To network or not to network?

Promoting Safe Social Networking Practices at School and at Home

What are social networking sites (SNS)?

• MySpace, Facebook, Bebo …• places to share information about yourself, upload photos, music• communicating with friends

– update status – blog diary entries– live private chat – post public messages to the wall of a friend

mightyredpen.wordpress.com

Are our students using SNS?Is this issue relevant to primary schools?

• SNS used frequently by many Australian 9 -15 year olds• > 40 % Australian children / young people post on the internet• 1 out of 3 have their own page on a SNS• 14 yrs and older > 70% engage in web authoring in some form• 2009 survey ACT and regional NSW: 24% of Yr 7 – 10 students

surveyed had experienced cyberbullying• UK study found in spite of minimum user age of 13 for most SNS, 27%

of 11 yr olds who were aware of SNS said they had their own page

What risks are involved in using SNS?

• Cyberbullying– sending mean messages to a person– spreading rumours – uploading embarrassing photos– uploading videos of the person being bullied– excluding a person from ‘friends’ list– setting up inappropriate quizzes: ‘Why do you hate Jen?’

• Sexting– pictures in a ‘sexy pose’ or engaging in sexual behaviour

• Exposure to online predators– unsafe practices allow public access to private information– US based research found 40% students would chat online to

someone they didn’t know

Can social networking in schools be regulated

to promote learning and student safety?

• No common approach to student internet access in Aust schools

• Majority of Australian states and schools have a ‘prohibitionist’ approach that blocks SNS

• The Queensland Government Managed Internet Service (MIS) uses a web filtering system which blocks all student access to “high-risk filtering categories” including “social”.

• Education Departments can create safe virtual learning places

• “Safe and responsible use” will allow young people to appreciate the benefits of SNS by understanding how to minimise risk

Social Networking Policy at QDET Level

• Key Queensland Policy Documents:– Information and Knowledge Strategic Plan 2007–2011

“Central to the Smart State vision is learning in a digital world.”

– Research and Development Plan 2008–2010

“How can collaborative networking spaces be used and shared for teaching and learning purposes by students and staff?”

– Department of Education and Training Strategic Plan 2009 -2013

“Provide rich digital learning environments across all modes of delivery.”

An alternate approach to banning SNS in schools

Students • do use SNS in their world outside of school• are often online in unprotected environments • must learn strategies to interact safely and responsibly

Through careful use of social networking technology:

Schools can• teach what is appropriate to post in an open forum• assist students to distinguish between fact and fiction• teach how to evaluate information and possible dangers• help students learn to identify and remove themselves from

inappropriate interaction• promote equity of access and social inclusion for students with

limited or no home access

Case Study: The Learning Place

• Queensland DET has developed The Learning Place for schools

• A safe environment in which to explore social networking

• Teachers can create an online space that holds forums, chats, blogs

• The teacher is the moderator: • responsible for postings in forum, chat and blog• must approve postings / can delete postings• decides who is invited to participate in the project • can elect to use password protection

• Students: • participate in project rooms set up by their teacher• can only access the chat room if the moderator is online

Developing appropriate use guidelines for our school 

Guidelines must aim for a balance between safety and freedom • Suggestions for action required to develop guidelines:

– revisit existing acceptable Internet use policy– confirm that all students and parents/guardians sign acceptable use agreement– review anti-bullying policies / codes of conduct to manage the use of school

computers and student mobile phones– review anti-bullying programs to ensure cyberbullying is addressed– review expectations for supervising student Internet use at school– encourage teachers to use social networking technologies in The Learning Place– support teachers, where necessary, through professional development

As the internet continues to evolve, educators must keep pace with the latest tools and understand both the opportunities and threats these present. Many schools look for options to control technologies by blocking sites and tools that could help teach these lessons. Murray 2008

Promoting safe social networking practices at school and at home

• Partnership with parents / caregivers is crucial to minimising risks of social networking sites as most access occurs at home:– information afternoons or evenings to familiarise parents with SNS

– cybersafety issues to be highlighted in newsletters

– links to cybersafety websites on the school website

• Developing students as digital citizens is a priority– children engage in digital literacies outside of school

• Educating students as critical users of information is crucial– teaching of critical literacies need to be extended to engage with new

technologies

Three Discussion Questions

• What strategies and skills can we help children develop to safely navigate social networking sites?

• What measures need to be put in place to support teachers to use social networking tools in Learning Place project rooms?

• How can our school work with parents to tackle cyberbullying?

Recommended Reading

• Texting, sexting and social networking among Australian youth and the need for cyber safety education. McLoughlin & Burgess 2009

• Schools and social networking : fear or education. Murray 2008

• Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Frederick 2010

• An introduction to the potential of social networking sites in education. Griffith & Liyanage 2008

• Cyberbullying: A clear and present danger. Pelletier 2009