St  Kevin’s  School  We  aim  to  provide  safe  use  of  the  internet  and  all  that  it  provides  to  our  school.  We  do  so  in  the  light  of  recognition  that  there  is  a  liability  that  should  be  explicit  and  clear.  This  document  outlines  these  liabilities  and  creates  a  structure  with  clear  procedures  that  together  form  the  schools  policy  in  this  area.      

7 6   G l e n   O r m e   A v e n u e ,   O r m o n d ,   V i c   3 2 0 4  

     

Social  Media  &  Digital  Citizenship  …  for  students  &  staff  

 

   

Table  of  Contents  

Social  Media  &  Digital  Citizenship  @  St  Kevin’s  School  ............................................  4  Rationale  .................................................................................................................................................................  4  Our  school  uses  social  media  in  the  following  ways:  ..........................................................................  4  Social  Media  Guidelines  for  Students  ......................................................................  6  

Parent  Social  Media  Guidelines  ...............................................................................  7  Parents  are  required  to  adhere  to  the  following  guidelines:  ...........................................................  7  

Social  Media  Guidelines  for  Staff  ............................................................................  8  Blogs,  Wikis,  Podcasts,  Digital  Images  &  Video  .....................................................................................  8  Personal  Responsibility  ...................................................................................................................................  8  Disclaimers  ............................................................................................................................................................  8  Profiles  and  Identity  ..........................................................................................................................................  8  Personal  Use  of  Social  Media  such  as  Facebook,  Myspace  and  Twitter  ......................................  9  

What  should  parents  do  about  online  safety?  .......................................................  10  Talk  about  online  safety  ................................................................................................................................  10  Top  5  talking  points  for  parents,  grandparents  and  caregivers  ..................................................  10  Educate  yourself  about  the  online  world  ..............................................................................................  10  

Acceptable  Use  Policy  ...........................................................................................  11  Purpose  ................................................................................................................................................................  11  Acceptable  Use  -­‐  Each  user  must:  .............................................................................................................  11  Unacceptable  Uses  -­‐  Each  user  must  not:  ..............................................................................................  12  Personal  Responsibility:  ...............................................................................................................................  12  Network  Etiquette:  ..........................................................................................................................................  13  

Resources  to  help  Teachers  and  Students  .............................................................  15        

Social  Media  &  Digital  Citizenship  @  St  Kevin’s  School    

…  banning  is  never  as  effective  as  education  and  monitoring    

Rationale    Social  Media  today  is  used  by  over  1.2  Billion  people  per  month.  It  is  a  world  that  has  become  increasingly  a  part  of  our  everyday  world.  To  ignore  or  shut  out  Social  Media  from  the  educational  platform  would  be  akin  to  the  burning  of  books.  If  fact,  I  believe  far  worse!    St  Kevin’s  interaction  with  social  media  pervades  all  stakeholders  in  our  community.  Students,  teachers,  administrators,  parents  &  school  groups.  It  is  much  more  than  a  social  outlet  or  hobby  today  in  that  it  has  integrated  our  social  and  professional  fabrics.  All  this  has  happened  in  such  a  short  time.  We  have  a  duty  to  inform  our  community  about  the  successes  and  the  challenges  that  lay  within  it  and  how  our  members  interact  with  it  in  safe  and  productive  ways.    In  particular,  our  school  environment  has  embraced  social  media  because  it  is  a  relationship  tool.  It  is  a  classification  and  sorting  tool  that  can  assist  us  in  sorting  our  busy  lives  and  maintaining  contact  with  the  people  we  know  and  those  who  we  may  not  know,  but  have  common  interests  with.  At  St  Kevin’s  we  use  social  media  as  a  tool  to  bring  parents  into  the  community  when  they  can’t  physically  be  present.  It  assists  with  engaging  our  parents  with  the  teaching  and  learning  that  their  children  are  participating  in.  It  is  a  publishing  tool,  an  engagement  tool,  a  professional  development  and  networking  tool.  It  assists  us  in  outreach  to  the  community  and  can  make  our  community  a  safer  and  more  connected  space.  It  encourages  collaboration  between  all  parties,  and  acts  as  an  invitation  to  participate  in  school  production.  It  also  presents  us  with  challenges  in  that  the  boundaries  are  in  constant  flux.  There  is  a  distinct  lack  of  structure  and  boundary  that  insists  we  skill  and  inform  our  students  and  teachers  with  sound  pedagogy  and  provide  a  guiding  presence  in  their  use  and  production.  It  is  certainly  the  greatest  advance  in  and  change  in  education  since  the  printing  press.  If  the  information  superhighway  gave  us  digital  content  in  amounts  never  before  dreamed  of,  then  social  media  is  the  tool  that  coordinates,  separates,  tags  and  joins  this  mass  of  data  into  useful  connections.    

