This week I spent time looking for my school district's social media policies for students and staff. I discovered that we have policies for staff use of social media and also policies for "communicating electronically". With the rate that technology changes, I can understand why the "communicating electronically" policy is generic not tied to specific platforms.
Social Media Usage
The board policy that outlines social media usage is one I had never seen before. It states that one must be professional in nature, not to use district devices to access social media and not to use school branding (i.e. logos), unless permission was granted.
Click here to view the full policy.
Electronically Communicating with Students
The document starts off by explaining the purpose of the policy which includes protection, raising awareness of proper methods, and raising awareness on potential outcomes.
Next, the document discuss the TAP test. TAP stands for transparent, accessible, and professional. All communication should pass the TAP test prior to sending the communication.
Once a staff member verifies that the communication passes the TAP test, they then need to know the district's acceptable communication methods. Many of them are school maintained resources (PowerSchool, District email, etc). These are prefer methods as the communication is saved and archived. Text messaging is seen as a "less acceptable communication method," however, it is not banned. Many teachers and coaches use Remind, as the school has an account, and it has the same affect as text messaging.
Lastly, unacceptable communication methods are outlined (non-district emails, online games, etc). There are also specific reminders about social media platforms such as, Facebook and Twitter.
For students there are many technology documents available to them, however, a social media policy seemed to be lacking. My district is a 1:1 Chromebook school, thus, students and parents have to agree to the guidelines prior to obtaining a Chromebook.
Students also have to agree the Acceptable Use Policy prior to obtaining access to the network. Again, this document is stated very generally to cover various technology usage.
After reviewing all the documents, I believe that the policy set forth for employees is adequate, however, I feel there needs to be a document in place for students and for teachers, if they want to have students participate in social media for academic purposes. For the students, I would have the same TAP test in place. I think it is a great idea to have students ask themselves "Would I mind if that information appeared on the front page of the local newspaper?" prior to posting something to social media.
Social Media Usage
The board policy that outlines social media usage is one I had never seen before. It states that one must be professional in nature, not to use district devices to access social media and not to use school branding (i.e. logos), unless permission was granted.
Click here to view the full policy.
Electronically Communicating with Students
The document starts off by explaining the purpose of the policy which includes protection, raising awareness of proper methods, and raising awareness on potential outcomes.
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| Employee Expectations Source: Author's screenshot |
Next, the document discuss the TAP test. TAP stands for transparent, accessible, and professional. All communication should pass the TAP test prior to sending the communication.
 |
| TAP Test Source: Author's screenshot |
Once a staff member verifies that the communication passes the TAP test, they then need to know the district's acceptable communication methods. Many of them are school maintained resources (PowerSchool, District email, etc). These are prefer methods as the communication is saved and archived. Text messaging is seen as a "less acceptable communication method," however, it is not banned. Many teachers and coaches use Remind, as the school has an account, and it has the same affect as text messaging.
 |
| Acceptable Communication Methods Source: Author's screenshot |
Lastly, unacceptable communication methods are outlined (non-district emails, online games, etc). There are also specific reminders about social media platforms such as, Facebook and Twitter.
- Ensure privacy setting are set correctly.
- Cannot "friend" a student who is currently enrolled.
- Always ask yourself "Would I mind if that information appeared on the front page of the local newspaper?"
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| Unacceptable Communication Methods Source: Author's screenshot |
For students there are many technology documents available to them, however, a social media policy seemed to be lacking. My district is a 1:1 Chromebook school, thus, students and parents have to agree to the guidelines prior to obtaining a Chromebook.
Students also have to agree the Acceptable Use Policy prior to obtaining access to the network. Again, this document is stated very generally to cover various technology usage.
After reviewing all the documents, I believe that the policy set forth for employees is adequate, however, I feel there needs to be a document in place for students and for teachers, if they want to have students participate in social media for academic purposes. For the students, I would have the same TAP test in place. I think it is a great idea to have students ask themselves "Would I mind if that information appeared on the front page of the local newspaper?" prior to posting something to social media.
Thanks for the thorough review of the policy. With so much in place already it probably wouldn't be that difficult to add in a social media component- especially with more districts jumping on board with using social media. Perhaps you can suggest it now!
ReplyDeleteYour district appears to be much more in-touch and realistic about the use of social media and communication between teachers and students. I believe school district social media and acceptable use policies with be in consistent need of change and updating as technology, social media platforms, and tools continue to expand.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy,
ReplyDeleteThis was nice to see. As Bonnie said above, the district seems to be ahead of other districts and schools I've seen. I like the simplicity of the TAP idea. I think that when it comes to developing a clear policy for students, the TAP approach would be a good way to explain it. If the students see all of the writing and reading that must be done by adults to try to ensure appropriate use of technology, they will begin to see how serious this matter is.