Chapter 7: Online Safety and Security

“Social-networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook allow youngsters to post private information, which leaves them vulnerable to harassment and other dangers.  Cyberbullying may be the online equivalent of bad schoolyard behavior, but it is no less hurtful or dangerous.” (pg. 138)

Schools which receive funds for using technology in the classroom, have certain requirements that they need to follow.  These requirements include installing filtering and blocking technology on the computers in order to keep the internet age-appropriate for children.  Copyright and intellectual property is also important, as well as sometimes confusing.  There are five steps listed in order to help prevent copyright problems:

       ·         Create and implement a technology policy that includes a code of ethics and set of procedures.

       ·         Review the entire policy with you educational community: students, teachers, and parents.

       ·         Appoint a technology manager to conduct audits and maintain a log of licenses and registration materials.

       ·         Teach ethical and legal behavior for technology use.

       ·         Thank employees and students for supporting these steps.

There are some securities solutions that can help keep students safe when using the internet at school.  These solutions include:

       ·         Awareness Programs: Teachers need to have conversations with the students in order to inform them of the possible threats and dangers when being online.

       ·         Acceptable Use Policies: A list of policies that is given to students that outline the guidelines, procedures, and responsibilities for using school technology.

       ·         Ethical Behavior: Facts about ethical behavior can be very confusing.  Some tips to follow include:

              o   Seek Truth and Express It: Teachers and students should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering, interpreting, and expressing information for the benefit of others.

              o   Minimize Harm: Ethical teachers and students treat information sources, subjects, colleagues, and information consumers as human beings deserving of respect.

              o   Be Accountable: Teachers and students are accountable to their readers, listeners, and viewers, and to each other.

              o   Respect Information and Its Infrastructure: Information, in the Information Age, is property.  Information is the fabric that defines much of what we do from day to day, and this rich and potent fabric is fragile.

       ·         Administrative Restrictions: Teachers and administrators need to have specific rules of how the students’ content will be shown on the internet, and parents should be informed.

       ·         Parental Involvement: The schools need to work with the parents in order for them to understand the issues and the policies of the school and how they are helping keep their children safe.

       ·         Blocking: Teachers and administrators need to set up firewalls and protection against certain websites that are not age-appropriate and so students can not pull up inappropriate pictures.

Networking sites have also become a problem and can distract students from doing their work online.  These networking tools include:

       ·         Instant Messaging

       ·         Social Networking: Facebook, MySpace

       ·         Image Sharing: Flickr

There are also many sites that have a lot of information and have been created by educators so they are safe for students.  These sites include pictures, and many search engines, but are safe and secure from images that students should not be exposed to.

NETS • A Standard
6.  Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues – Educational leaders understand the social, legal, and ethical issues related to technology and model responsible decision making related to these issues.  I think this standard applies to the chapter because it describes how educational leaders should ensure equity of access to technology resources that enable and empower all learners and educators as well as identifying, communicating, modeling, and enforcing social, legal, and ethical practices to promote responsible use of technology.  It also relates to the chapter because this standard talks about promoting and enforcing privacy, security, and online safety related to the use of technology and also to participate in the development of policies that clearly enforce copyright law and assign ownership of intellectual property developed with district resources.

Citations:

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0, new tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in educ.