Our  school  uses  social  media  in  the  following  ways:    

• As  a  professional  development  tool  for  staff  eg,  search  #edchat,  #edtech,  following  prominent  educational  personalities.  

• As  a  community  outreach  or  communication  tool  to  enable  working  parents,  and  relatives  that  live  far  away  to  connect  with  what  is  happening  in  school  in  real  time  or  after  the  event.  

• As  an  enhancement/extension  to  the  classroom  by  providing  learning  and  teaching  activities/information,  or  forums  to  support  what  happens  in  class.  

• As  a  communication  tool  to  provide  expert  advise  and  tips  on  parenting.  • As  a  networking  tool  and  to  build  on  relationships  that  exist  within  the  physical  

boundaries  of  the  school.  • As  a  communication/collaboration  tool  between  teachers  :  teachers  and  

students  :  students  

 Due  to  the  wealth  of  new  social  media  tools  available  to  students,  student  products  and  documents  have  the  potential  to  reach  audiences  far  beyond  the  classroom.  This  translates  into  a  greater  level  of  responsibility  and  accountability  for  everyone.  Below  are  guidelines  students  at  St  Kevin’s  should  adhere  to  when  using  Web  2.0  tools  in  the  classroom.          

Social  Media  Guidelines  for  Students      

• No  child  is  allowed  to  post  online  in  a  first  instance  without  permission  from  the  teacher  in  charge  of  their  class  activity.  Depending  on  the  format,  permission  will  be  given  for  a  “one-­‐off”  posting,  or  permission  for  ongoing  posting.  Any  posting  via  school  channels  will  be  moderated  unless  otherwise  informed.  

• Be  aware  of  what  you  post  online.    Social  media  venues  including  wikis,  blogs,  photo  and  video  sharing  sites  are  very  public.    What  you  contribute  leaves  a  digital  footprint  for  all  to  see.    Do  not  post  anything  you  wouldn't  want  friends,  enemies,  parents,  teachers  to  see.    

• When  writing  online,  it  is  acceptable  to  disagree  with  someone  else's  opinions,  however,  do  it  in  a  respectful  way.    Make  sure  that  criticism  is  constructive  and  not  hurtful.    What  is  inappropriate  in  the  classroom  is  inappropriate  online.    

• Be  safe  online.    Never  give  out  personal  information,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  last  names,  phone  numbers,  addresses,  exact  birthdates,  and  pictures.    Do  not  share  your  password  with  anyone  besides  your  teachers  and  parents.  

• Linking  to  other  websites  to  support  your  thoughts  and  ideas  is  recommended.    However,  be  sure  to  read  the  entire  article  prior  to  linking  to  ensure  that  all  information  is  appropriate  for  a  school  setting.  

• Do  your  own  work!    Do  not  use  other  people's  intellectual  property  without  their  permission.    It  is  a  violation  of  copyright  law  to  copy  and  paste  other's  thoughts.  When  paraphrasing  another's  idea(s)  be  sure  to  cite  your  source  with  the  URL.    It  is  good  practice  to  hyperlink  to  your  sources.  

• Be  aware  that  pictures  may  also  be  protected  under  copyright  laws.    Verify  you  have  permission  to  use  the  image.  

