>Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2009 14:54:18 -0500
>From: Ademola Popoola <popoola@gmail.com>
>Subject: Social Networking Best Practices for Teachers
>
>All,
>Does anyone have a policy outlining best practices of personal use of
>social
>networking sites for their faculty they're willing to share?
>Thanks,
>A. Popoola
>Sacred Heart Schools
Ademola,
We are a PreK-Grade 8 elementary school. Like many schools, we've grappled
with the difficulties and issues that arise with the use of online social
communities in the online world where privacy is eroded and there are no
boundaries. We developed the guidelines below for our faculty/staff
handbook for this fall. You are welcome to use any portion of this which
you find of value.
Best regards,
Doug Fodeman
ChildrenOnline.org
================================
Douglas Fodeman
Director of Technology
Brookwood School
Manchester, MA 01944
http://www.Brookwood.edu
(978) 526-4500 X6233
================================
Guidelines for Faculty and Staff Use of Social Networks
1. CLASS USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING: New social networking tools and
features are being continually introduced which may or may not be
appropriate for course or student use. Social networks, even those
designed for education, give rise to unique concerns and inherent dangers
related to their use. In order to provide healthy, age-appropriate use of
social networks, faculty are asked to submit all requests for
school-sanctioned online social tools to the Division Heads Committee for
review.
2. MODEL APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR: Faculty should always exercise appropriate
discretion and professionalism with all online communications and postings
(friends, colleagues, parents, former students, etc.) since their behavior
on social networks may not be private.
3. FRIENDING ALUMNI: Although Brookwood encourages faculty to keep in
touch with alumni, faculty should be aware that such contact via the
Internet presents unique challenges and risks. Faculty should be aware
that the following conditions are all possible in communications online,
especially in social networks:
a) Current Brookwood students may be friends of alumni online, and
therefore the current students may see faculty posts to the alum accounts.
b) If current Brookwood students are friends of alumni online, those
students may also have indirect access to the faculty member's social
network account, depending on the privacy settings of the faculty member.
c) Photos or videos of faculty members that are tagged by others may be
available to anyone searching social networks.
d) Social networks have become commonplace locations for deception and
loss of privacy.
We recommend that faculty carefully review their privacy settings and
exercise care when posting content and information in their online
profiles. Faculty may wish to regularly review their personal pages,
especially when content is posted by others. As in all social situations,
faculty members should remember that, as teachers, they represent
Brookwood School. People can draw conclusions, however erroneous, based
on online activities which may affect their perceptions of your
professionalism.
4. PUBLIC INFORMATION: Given the open nature of the Internet, and social
networks in particular, it would be prudent for faculty to use social
networks as if none of their content is private, including photos and
videos.
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