Social Networking: Utilizing the Vast Potential While Avoiding the Pitfalls

1. Social Networking: Utilizing the Vast Potential While Avoiding the Pitfalls Kelly Smith, Asst. Supt. for Technology ServicesJoyce Stevens, Director of Academic TechnologyElizabeth Langer, Director of Technology TrainingAdministrator Institute & NTA, 2010

2. What is Social Networking? Social Networking is the practice of expanding the number of one's professional and/or social contacts by making connections through individuals. The potential of the Internet to promote such connections is now seeing explosive growth, through Web-based groups established for that purpose. <definition from Whatis.com>

3. Social Networking & Filtering Northside ISD employs two-tiered filtering to allow employee access for certain sites while denying access to students as needed: • MySpace – accessible to Secondary Admin only • Twitter – accessible to one Admin at pilot sites • Facebook – accessible to teachers/not students • YouTube – accessible to teachers/not students • Flickr – accessible to teachers/not students • Delicious – accessible to teachers & students • PBWorks – accessible to teachers & students

4. Networking: a New Literacy Will Richardson, cofounder of Powerful Learning Practice, describes networking as a new literacy. He mentions a recent NSBA survey which found that 80% of students online are networking, and 70% regularly discuss education-related topics. It behooves us as educators to equip students in creating, navigating, and growing networks of learning in a way that is effective, ethical, and safe.

5. Social Networking: Blogs In NISD, access is available to certain free, Web 2.0 blogs online – but an even better option is that of District-hosted WordPress blogs: • http://blogspot.nisd.net – Blogspot for Administrators • http://technews.nisd.net – Blogspot for CITs • http://libblog.nisd.net – Blogspot for Librarians • http://learningspace.nisd.net – Blogspot for Teachers Each of these blogging instances contains PDF instructions and video tutorials for user support. Marshall HS CATE Teacher Blog: http://technews.nisd.net/gcastillo

6. Social Networking: Wikis In NISD, teachers are highly encouraged to utilize wikis in the classroom as a way to create meaningful, collaborative learning environments for students to communicate their learning while sharing it with the larger community of learners. For example, a well-known author may contribute to a classroom book study online, or a scientist may share an experiment with students. PBWorks is a favorite tool for this purpose.Scobee ES Literary Classroom Wiki:http://shanahan1.pbworks.com/Miraculous-Journey-of-Edward-Tulane

7. Social Networking: Video Sharing Teaching with video anchors is a good practice to get students’ attention and focus on a curricular topic. Here are some popular options: Teacher Tube – Educational topics, teacher ratings & teacher flagging of inappropriate content, free School Tube– K-12 topics, a site for students and teachers to share original video content, free – Stevens HS has 35 videos posted to this site, including “I’m Honor Roll!” Discovery Education Streaming– NISD subscribes for all K-12 teachers and students – Check with CIT or Librarian for login – Searchable by TEKS

8. Social Networking: Video Sharing Another highly popular source of instructional video content is YouTube. This site is blocked for students, but is available to teachers via the District’s two-tiered filtering system. It is likely to link to current events and topics in particular. It is recommended that teachers be judicious in the use of this content and document usage in lesson plans. Because of the opportunity for abuse, user time spent on sites such as FaceBook & YouTube is monitored and shared with Administrators.

9. Social Networking Precaution Will Richardson in an ASCD book chapter entitled “Footprints in the Digital Age,” observes that because of the nature of Web 2.0, we all leave a digital trail of trackable footprints about who we are, what we do, and what we know, which can reflect upon ourselves and our organization – NISD in our case, in either a positive or negative light. It behooves us to be professional, both at work in face to face settings – and in online interaction.

10. The 2010-11 NISD Employee Handbook contains some cautionary advice related to Social Networking on pp. 28-29: The employee may not set up or update the employee’s personal social network page(s) using the district’s computers, network, or equipment. The employee is prohibited from knowingly communicating with students through a personal social network page. Social Networking: Policy DH

11. In 1890, in a famous article on privacy, Louis Brandeis wrote with Samuel Warren that because of new technology like the Kodak camera and the tabloid press, “gossip is no longer the resource of the idle and of the vicious but has become a trade.” In Brandeis’s day, you had to be a celebrity to be the target of public gossip – today, all may need to expect that level of scrutiny (and certainly this is the case in public education). <Rosen, The Web Means the End of Forgetting, NY Times, 2010> Social Networking & Privacy

12. In Pennsylvania, a pre-service teacher in training at a local University and High School posted a photo on a My Space page showing her with a pirate hat and a plastic cup with the caption “Drunken Pirate.” She was told her photo was unprofessional and promoted drinking to underage minors – and her teaching degree was denied. She sued – but in 2008, a federal district judge rejected the plea because she was a public employee whose photo didn’t relate to matters of public concern, saying the post wasn’t protected speech under the 1st amendment. <Rosen, The Web Means the End of Forgetting, NY Times, 2010> Social Networking in the News

13. Employees & Social Networking • North Carolina Teachers in Trouble over Facebook Postings. WCBD, November 2008. • The Whole World (Wide Web) is Watching. NEAtoday. April 2008. • Twitter Gets You Fired in 140 Characters or Less. MSNBC. March 2009. • 5 Ways Your Computer Use Can Get You Fired. U.S. News & World Report. March 2008. • Teachers Face Dilemma with Facebook. Houston Chronicle. December 2008.