• How  you  represent  yourself  online  is  an  extension  of  yourself.    Do  not  misrepresent  yourself  by  using  someone  else's  identity.  

• Blog  and  wiki  posts  should  be  well  written.    Follow  writing  conventions  including  proper  grammar,  capitalization,  and  punctuation.    If  you  edit  someone  else's  work  be  sure  it  is  in  the  spirit  of  improving  the  writing.  

• If  you  run  across  inappropriate  material  that  makes  you  feel  uncomfortable,  or  is  not  respectful,  tell  your  teacher  right  away.  

• Students  who  do  not  abide  by  these  terms  and  conditions  may  lose  their  opportunity  to  take  part  in  the  project  and/or  access  to  future  use  of  online  tools.  

       

Parent  Social  Media  Guidelines    Classroom  blogs  and  other  social  media  are  powerful  tools  that  open  up  communication  between  students,  parents,  and  teachers.  This  kind  of  communication  and  collaboration  can  have  a  huge  impact  on  learning.  St  Kevin’s  encourages  parents  to  view  and  participate  by  adding  comments  to  classroom  projects  when  appropriate.        

Parents  are  required  to  adhere  to  the  following  guidelines:      

• Parents  should  expect  initial  communication  from  teachers  prior  to  their  child’s  involvement  in  any  project  using  online  social  media  applications,  i.e.,  blogs,  wikis,  podcast,  etc.  

• Parents  will  not  attempt  to  destroy  or  harm  any  information  online.      

• Parents  will  not  use  classroom  social  media  sites  for  any  illegal  activity,  including  violation  of  data  privacy  laws.  

• Parents  are  highly  encouraged  to  read  and/or  participate  in  social  media  projects.  

• Parents  should  not  distribute  any  information  that  might  be  deemed  personal  about  other  students  participating  in  the  social  media  project.  

• Parents  should  not  upload  or  include  any  information  that  does  not  also  meet  the  Student  Guidelines.  

       

Social  Media  Guidelines  for  Staff      

Blogs,  Wikis,  Podcasts,  Digital  Images  &  Video  

Personal  Responsibility    

• St  Kevin’s  employees  are  personally  responsible  for  the  content  they  publish  online.  Be  mindful  that  what  you  publish  will  be  public  for  a  long  time—protect  your  privacy.  

• Your  online  behavior  should  reflect  the  same  standards  of  honesty,  respect,  and  consideration  that  you  use  face-­‐to-­‐face.  

• When  posting  online  be  sure  you  say  that  the  information  is  representative  of  your  views  and  opinions  and  not  necessarily  the  views  and  opinions  of  St  Kevin’s.  Always  be  aware  that  you  should  seek  Principal  clarification  when  your  information  might  be  different  to  information,  views,  beliefs  that  the  school  promotes.  

• Remember  that  blogs,  wikis  and  podcasts  are  an  extension  of  your  classroom.    What  is  inappropriate  in  your  classroom  should  be  deemed  inappropriate  online.  

• The  lines  between  public  and  private,  personal  and  professional  are  blurred  in  the  digital  world.  By  virtue  of  identifying  yourself  as  a  St  Kevin’s  employee  online,  you  are  now  connected  to  colleagues,  students,  parents  and  the  school  community.  You  should  ensure  that  content  associated  with  you  is  consistent  with  your  work  at  St  Kevin’s.  

• When  contributing  online  do  not  post  confidential  student  information.  

   

Disclaimers  • St  Kevin’s  employees  must  include  disclaimers  within  their  personal  online  

content  that  the  views  are  their  own  and  do  not  reflect  on  their  employer.    For  example,  "The  postings  on  this  site  are  my  own  and  don't  necessarily  represent  St  Kevin’s  positions,  strategies,  opinions,  or  policies."    

• This  standard  disclaimer  does  not  by  itself  exempt  St  Kevin’s  employees  from  a  special  responsibility  when  blogging  and  posting,  tweeting  etc  online.  

• Classroom  blogs  and  other  online  content  do  not  require  a  disclaimer,  but  teachers  are  encouraged  to  moderate  content  contributed  by  students.  

