Social Media and Digital Communication Guidelines for Staff

Transcription

1 Scial Media and Digital Cmmunicatin Guidelines fr Staff Octber 3, 2013

2 Effective cmmunicatin with clleagues, students and families is vital fr a thriving schl envirnment where all stakehlders feel heard and engaged. Scial media and digital cmmunicatin devices and methds ffer a means by which staff can quickly cmmunicate with thers, share infrmatin and exchange ideas. Examples: Scial netwrk - a dedicated website r ther applicatin that enables users t cmmunicate with each ther by psting infrmatin, cmments, messages, images, etc. Micrblg an nline space where authrs create cmmunities t share infrmatin, ideas, persnal messages, and ther cntent Listserv, newsgrup An exchange where messages are bradcast t every member f a grup at nce. Frum a web-based place where users pst their cmments r pinins n tpics. Users may cmment n r respnd t previus psts. Readers can read and/r respnd t all prir psts. Chatrm An internet space where grups f peple meet fr live cnversatins via typed messages Text message- an exchange, usually ne-t-ne, f cmmunicatin typically typed int a smartphne r handheld device. Purpse f guidelines Scial Media & Digital Cmmunicatin Guidelines

3 The district understands the value f scial media and the benefits ffered by digital cmmunicatin devices fr prviding quick and easy interactin amng peers, students and families. These guidelines are intended t supprt staff by ensuring that all staff members clearly understand the many factrs and pssible ramificatins t cnsider and use cmmunicatin tls in a districtapprved manner within district-apprved platfrms r spaces. These guidelines are in additin t, and cmplement, existing and future Bard f Educatin plicies. Guidelines When using scial media r digital cmmunicatin devices t cmmunicate with students and/r families district staff shuld: Plicies Always cmply with all Bard f Educatin Plicies including, but nt limited t, plicies related t: Student Recrds (Plicy 4150), Student Recrds/Cnfidentiality; Plicy 4150, Student Recrds/Definitins; Plicy 4156, Directry Data/Infrmatin; Plicy 4157, Student Recrds/Disclsures; Plicy 4158, Student Recrds/Recrds f Disclsures; Plicy 4159, Amendment f Educatinal Recrds; Plicy 4160, Retentin f recrds; 4161, Student Recrds/Implementatin); Staff Acceptable Use Plicy pertaining t the internet (Plicy 3720, Staff Plicy, Prcedures, and Rules fr Using Infrmatin Technlgy); Mandatry Reprting f Suspected Abuse r Neglect (Plicy 4222, Reprting Abuse r Neglect; see als Plicy 4223, Reprting Child Enticement); Cpyright (Plicy 6500, Cmpliance with Cpyright Law); Discriminatin/Harassment (Plicy 8012 Prhibitin Against Discriminatin); Distributin f Materials (Plicy 7041; Plicy 6481); Scial Media & Digital Cmmunicatin Guidelines

4 Anti-Bullying (Plicy 4510) District-sanctined vs. persnal media These guidelines shuld serve as a reference tl fr staff t infrm decisins regarding their selectin and use f scial media resurces and digital cmmunicatin devices. Cmmunicatin resurces and devices, while f unquestinable value, are nt withut risk bth persnally and prfessinally, if used in the absence f the apprpriate level f discretin and intent. The district des nt take a psitin n an emplyee s decisin t participate in blgs, wikis, scial media pages, etc. fr persnal use n persnal time. If, hwever, staff members chse t d s, staff members shuld nt cmmunicate with students and families regarding tpics pertaining t yur wrk with the MMSD. Fllw all rules established by scial media prvider (i.e. age requirements, prfile restrictins). Be aware that even with the mst stringent privacy settings, pht tagging and ther tls may make persnal infrmatin regarding students and their families publicly available. Staff shuld be prepared t address these issues and remind families f this ptential. D nt friend, fllw r therwise interact with students frm yur persnal scial media accunts. When using scial media sites/prducts fr schl r MMSD-related purpses, use district-sanctined and/r district-created platfrms, (e.g. MMSD Facebk page). Cmmunicate with families and students thrugh district-prvided devices n district systems. Staff must avid cmmunicating with families regarding schl r MMSD-related matters thrugh persnal scial media accunts, blgs, etc. Scial Media & Digital Cmmunicatin Guidelines

5 Staff must avid psting student infrmatin, pictures, wrkprduct exemplars n persnal scial media sites, blgs, etc. Current parental cnsents apply nly t district-sanctined sites. Staff must avid cmmunicating with students and families thrugh persnal cmmunicatin devices such as cell phnes, tablets, etc. fr any schl r MMSD-related matters. Staff members wh chse t cmmunicate with students and families thrugh text messages shuld d s using a districtprvided device r district-sanctined technlgy. Staff shuld avid giving students and families persnal phne numbers, especially cell phne numbers. Scial media in the classrm Cmmunicate clearly and meaningfully with families and students befre using scial media within the classrm s that families understand what, if any, infrmatin regarding their children may be available n the internet. When using scial media within the classrm, staff shuld prvide infrmatin t families regarding the purpse fr the use f the selected media, an example f what the media prject will lk like and a descriptin f the amunt f student infrmatin and level f security. Unless detrimental t the verall bjective f the prject, staff shuld used passwrdprtected scial media sites available nly t families. Passive cnsent (cnsent that requires parents t actively ptut rather than pting-in) is apprpriate in mst instances. Staff shuld wrk with their building principal whenever they are cnsidering a new use f scial media r digital cmmunicatin within the classrm. Always use cmmn sense and prfessinal judgment when cntacting students thrugh scial media. Scial Media & Digital Cmmunicatin Guidelines

6 Cmmunicatins must be age-apprpriate and related directly t a student s educatin. Staff at the elementary and middle schl levels must include parents in all digital cmmunicatins unless parents actively ptut. Staff at the high schl level may cmmunicate directly with students via media devices nly after parents have been generally advised f the staff s intent t d s and have had the pprtunity t pt-ut. Standards f prfessinal cnduct Yur nline behavir must reflect the same standards f prfessinalism, respect and integrity as yur face-t-face cmmunicatins. When using persnal scial media sites, if yu identify yurself as an emplyee f the Madisn Metrplitan District yu must remember that yu have assciated yurself with the district, yur clleagues and yur schl cmmunity; therefre, yu must ensure that any assciated cntent is cnsistent with the missin and wrk f the district. Staff wh have identified themselves as assciated with the district shuld use the fllwing disclaimer n persnal scial media sites, including blgs, The views n this site are my wn and d nt necessarily represent the views, pinins, visin r strategies f the Madisn Metrplitan Schl District. Even with the mst stringent privacy settings, when psting nline cmments that are related t schl, students, families r the district, even in a persnal capacity, staff shuld act as if all cmments/pstings are in the public dmain. Use cautin when psting any cmment and/r images t the internet that may reflect negatively n yur prfessinal image. Be advised that failure t adhere t these guidelines may result in disciplinary actin. Scial Media & Digital Cmmunicatin Guidelines

7 Fr questins abut the guidelines cntact yur building principal r supervisr. Resurces and tips fr effective cmmunicatin are available t staff at: mmsd.rg/cmmunicatinstlkit r call Use gd judgment.