Social Media Policies

In Module 5 we were asked to begin thinking about the practical implications of using social media in our schools. This means ensuring a safe and appropriate learning environment. My district is just now taking great strides with technology initiatives, so it wasn’t a surprise to find that no guidelines are in place for using social media. In fact, in the section of the school's student/parent handbook labeled “Cell Phones/Electronic Devices/Social Media Rules” the only guidelines listed are the following:

Students are not allowed to use cell phones once school begins until 2:40. Inappropriate messages on social media sites or via text may be considered cyber bullying and disrespectful conduct. Electronic devices that contain information that interferes with the learning environment is subject to being searched. School staff may search phones if there is reasonable cause.

Clearly those guidelines are not sufficient and do not promote technology use for educational purposes. Thus, I drafted the below guidelines (also found here). To develop my own set of social media policies I explored those of already powerful districts such as Los Angeles Unified School District, Escondido Union School District, San Diego Unified School District, and the New York City Department of Education. There are two sets of guidelines specific to district employees and students. In drafting these policies my next logical step would be to create a committee composed of administrators, colleagues, parents, and students representatives to complete building a comprehensive set of policies. The committee would come together and provide input and offer revisions where necessary. When the draft is agreed upon by the committee it would then be passed along to our principal and area superintendent (who oversees our high school and the feeder schools that are part of it). With their stamp of approval, we would then launch the guidelines to school staff and parents. A Google Form would be used to survey staff and parents to garner feedback before finalizing and launching the guidelines for the following school year. A yearly meeting would then occur with committee members to assess any needs for updating guidelines to meet the evolvement of the digital media world.

Social Media Policy

School Employees should abide by the following guidelines:

1. Authorization- Any social media account that reflects the district’s presence or any association with the district (including: sports teams, clubs, class pages, etc.) must be approved by the Communications Office Director of Communications. Pre-existing sites will be subject to review and possible removal before receiving authorization.
2. Distinct Accounts- Keep personal and school related social media accounts separate and distinct.
3. Protect Student Identity- Do not post any information that would lead to the identity of a student being revealed on a school supported online medium without the written, informed consent of the child’s legal guardian/parent . For example, videos, photos, names, or other identifying information is inappropriate for online publishing if appropriate consent has yet to be given.
4. Privacy Settings- Be actively aware of privacy settings and know that they provide limited security. Be careful of anything published online and know that it is subject to public view, thus the republication of content by an outside party can occur without the employee's knowledge. Take all privacy settings into consideration.
5. District logos- Personal social media accounts should not contain any trace of the district’s logo. Those accounts that are school sponsored may maintain the logo with the approval of the Communications Office, but must keep with district administered guidelines.  
6. PTA and Foundational Sites- Those sites that are published by a school foundation or parent-teacher group should maintain a distinct personality from those sites that are authorized and run by school officials. However, it is permissible for school authorized sites and PTA or foundational sites to post the links of the others web page to assure appropriate communication with the public.
7. Disclaimers- Any site that associates itself with the school or school district, but does not maintain official approval from the Communications Office must display the following text: “The views expressed on this site do not reflect the views of the Clovis  Unified School District. This site contains user-created content which is not endorsed by the District. The purpose of this site is”…(adopted from the San Diego Unified School District).
8. Inappropriate Content- Any content that shows biased, racist, threatening, harassing, sexist, bullying or derogatory language towards any individual is unacceptable and is subjected to recommendation for disciplinary action. Any inappropriate content will be documented (via screenshots, printing, downloading, or other means) for further investigation in the disciplinary process.
9. Integrity- Maintain the integrity of the online medium and the district by avoiding all forms of plagiarism and honoring copyright and intellectual property laws.
10. Monitor Digital Presence- Actively monitor the sites presence online and assure that all content is both current and accurate. Monitor the comments left on the site and be sure to enforce digital netiquette with both site publishers, follower, and participant.s

Students should abide by the following guidelines:

1. Personal Information- Students should protect any information that could lead to an observer locating the individual including: home address, phone number, full family name, etc. Sharing such information may be potentially dangerous for the student.
2. Unacceptable Access/Hacking- Students should not seek to access the accounts of others or district technology resources. Attempting to act as someone that the individual is not in order to gain access to another’s personal files is unacceptable and is subject to disciplinary action.
3. Unlawful Acts- Students should not participate in an act online that would be considered unlawful. This might include making threats, participating in gang activity, stealing or any other act that would be deemed prohibited by law.
4. Inappropriate Content- In the same way that employees should not show biased, racist, threatening, harassing, sexist, bullying or derogatory language towards any individual, students should not either. It is unacceptable and is subjected to recommendation for disciplinary action. Any inappropriate content will be documented (via screenshots, printing, downloading, or other means) for further investigation in the disciplinary process.
5. Integrity- Maintain the integrity of the online medium and the district by avoiding all forms of plagiarism and honoring copyright and intellectual property laws.
6. Choose ‘Friends’ Wisely- Students must know how to protect themselves online. Consider the source and character of those chosen for online interaction. Knowing someone online is very different than knowing someone face-to-face.
7. Digital Footprint- Be mindful that online persona is an extension of yourself. Be sure to be authentic and genuine in representing who you are to the online community.
8. Report Inappropriate Behavior- If you see or hear of inappropriate behavior online report it to the appropriate source. This could range from cyberbullying to illegal acts. Contact a trusted adult if call 911 if necessary.
9. Practice Digital Citizenship- Know the appropriate context for technology use both personally and educationally. Be able to distinguish proper behavior based on the use of technology.
10. Form of a PLN- Be educated and form a credible personal learning network. Use the social media and online platform to take ownership of learning.

References

Anderson, S. (2012, May 7). How to Create Social Media Guidelines for Your School. Retrieved July 27, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/how-to-create-social-media-guidelines-school

DeWitt, P. (2012, July 12). Do Our Students Have PLN's? Retrieved July 27, 2015, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2012/07/do_our_students_have_plns.html?cmp=SOC-SHR-TW

“Escondido union high school district student social media guidelines”; Escondido Union High School District; 2012. Retrieved from: http://ehscougars.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/StudentSocialMediaPolicies.pdf

“Los angeles unified school district policy bulletin”; Los Angeles Unified School District; 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.lausd.net/lausd/offices/Office_of_Communications/BUL-5688.0_SOCIAL_MEDIA_POLICY.pdf

“Staff social media guidelines”; San Diego Unified School District; 2013. Retrieved from: https://www.sandi.net/cms/lib/CA01001235/Centricity/Domain/402/social-media-guidelines.pdf

“Student social media guidelines”; New York City Department of Education; 2013. Retrieved from: http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/9765B2DF-9BD5-42AA-8D85-005D0FC8AA23/0/Student_Social_MediaGuidelines_finalv3_20140128.pdf