   

Profiles  and  Identity  

• Remember  your  association  and  responsibility  with  St  Kevin’s  in  online  social  environments.  If  you  identify  yourself  as  a  St  Kevin’s  employee,  ensure  your  profile  and  related  content  is  consistent  with  how  you  wish  to  present  yourself  with  colleagues,  parents,  and  students.    How  you  represent  yourself  online  should  be  comparable  to  how  you  represent  yourself  in  person.  

• No  last  names,  school  names,  addresses  or  phone  numbers  should  appear  on  blogs  or  wikis.  

• Be  cautious  how  you  setup  your  profile,  bio,  avatar,  etc.  

• When  uploading  digital  pictures  or  avatars  that  represent  yourself  make  sure  you  select  a  school  appropriate  image.  Remember  not  to  utilise  protected  images.    Images  should  be  available  under  Creative  Commons  or  your  own.  

   

Personal  Use  of  Social  Media  such  as  Facebook,  Myspace  and  Twitter  • St  Kevin’s  employees  are  personally  responsible  for  all  comments/information  

they  publish  online.  Be  mindful  that  what  you  publish  will  be  public  for  a  long  time—protect  your  privacy.  

• Your  online  behavior  should  reflect  the  same  standards  of  honesty,  respect,  and  consideration  that  you  use  face-­‐to-­‐face,  and  be  in  accordance  with  the  highest  professional  standards.  

• By  Posting  your  comments  having  online  conversations  etc.  on  social  media  sites  you  are  broadcasting  to  the  world,  be  aware  that  even  with  the  strictest  privacy  settings  what  you  ‘say’  online  should  be  within  the  bounds  of  professional  discretion.  Comments  expressed  via  social  networking  pages  under  the  impression  of  a  ‘private  conversation’  may  still  end  up  being  shared  into  a  more  public  domain,  even  with  privacy  settings  on  maximum.  

• Comments  related  to  the  school  should  always  meet  the  highest  standards  of  professional  discretion.  When  posting,  even  on  the  strictest  settings,  staff  should  act  on  the  assumption  that  all  postings  are  in  the  public  domain.  

• Before  posting  personal  photographs,  thought  should  be  given  as  to  whether  the  images  reflect  on  your  professionalism.  

• Photographs  relating  to  alcohol  or  tobacco  use  may  be  deemed  inappropriate.  Remember,  your  social  networking  site  is  an  extension  of  your  personality,  and  by  that  token  an  extension  of  your  professional  life  and  your  classroom.  If  it  would  seem  inappropriate  to  put  a  certain  photograph  on  the  wall  -­‐  is  it  incorrect  to  put  it  online.  

• Microblogging  (Twitter  etc.)  Comments  made  using  such  media  are  not  protected  by  privacy  settings  as  witnessed  by  the  high  profile  cases  in  the  UK  and  USA  with  sports  stars  being  disciplined  for  tweets  expressing  personal  views.  Employees  should  be  aware  of  the  public  and  widespread  nature  of  such  media  and  again  refrain  from  any  comment  that  could  be  deemed  unprofessional.    

   

     

What  should  parents  do  about  online  safety?  

Talk  about  online  safety    “You  don’t  know  what  you  don’t  know.”    Kids  and  teens  have  never  known  a  world  without  the  internet,  while  parents  and  grandparents  are  often  struggling  to  keep  pace  with  ever  changing  technologies.    One  of  the  most  important  things  that  families  can  do  to  understand  the  online  environment  is  talk  to  each  other  about  how  they  interact  online.  

Top  5  talking  points  for  parents,  grandparents  and  caregivers    

• What  are  the  sites  that  you  use  the  most?  • Do  you  use  social  networking  sites?  • Do  you  use  the  privacy  settings—and  how?  • Are  you  friends  online  with  people  that  you  don’t  know  in  the  real  world?  • What  would  you  do  if  one  of  your  online  friends  wanted  to  meet  in  

person?  

