Page 33
NEWS • VIEWS • INFORMATION • ADVICE
Stay safe online
The internet has opened up new avenues for bullying and harassment and the NASUWT has led the way in highlighting the problem of cyberbullying and calling for safeguards to protect teachers and students from abuse.
With growing numbers of teachers joining sites such as Facebook and Twitter and increasing numbers of schools encouraging teachers to utilise such sites as part of teaching and learning, the risks to teachers are increasing. Teachers have been disciplined and even sacked because of information they have posted on social networking sites. Members should consider the following steps to protect themselves online.
Facebook
• ensure your privacy settings are set correctly. As a minimum the NASUWT recommends that you ensure all of the information on your page is accessible to friends only;
• do not under any circumstances accept friend requests from parents or pupils at your school;
• always make sure you log out of Facebook after using it, particularly when using a machine that is shared with other colleagues or students. Your account can be hijacked by others if you remain logged in – even if you quit your browser and/or switch the computer off;
• employers may scour websites such as Facebook, looking for information before a job interview. Take care to remove any content you would not want them to see;
• other users on Facebook can post photos on the site in which you are named, so consider whether such images are appropriate. You can ‘untag’ yourself from photos. If you do find inappropriate references to you or photos of you posted by a ‘friend’ online you should contact them and the site and ask to have the material removed. If you face disciplinary action as a result of being tagged, contact the NASUWT immediately.
Conduct on social networking sites
• do not make disparaging remarks about your employer, colleagues, pupils or their parents;
• act in accordance with your employer’s IT policy and any specific guidance on the use of social networking sites. Be aware of what monitoring, if any, of your IT use may be carried out by your school or college. Details should be set out in their IT policy.
Teaching the digital generation
teachtoday website offers guidance
Are digital technologies playing an increasingly important role at your school? Do you worry that you’re getting left behind or do you love technology but still need some guidance about how to keep your professional and personal lives separate in the digital world? Are you keen to help your students be good digital citizens?
Digital technologies are a fact of life for young people: powerful communication tools, mind-blowing information sources, vital social currencies. Your students’ enthusiasm for activities such as social networking on sites like Facebook, texting, playing virtual games, using Google and other search engines, and uploading photos or videos online can be harnessed to help them engage with the curriculum.
As well as recognising the many advantages of digital technologies, education professionals and teaching organisations, such as the NASUWT, are worried about their negative effects. Cyberbullying of teachers is a key concern. In fact, more than a third of education professionals who took part in research by the University of Plymouth (March 2011) said that either they or their colleagues have been subject to some form of online abuse. Other potential issues for school employees include data privacy and inappropriate web content.
Turn to teachtoday
Against this backdrop, key players in the ICT industry got together with European Schoolnet to set up the Teachtoday website (www.teachtoday.eu) in 2008. Teachtoday aims to help teachers, headteachers, governors and other members of the school community to understand how to protect themselves online, as well as how to encourage their students’ responsible use of digital technologies.
“Teachers told us that they wanted a central place where they could go for information and advice about digital technologies,” explains Annie Mullins of Teachtoday. “There was already a lot of guidance about e-safety and other key issues available for young people and parents, but Teachtoday is tailored to education professionals. The focus of the site is on staying in control and protecting your professional reputation and we’ve included lots of real-life case studies, lesson plans and links to other resources,” she adds.
For more information go to www.teachtoday.eu or follow TeachtodayUK on Facebook and Twitter.