14. Selected Quotes from the Articles “Nowadays, thanks to advances in technology, you don't even need a major publisher to get fired; just post your racy photos, sexually graphic writings, or wild party stories on a personal Web blog. You'll be amazed by how quickly tech-savvy students can disseminate your postings to their friends and your employer.”

15. Selected Quotes from the Articles “It's the general rule that school employees can be disciplined for off-duty conduct if the school district can show that the conduct had an adverse impact on the school or the teacher's ability to teach. And it wouldn't be too difficult to make that showing if the teacher's blog includes sexually explicit or other inappropriate content and is widely viewed by students.”

16. Selected Quotes from the Articles “The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2004 that it was not a violation of the First Amendment for the City of San Diego to fire a police officer for posting a sexually explicit video of himself on the Internet. The unanimous Court said that such speech was ‘detrimental to the mission and functions of the employer.’ ”

17. Selected Quotes from the Articles “Last year, a U.S. District Court ruled that a Connecticut school district's decision to fire a probationary teacher because of his postings to his MySpace page did not violate the teacher's First Amendment rights. The court called the online exchanges between the teacher and his students ‘inappropriate’ and added that ‘such conduct could very well disrupt the learning atmosphere of the school.’ ”

18. Selected Quotes from the Articles • “When you're in a professional position, especially one where you're interacting with children and parents, you need to be above reproach.” • “[Keep your online profile] entirely PG … no cursing …no photos of having a good time on the weekend — nothing like that.”

19. Selected Quotes from the Articles • “For teachers who want to connect with their tech-savvy students, maintain professional boundaries. Never ever interact with a student about a personal issue on a social network.” • “Never write about work on the Internet unless your boss knows and sanctions the fact that you are writing about work on the Internet.”

20. Selected Quotes from the Articles • “The Internet is not your BFF. Everyone has a ‘My boss sucks’ moment. But the prudent know to express this sentiment away from the keyboard.” • “Employees who use a company computer for personal matters on company time—whether playing solitaire or checking on their 401(k)'s—are essentially stealing from their employer. It's a new, 21st-century form of theft."

21. Social Networking User Tips • Set your profile as non-public/restricted access; approve your “friends” or subscribers. Be choosy about who you accept. Identity thieves may create fake profiles in order to glean information from you (social engineering) • Turn on “pre-approval” of others’ messages before they are posted on your site

22. More Recommendations • Consider not posting your photo. It can be altered and broadcast in ways you may not be happy about. • Be careful about the information you reveal (e.g., screen name, your workplace, out-of-town trips, yourself / family / friends, and especially students!)

23. More Recommendations • When you sign up for a social networking site, use your personal e-mail address, not your NISD e-mail address, to avoid increased spam • Do not use your NISD e-number and password for District security reasons • Have a strong password and protect it; change it periodically

24. More Recommendations • Use caution when you click links that you receive in messages – could contain malware, porn, etc. • Frequently update your home computer’s anti-virus and security software • Educate your children and students about privacy settings, safety tips, cyberbullying, digital citizenship, etc. - NISD Digital Citizenship – Lesson Plans & Videos

25. 2007 Survey of 300+ U.S. Companies* • 30% have fired workers for misuse of the Internet • adult/offensive content (84%), violation of company policy (48%), excessive personal use (34%), other (9%) • 65% use Internet filtering software and monitor employees’ Internet use • 28% have fired workers for misuse of e-mail • violation of company policy (64%), offensive language (62%), excessive personal use (26%), breach of confidentiality (22%), other (12%) • 10% monitor social networking sites for employee pages *SurveyCo-sponsored by AMA and ePolicy Institute

26. Employees’ Internet Use Provides Many Positive Benefits for NISD • Productivity • Research • Communication • Collaboration • PLCs on topics of interest Just keep in mind professional precautions …

27. In Summary … • Social networking is a big part of our culture today – and our profession • Remember that following a few wise precautions will go a long way to protect your privacy and safety – and your job! • Acceptable Use Policies serve to protect both staff and students in Northside ISD!

28. Wishing You a Great Year! Wishing you well as you use your Networking Literacy in your professional and personal circles. Hoping a few advance precautions will keep you on the “safe side,” along with colleagues, staff, and students! Contact Information:Joyce.Stevens@nisd.netElizabeth.Langer@nisd.net