Skills K-12 students need
to be literate in the 21st century
Online Safety
Overview
Before students can learn, they need to feel safe. Students in the 21st century need to understand how to protect themselves online. Identity protection, privacy awareness, long term ramifications, and what constitutes legal/illegal behavior need to be discussed and understood. Student and staff should discuss online bullying, be made aware of support resources and understand their role in preventing this problem.
photo © 2009 Zoe | more info (via: Wylio)
Online bullying
On March 11 2010, Massachusetts passed a new anti-bullying law. View the Massachusetts bill. The law requires teachers and staff to report bullying to the principal when they see or become aware of it. It mandates yearly training for teachers and staff on prevention and intervention. It calls for bullying intervention for students in every grade level as part of the curriculum. These provisions complement one another; both adults and students have to know what they're looking for. As students spend more of their time online, developing appropriate online social norms and conventions is as critical as creating an in-classroom climate of academic safety.
Privacy awareness & Identity protection
Students have privacy rights that they should be made aware of. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm) is a federal act to protect children by placing restrictions on web sites that cater to children.
Educational records and health records are considered private records and both have rules and laws that restrict the distribution of those records. These laws also stipulate the handling and retention of these official records.
photo © 2010 webtreats | more info (via: Wylio)
Data Retention Practices
Many new online media (such as web sites) do not have clearly defined criteria for long term handling of collected data. Students should be made aware of Terms of Use and should read and dissect a Terms of Use document for a site they frequent as part of a discussion on the issue.
View Electronic Privacy Information Center for current news on this topic. (http://epic.org/privacy/student/)
Current case studies
Students actions outside of school can have in-school and even life ending consequences.
Consider the issue of the Whitman Hanson student who was suspended after posting threats against Duxbury players on Facebook. (http://www.wickedlocal.com/duxbury/sports/x1273021035/Rough-play-during-high-school-soccer-game-investigated )
Read about the death of Phoebe Prince (http://www.slate.com/id/2260952/entry/2260953/)
Conclusion
This is an evolving and complex topic. Students need to be made aware of the threats and educated about expectations and consequences. Parents, teachers and administrators need to be part of this conversation.