13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Johnson County schools ban social networking sites

Johnson County schools ban social networking sites

Kris Kirschner/Eyewitness News

Johnson County - Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are not allowed in schools in Johnson County. Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are all easy and instant ways to keep in touch, but they've all been banned in the classroom.

"We do try to make every effort to stop them," said Jim White, technology director for Clark Pleasant Schools.

Whiteland High School is among a growing list of Johnson County schools with policies against students and teachers visiting social networking sites during school hours.

"It's an unfortunate reality that we need to protect ourselves from liability and protect our students from harm," said White.

In an era where everything you do and say can be easily accessed, administrators here believe there is little room for error - and, educators believe, little value for students.

"When I get on Facebook, I'm not looking up the encyclopedia, I'm playing bejeweled," said White, giving an example of how students can get distracted.

Clark Pleasant was among the first in the state to adopt a no-network policy and now other Johnson county schools are starting to follow suit. Just this year, Greenwood schools adopted a similar policy, in large part to keep students from being distracted in the classroom. Franklin, Center Grove and Edinburgh schools adopted similar policies.

YouTube is allowed on a limited basis. Although some teachers believe social networking makes them more available to students, others feel the need for boundaries.

Teacher Jeff Clawson said the challenge was finding the appropriate tone when using social networking sites.

For now, Johnson County schools are staying one step ahead of technology, and for at least the school day, keeping the conversation focused on their studies.

While the ban is on school computers, administrators say there is no way to monitor personal electronic devices.