Digital Citizenship

Scenario 1
Miss Starbuck decided to have her reading students use Blogger to create blog posts.  The students were really excited about the idea.  Many started to log in from home to create posts and comment on each other's work, but their posts quickly got out of hand.  One student figured out how to post photos and included dangerous details like names and locations.  Other students posted mean comments about classmates.   An angry parent complained to the principal, who was unaware that Miss Starbuck was using Blogger in the first place.  

• Discuss the possible ethical issues involved in two of the scenarios.

• While working with middle school students we need to make sure that parents know how we are using technology in our classroom.  Digital bullying is scary, but very real for some of our students - because  the bullying can be seen by a wide group of students in a short amount of time it can have an even greater impact these kids.  
• Determine if the safety or well-being of anyone is in jeopardy.
• I would recommend that Miss Starbuck makes sure to send communication home to the parents before she has her students start working with blogs.  She needs to be constantly checking the blog site to make sure that bullying isn't occurring.  This could be a very time consuming thing for her. If she were to use Kidblog, rather than Blogger, she could  set up her class so that nothing is able to be visibly posted until she OKs the post - this would eliminate the problem.  
• What advice, strategy, or policy would you recommend to individuals or schools based on this scenario?
• Miss Starbuck  should make sure to re-read and have a good understanding of the Mounds View Public Schools Student Acceptable Use Policy not only herself, but to go over it with her students and let them know that she will hold them accountable to the school policy.  She should also make sure that she shares with the parents and principal  that this was discussed in class.  
• How can the Mounds View Resources help to implement high quality instructional practices with with technology?
• Mounds View Resources were created to keep employees and students safe - they make sense.  Making sure that students/parents understand the policies will allow for teachers to use the technology to help create meaningful learning for our students.   
• What is 1 procedure that you can implement in your class and what is one that you would like to implement in your whole PLC or whole building?
• One procedure that I would implement when using a blog site is having my students and parents sign off on the use before I introduce the blogs to the students.  Before they sign off I would like them to agree that they have looked at the resource at home and feel comfortable with their student using it.  I am aware they already have to sign the technology policy, but I think at the middle school age there are still many parents that want to have a better understanding of what the specific resource is (the blog site, website, online lab site...).   I think my PLC should set the same guidelines for our blog use/expectations.

Scenario 4
Mrs. Janeway decided to have her middle school students create digital projects then use Snagit to create video presentations of their projects.  Mrs. Janeway discovered in the computer lab while her eighth grade students were creating their accounts that Snagit required parental permission for students under 13.  This didn't pose a problem for her eighth graders, but Mrs. Janeway panicked because the following period she planned to do the same activity with her sixth graders.

• Discuss the possible ethical issues involved in two of the scenarios.

• Unfortunately she is going to have put her plans on hold and not allow her 6th graders to use the technology until she has parent permission.  She should of  looked into the guidelines for this site before getting this far into the lesson.  
• Determine if the safety or well-being of anyone is in jeopardy.
• If Mrs. Janeway ignores the parent permission, she is putting her students and herself at risk.
• How can the Mounds View Resources help to implement high quality instructional practices with with technology?
• The Mounds View Resources were created to keep students and  employees safe.  These resources and guidelines make sense.   If you follow the rules then you will be fine. 
• What is 1 procedure that you can implement in your class and what is one that you would like to implement in your whole PLC or whole building?
• I would procedure that I would like to make a must is to double check the technology I am thinking of using before introducing it to the class.  I need to be aware of the requirements and expectations, so that I do not find myself in a similar experience.  Teaching 7th graders I have chosen to for the most part stay away from sites that require permission for those students younger than 13.  Many of our students come into 7th grade at age 12 and turn 13 during some part of the year.  To help reduce possible issues I have tried to avoid those technologies with age requirements.  If I do come across one that I feel can not be done else where I would then inform the parents and ask that they contact me if they do not want their child using the technology after they have looked at it.  I would encourage my PLC members to do the same.