolving daily. Administrators need to acknowledge that this is the wave of the future and unbend security. Fail to do this and be left behind."