Educate  yourself  about  the  online  world    Knowledge  is  power!  Understanding  your  digital  environment  is  the  first  step  to  ensuring  a  safe  and  positive  online  experience.    

   

The  image  to  the  left  is  a  QR  code.  QR  codes  can  be  scanned  by  your  smartphone,  iPod  or  similar  device.  QR  codes  contain  information  such  as  

text,  images,  website  addresses  and  more.  Parents  should  be  aware  of  them  and  how  to  read  them.  QR  codes  can  be  used  by  children  to  keep  

parents  and  other  adults  unaware  of  their  activities.            

Figure  1:  Watch  the  Video,  How  Cybersmart  are  you?

Acceptable  Use  Policy  

Purpose  St  Kevin’s  School  offers  Internet  access  to  its  students,  and  staff.  Access  to  the  school  network  and  the  Internet  service  is  a  privilege  not  a  right.  The  intent  of  this  policy  is  to  ensure  that  users  utilise  this  access  in  a  manner  consistent  with  the  purpose  of  providing  this  Internet  service.  Parents  and  guardians  are  asked  to  review  this  policy  and  discuss  it  with  their  students.    The  Internet  is  a  global  network  linking  computers  around  the  world.  Internet  use  provides  valuable  opportunities  for  research,  curriculum  support,  and  career  development.  The  primary  purpose  of  the  St  Kevin’s  Internet  service  is  to  support  the  educational  objectives  of  St  Kevin’s  and  their  educational  community  in  general.  The  Internet  service  is  not  a  public  forum  and  the  school  reserves  the  right  to  place  reasonable  limits  on  materials  posted  or  accessed  through  the  service.    While  the  Internet's  possibilities  are  tremendous,  it  also  has  potential  for  abuse.  To  use  the  school  Internet  service  the  user  must  take  full  responsibility  for  his  or  her  own  actions.  St  Kevin’s  shall  not  be  liable  for  the  actions  of  anyone  accessing  the  Internet  through  this  or  any  other  Internet  connection.        

Acceptable  Use  -­‐  Each  user  must:  • Use  Electronic  Information  Systems  (EIS)  to  support  personal  educational  

objectives  consistent  with  the  educational  goals  and  objectives  of  the  school.  • Agree  not  to  submit,  publish,  display  or  retrieve  any  defamatory,  inaccurate,  

abusive,  obscene,  profane,  threatening,  offensive  or  illegal  material.  • Immediately  inform  their  teacher  if  inappropriate  information  is  mistakenly  

accessed.  • Abide  by  all  copyright  and  trademark  laws  and  regulations.  • Not  reveal  home  addresses,  personal  phone  numbers  or  personally  identifiable  

data  unless  authorized  to  do  so  by  designated  school  authorities.  • Understand  that  electronic  mail  or  direct  electronic  communication  is  not  

private  and  may  be  read  and  monitored  by  school-­‐employed  persons.  • Not  use  the  service  in  any  way  that  would  disrupt  the  use  of  the  service  by  

others.  • Not  use  the  service  for  commercial  or  financial  gain,  political  lobbying,  or  fraud.  • Not  attempt  to  harm,  modify,  add  or  destroy  software  or  hardware  nor  interfere  

with  system  security.  • Understand  that  inappropriate  use  may  result  in  cancellation  of  permission  to  

use  the  service  and  appropriate  disciplinary  action.  • Be  responsible  for  the  appropriate  storage  and  backup  of  their  data.  

 In  addition,  acceptable  use  for  school  employees  is  extended  to  include  requirements  to:  

• Maintain  supervision  of  students  using  the  service  and  equipment.  • Take  responsibility  for  assigned  personal  and  school  accounts,  including  

password  protection.  • Take  all  responsible  precautions,  including  password  maintenance  and  file  and  

directory  protection  measures,  to  prevent  the  use  of  personal  and  school  accounts  and  files  by  unauthorised  persons.  

