This week's topic is a fascinating one, particularly off the back of social media last week. It is undeniable that as rich and valuable a resource the internet and online communications are, there are potential risks and dangers involved if these tools are not used in a safe and mindful manner.
This short video available here was in our media selections this week and I loved its core message: safety concerns should not stop social networking! But it is vitally important to be aware of your purpose in using them.
Consideration of this topic also prompted a revisit and refresher on the Code of Ethics for teachers. Reduced to its four main points, it is a commitment to Learners, Whanau, Society and the Profession. No great surprises there, but as teachers it is central to our practice and something worth taking the time to reflect on. When specifically considering ethics related to digital or online access, I feel the points about student wellbeing and confidentiality are most pertinent. Though these issues are becoming more complex all the time.
In this activity we are asked to discuss a situation (either actual or imagined) where there was an ethical dilemma surrounding digital/online activity. I did have such an issue occur in relation to my own class blog about a year ago, which does demonstrate how we have to be constantly reevaluating our position on these issues.
I first started my own class blog as part of a teaching inquiry in 2014 with my single cell class of year ones. Though other teachers had dabbled in the past, at that stage I was the only teacher with an active blog up and running. I was very aware of privacy concerns, so was careful to set up systems that would be safe for students and families. I made it my policy that I would publish photos of children (if their parents/caregivers had given permission to the school) but only ever use first names. This was in line with our school approach to publishing photos, such as in the newsletter. Everyone involved was happy with this arrangement for the six months I ran the blog.
Then when I set up a blog in 2015 for our new collaborative team, I put out a notice advising of my same policy. This time, however, I was approached by a parent who was unhappy with this. They had known of an instance where someone had used a school website to identify a child by their first name, then attempted to actually go to the school and call out to the child by name, trying to convince them that they knew them and it was safe to go with this unknown adult. This was not a scenario that had occurred to me, but I of course could not deny the validity of their concern - sad as it is to have to take such things into account!
So what next? I discussed the concern with a number of colleagues as well as our management team, as it had implications for our online policies in general as well. There were also other teams intending to start blogs of their own. I did experience some initial disappointment, as it seemed to take away from some of the celebratory nature of the blog. Especially if someone had won an award; no longer could I say 'Congratulations Johnny' with a photo of his proud face below! However the immediate action I took was indeed to change our blog policy. Here is how it stands now on my current blog: Blog Guidelines. The key point is "photos and names will NOT be used directly together in order to ensure children are not identified online". I also go on to give particular instructions around this in terms of families leaving their own comments on our blog.
We also addressed the issue in our school Guidelines for Online Publication. Parents now are asked to give permission for their child to "appear in photos and videos on team blogs, on the school's You Tube account, and other online media associated with the school with no mention of my child's name".
It took a while to adjust to writing the blog in this new way, however it hasn't actually taken away from the experience at all and we are now ensuring the safety and security of our students as much as possible, while still allowing them to be able to be involved in this celebration of our learning.
References:
New Zealand Teachers Council.(2012). Establishing safeguards.[video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49216520
Education Council (nd). The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certficated Teachers. Retrieved fromhttp://www.educationcouncil.org.nz/content/code-of-ethics-certificated-teachers-0
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