Important Considerations:
Keep in mind that there are a number of issues that must be addressed before using any type of social media application in the classroom. Discussing these issues up front will be critical to a successful project and the safety of students.
Things to Think About:
Consider the following as you prepare to engage students with social technologies:
Informed consent, in the legal sense, means integrating multiple communication strategies with the official policy. The goal is multiple mediums and a variety of forms that make your policies and procedures very transparent to parents, teachers, students, administrators and the community.
Examples and language. Policy alone is never good enough!
Nothing is perfect. All forms of communication not just rules, policies and procedures should be leveraged. And rules, policies and procedures must be reviewed and updated continuously.
After all, the conversations should be about why learning is important and must be engaging. (video)
Keep in mind that there are a number of issues that must be addressed before using any type of social media application in the classroom. Discussing these issues up front will be critical to a successful project and the safety of students.
- Privacy
Informed consent is paramount. Take the opportunity before using these tools to discuss issues of privacy and Internet safety with your students and their parents. You will have little to no control over what they post on these sites, so you will be relying on each student's sense of what they should and should not post. It is your responsibility to plant a sense of what is OK and what is not in their minds. Safety should be your number one priority. - Policy
Districts must have clear policy and procedures before you begin. Be sure to check your district's policy with regard to posting online. Many districts have specific requirements prior to the use of online tools, such as permission forms, acceptable use policies, etc. Contact your site administrator or IT manager for assistance with locating these if you don't know where they are, and be sure to have parents and students sign them before posting anything online. - Practice
Decide on the rules for your projects up front. For example, what will be acceptable account names? Will students be allowed to post pictures of themselves, or should they create avatars instead? What will be the consequences of misuse of a system? How will their creations be assessed? Make sure you have a plan and specific academic goals before getting started. - Filters and Security
These are not your enemy. Make sure that the sites you want to use aren't blocked or filtered. If they are, be ready to provide your school and district administration as well as the IT department the detailed information on what sites you wish to use and how you intend to use them for teaching and learning. Forward thinking vision and policy are key to having filters do what's right and removed when learning is the purpose. But that means a conversation and can take time. - Licensing and Copyright
Another excellent learning opportunity. Discuss copyright and fair use with your students. Make sure they know what outside media and content they can and can't use in their creations. Show them the Creative Commons web site and talk about how they might want to license their content. Decide on a default license that will be applied to their work, should the sites offer that option. - Training
School districts allowing use of the tools must have opportunities and materials available for school district staff and administrators to learn the details behind the policy that will inevitably include supervision, discipline, Internet safety and classroom management. Be sure to set aside some time for you and your students to learn to use the tools as well as good digital citizenship. Don't assume that they will all be able to "figure it out on their own." The digital native theory is a myth - don't make any assumptions about your students' technical capabilities. Send home suggestions for parental involvement and engagement that "brings them along". - Share
Above all, be sure that you discuss what you plan to do with students, parents site and district administrators. Anytime you make changes in the way you use these tools or add new tools, communicate again and again. You can never over communicate.
Things to Think About:
Consider the following as you prepare to engage students with social technologies:
- Context is important
Students need to be in an environment that is oriented toward educational goals. All of the content doesn't have to be teacher or assignment driven, but the space needs to be oriented towards education. - Nurture an embrace “teachable moments”
Social networking tools provide opportunities for learning about digital citizenship, internet safety, copyright, licensing, and even foreign cultures through student mistakes. Embrace those opportunities to educate and guide students. Engage student community members in that process. It's much more impactful when a student shares “right and wrong” with another, and when communities of students learn to police themselves, you've reached nirvana. - “Public” is a huge driver
It's great when a student's work is visible to others within a class, but real communities don't form and active engagement is often limited unless they can reach beyond their classroom. There needs to be a certain “critical mass” before students actively engage in self-directed projects and idea building. - Start early
Kindergarteners CAN social network. Start by second grade (or as early as possible) so that right habits can be formed, and future problems reduced. - Plan ahead
Get your permission slips ready in advance. Decide on your policies and terms of use up front. Prepare administrators with examples of successes and a well designed plan.
Informed consent, in the legal sense, means integrating multiple communication strategies with the official policy. The goal is multiple mediums and a variety of forms that make your policies and procedures very transparent to parents, teachers, students, administrators and the community.
- Start with Policies and Procedures
- Training plans for staff, students and administrators
- Staff and Student Handbooks
- Annual acceptable use policy that is opt in for both staff and students is best. An opt out policy may mean even more communications to be sure
- Terms of service notices on log in or access to wireless
- Incorporate into Internet safety instruction
- Letters home to parents
- Notices in other newsletter, websites, routines communications
- Staff meetings
- Mentions at Assemblies, After School and Extra Curricular Events
- And, so on in as many ways as you can imagine ...
Examples and language. Policy alone is never good enough!
Nothing is perfect. All forms of communication not just rules, policies and procedures should be leveraged. And rules, policies and procedures must be reviewed and updated continuously.
- Social Media Explained for Students at NYU
- Peninsula School District's Policy 2022
- Peninsula School District's 2022 Procedures (Last update, 7/2013. Next update 7/2014, Continuously Updating is the key!)
- Peninsula School District's Annual Opt In Form: (Part of each students enrollment packet.)
- Peninsula School District's Parent Letter, Opt Out:
- Beaverton Staff Personal Device and Media Policy
- Beaverton Student Personal Device and Social Media Policy
- Pendleton Staff Personal Device and Social Media Policy
- Pendleton Student Personal Device and Social Media Policy
- Pendleton Student Personal Device and Social Media Regulations (Procedures)
- Saugus: Terms and Conditions
- Saugus: Usage Guidelines
- Saugus: Permission Letter Opt In
- Saugus: Acceptable Use Policy
After all, the conversations should be about why learning is important and must be engaging. (video)