 

Unacceptable  Uses  -­‐  Each  user  must  not:  • Users  may  not  connect  or  install  any  computer  hardware,  hardware  components  

or  software,  which  is  their  own  personal  property  to  and/or  in  the  school’s  service  without  the  prior  approval  of  the  Principal  

• Users  may  not  post  information  that  could  cause  damage  or  pose  a  danger  of  disruption  to  the  operations  of  the  service  or  the  school.  

• Users  may  not  access  the  network  for  any  non  educational  purposes.  • Users  may  not  gain  or  attempt  to  gain  unauthorised  access  to  the  files  of  others,  

or  vandalise  the  data  or  files  of  another  user.  • Users  may  not  download  and  use  games,  files,  documents,  music,  or  software  for  

non  educational  purposes.  (i.e.  Shockwave  games/animations,  audio  and  other  visual  files.)  

• Users  may  not  possess  any  data,  which  may  be  considered  a  violation  of  these  regulations,  in  paper,  disc,  USB,  personal  online  storage,  or  any  other  form.  

• Users  may  not  display  name  or  photo  to  personally  identify  an  individual  without  receiving  written  permission.  

• Users  may  not  reveal  full  name,  address,  phone  number,  or  personal  email  without  permission  from  an  adult.  

• Users  may  not  plagiarise  works  that  are  found  on  the  Internet  or  any  other  electronic  resource.  

• Users  may  not  harass,  insult,  attack  others  or  use  obscene  language  in  written  communications.  

• Users  may  not  post  anonymous  messages.      

Consequences  of  not  adhering  to  these  principles  guidelines:  • In  some  cases,  failure  to  comply  with  these  school  guidelines  may  also  be  

breaking  the  law.  This  is  a  complex  area  as  activities  online  are  published  throughout  the  world.  

• Where  this  is  not  the  case  temporary  withdrawal  of  services  and  equipment  will  be  applied  in  cases  where  users  break  the  conditions  of  use.    

• Minor  one-­‐off  occurrences  may  not  be  reported  to  parents.    • Continued  and  more  serious  events  will  incur  more  prolonged  withdrawal  of  

services  and  equipment  will  be  put  into  place  and  meetings  required  with  parents  and  principal.  

• Where  the  school  is  aware  of  children  not  following  these  guidelines  outside  of  the  school’s  jurisdiction,  parents  will  be  notified  about  the  activities  of  all  enrolled  students.  

• In  any  case  where  a  breach  of  use  involves  breaking  the  law,  the  appropriate  authorities  will  be  informed.  

 

Personal  Responsibility:  • I  will  report  any  misuse  of  the  service  to  the  teacher  or  Principal.  • I  understand  that  many  services  and  products  are  available  for  a  fee  and  

acknowledge  my  personal  responsibility  for  any  expenses  incurred  without  School  permission.  

• I  understand  that  when  I  am  logged  on  to  school  computers  or  electronic  devices,  that  I  am  ultimately  responsible  for  any  activity  that  occurs  on  the  computer  or  electronic  device  under  my  log-­‐in.  

 

Network  Etiquette:  I  am  expected  to  abide  by  the  generally  acceptable  rules  of  network  etiquette.      Therefore,  I  will:  

• Be  polite  and  use  appropriate  language.  I  will  not  send,  or  encourage  others  to  send,  abusive  messages.  

• Respect  privacy.  I  will  not  reveal  any  home  addresses,  or  personal  phone  numbers,  or  personally  identifiable  information.  

• Avoid  disruptions.  I  will  not  use  the  service  in  any  way  that  would  disrupt  the  use  of  the  systems  by  others.  

• Observe  the  following  considerations:  ◦ Be  brief.  ◦ Strive  to  use  correct  spelling  and  make  messages  easy  to  understand.  ◦ Use  short  and  descriptive  titles  for  articles.  ◦ Post  only  to  known  groups  or  persons.  

               

I  have  read  the  Student  Acceptable  Use  Policy,  on  the  reverse  of  this  sheet,  and  agree  to  the  terms  of  the  agreement.            Student  Name:              (please  print)        Sign:                  Parent  Name:              (please  print)        Sign:                  Date:                        

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