Influence of Law and Ethics

Activity 5: Legal and ethical contexts in my digital practice

This is a ‘biggy’ and we can not bury our heads in the sand because the dangers of ubiquitous, social media and online media are far too real, for both ourselves and our students. As teachers, this is our number one occupational hazard. To combat this teachers and students must be informed and transparent and have clear rules of engagement when it comes to professional standards of using digital media and socialising with students.

It is the teacher’s professional responsibility to create an emotionally and physically safe and healthy learning environment.

Boards of Trustees have responsibility for cybersafety under NAG 5 and establishing and maintaining a ‘cybersafe’ learning environment.

Here are a few of the areas I have encountered.

• Students filming teachers unawares during a rant or a particularly unflattering moment and later posting these, usually on Snapchat. Sadly, teachers don’t even need to be doing anything untoward to end up online.

• Students filming or taking pictures of other students and using theses to bully.

• Email/texting conversations of a personal nature that may produce an emotionally unsafe environment. Particularly conversations deemed to be cyberbullying.

• Online “posts” and communications that have reached beyond an intended audience and have gone on to have unintended consequences.

• Student privacy. Regardless of whether your account is public or private, teachers must be careful about posting photos of students if parents have not signed the school’s media release documents. 

What we do for classroom interventions

1.Promote safe and responsible use of technology in learning environment

2.Develop a “class contract” which includes appropriate behaviour online/on mobile both inside and outside of school time.

3.Ensure all students understand the school’s ICT Use Agreements and have parents sign a responsible use agreement.

4.Make sure parents and caregivers are informed about what cyberbullying means and that it is not tolerated among your students.

5.Organise netsafe information evenings for parents and children

6.As part of our Heatlh programme students take part in a Netsuke Unit, ‘Owls’.

7. Provide interesting, 21st century, digital learning opportunities for students, that engage them in positive constructive use of digital media.

Websites

https://education.govt.nz/school/student-support/student-wellbeing/health-and-wellbeing-programmes/bullying-prevention-and-response/bullying-prevention-and-response-a-guide-for-schools/section-3/15/

http://netsafe.org.nz/owls/