Internet Safety - Teacher's Perspective
First, you are going to want to pick social media that coincides with your career. For example, LinkedIn and Pinterest are great ways to share and grab ideas for lessons, projects, behavioral management, and more. TikTok would not be a great example because it is more of an entertainment platform, and you should not be making videos "for fun" during the school day.
Second, the author draws on three ideas to focus on: connecting, creating, and consistency. Connecting is knowing your followers before you let them follow you. You do not want total strangers all up in your business. An idea to ensure a follower is a fellow teacher is to send a brief message saying, "Hi (name), it is great to know I can connect with a fellow teacher, and I would love to see and hear about any ideas you may have. I would like to stay connected through LinkedIn or Pinterest to learn more about your ideas through your posts about teaching." If they respond with an awkward message, then you know to stay away and do not let them follow you. Also, avoid following other teachers on their personal social media unless you are very close and know you can trust them.
Third, when posting ensure your post is strictly related to teaching and keep politics, religion, and other controversial topics out of your posts. Consider the audience you are trying to reach. Do NOT post during school hours! Wait to post before or after school. Try not to post pictures of yourself and especially do NOT post pictures of your students.
Fourth, if you are going to comment on someone else's social media platform keep it relevant to teaching and respectful. Again, keep controversial topics out and report any dangerous things that target students, parents, staff, or schools. If you would not say it in person, do not say it online.
Gibbings, Michelle. “Strengthen Your Professional Presence on Social Media.” Harvard Business Review, 9 Aug. 2022, hbr.org/2022/08/strengthen-your-professional-presence-on-social-media.
Strengthen Your Professional Presence on Social Media (hbr.org)
RESOURCE #2
The second link talks about interacting with students, parents, and families on social media. The big ideas I pulled from this article relating to parents/families are using positive words to post, LinkedIn is strongly suggested and is professional, and maintain professionalism by considering what you share based on the fact that parents will judge you. Be formal with parents and never be informal. Be aware that privacy settings do not mean someone will not screenshot and send it to a parent of your student.
Regarding interacting with students on social media, there are important things to consider. Check with your district and find out if they have policies on socializing with your students on social media. Some examples of when social media could be used between a teacher and their students is when discussing classroom projects, displaying student work, or setting up group work.
Gallagher, Kerry, and Larry Magid. “Educator’s Guide to Social Media.” ConnectSafely, 22 Dec. 2017, connectsafely.org/eduguide/.
Educator's Guide to Social Media - ConnectSafely
RESOURCE #3
The third link talks about what student information can and cannot be posted on classroom-based social
media. Always make sure you ask for written consent from students' parents regarding if their work can
be used for educational purposes on social media. Send a letter out to parents explaining what social
media platform you will use, why you are going to use it, student work that is going to be used, and if it
will be reviewed by school administration before it is posted. One piece of advice the article gives
about this is think two times before posting something. Remember that once you put student's
information out there, it is PERMANENT. Try not to use their names unless consent is given by all
parents/guardians. Things you can use are schoolwork and classroom pictures as long as parents and
your school district give the "okay" to do so. The article mentions FERPA (Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act) and it is a federal law that explains what can and cannot be published based on
students' privacy rights. Do NOT post students' full last names, parents' names, addresses, and date of
birth. If you are ever unsure, ask your administrator. Always stay positive!!
Earls, Keith. “Want to Use Social Media in Your Classroom? Follow These 7 Rules.” Education Week, Education Week, 19 Sept. 2018, www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-want-to-use-social-media-in-your-classroom-follow-these-7-rules/2018/09.
Want to Use Social Media in Your Classroom? Follow These 7 Rules (Opinion) (edweek.org)
RESOURCE #4
The fourth link talks a lot about cyber bullying but has a direct quote that addresses oversharing for
teachers and students. Teachers and students should NEVER share students' full names, their age,
their phone number, their address, or their Social Security number. This topic is pretty self-
explanatory and is closely related to what student information can be posted on classroom related social
media platforms.
Cyber Safety Considerations for K-12 Schools and School Districts - Ed.” REMS Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools, U.S. Department of Education, rems.ed.gov/docs/Cyber_Safety_K-12_Fact_Sheet_508C.pdf. Accessed 1 Sept. 2023.
Cyber Safety Considerations for K-12 Schools and School Districts (ed.gov)
RESOURCE #5
The last link is a general overview of internet safety based on a teacher's perspective. It gives tips on
how to establish boundaries on social media when posting about students or posting with students as a
class. There are suggestions such as setting a school policy and having students physically sign copies
to keep record of. There should be a class or a few times in the year in which teachers teach kids about
online privacy and how to stay safe. Every school should have a way to report cyberbullying, even at
the elementary level. Before letting your students use a website or online tool, research it yourself and
try it out to ensure it is absolutely safe to use. Teachers should familiarize themselves and know the
laws related to internet privacy and things such as sexting, child pornography, and cyberbullying.
Walton, Mary. “A Teacher’s Guide to Student Online Safety.” National Cybersecurity Alliance, 1 May 2022, staysafeonline.org/resources/teachers-guide-student-online-safety-2/.
A Teacher’s Guide To Student Online Safety - National Cybersecurity Alliance (staysafeonline.org)
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