Reflection 1.3 Instructions
When you entered this course, a few of you mentioned prior knowledge of FIPPA (or FOIPOP as it was called in the past). Many of you mentioned that privacy was a concern with educational uses of social media. Now that you've read some theoretical and practical pieces on privacy--especially in BC, how has the course content (material I post in the module, the readings and resources provided) extended, challenged, or deepened your initial understanding around privacy as it relates to social media use in an educational context? Will your knowledge affect your behaviours or expectations when using social media in an educational context? How will your ability to take & use ideas from teachers in other provinces or countries be affected? (Cite references as appropriate.)
Reflection 1.3
September 8, 2013
Jane Jacek
In a previous OLTD course we created a Non-LMS toolkit. My first thought was that in order for this to be of use to me I needed to inquire as to what, if any, restrictions my school district has, in relation to students use of tools and services. I talked to our technology person and found out two regulations.
First, students can use any tool or service where they create their own account however before they can go ahead with such use they and/or their parents need to be informed so they can make a decision about whether or not they wish their child to use it. This is why it is important ahead of planning the use of web based tools to make sure you have consent for that specific tool from all in your class. I would not want to spend time planning a great lesson, unit or class communication around the use of a specific Web 2.0 tool/social media only to find out that half the class is not given parent consent, which would then lead to me revamping the whole plan rather than exclusion of some students from participation.
Secondly, if I wish to use a management system or resource, in which I register students and create accounts for them, then it must be Canada based or hosted on our own server, as those hosted in the US are not subject to the Canadian privacy act. We use as our LMS Blackboard which is hosted on our own server. Presently our district is looking at the use of Word Press as it can be hosted on our district server as well.
In relation to the first regulation I found the following information from Hengstler (2013a) relevant:
Knowing my interests, parents have approached me to describe incidents
where students are using social media and cloud based resources in their
local schools without any permission forms or information being sent home.
One parent described Googling her child’s name only to find a Prezi with
scanned family photos and information—yet the parent had never been approached
for permission–much less had discussions or handouts on the activity and its potential
privacy risks. I have heard numerous accounts of teachers doing great things with Google
docs and their classes–using Facebook or Twitter, but when I pause to ask them whether
they sent out and obtained written permission slips, I either meet a dead silence or
am told, “Oh, our school media waiver covers that.” The likelihood that a school media
waiver meets the key criteria set down in our BC law and regulations for ‘knowledge’,
‘notice’, and ‘informed consent’ with regard to these types of activities in these technological
environments is slim. (Blog Post Hengstler, 2013a)
This right away made me think of teachers I know that use Prezi and Glogster with their students and others who have mentioned using Google docs. In our district all students and parents fill out a district “Student Use and Agreement Form” titled “Expectations for Students using School or District Electronic Communications Systems” https://documents.sd61.bc.ca/super/polreg/pdf/reg5131.9(attach).pdf . This may be sufficient to cover certain situations but I question whether it is relates to informed consent for use of these Web 2.0 tools.
This takes me to the second item from Hengstler (2013b) that I found highly important and that relates directly back to what I learned from our IT person.
Various provinces in Canada--and other jurisdictions across the world
--have enacted laws to protect privacy. In BC, we are covered by the
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or FIPPA
(http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/96165_00)
It is one of the most defined privacy protection frameworks in Canada. FIPPA
states that ‘public bodies’ such as schools and public organizations have
defined legal requirements for handling your personal information when
it is within their ‘custody’ and ‘control’1. Generally, public bodies must
make sure that your personal information cannot be stored or accessed outside
of Canada without your express permission—‘consent’ (Note: there are certain
exceptions in the law like data covered by treaties, etc.). FIPPA states that
your consent must be in writing, state to whom your personal information may
be disclosed, and how your information will be used. Also, if you post personal
information about others, their permission must also be secured. (Hengstler, 2013b)
In looking to the fact that each province has its own laws to protect privacy, what may be acceptable in one province may not be acceptable in BC. This needs to be taken to account when looking to use ideas from both teachers and instructors in other provinces and other countries. This was noted frequently by A. Couros, an instructor in one of our previous OLTD courses, who lives in another province.
In closing, as teachers we need to be well informed and up to date on the BC privacy act and its boundaries. In turn we must then make sure our students and in particular their parents are well informed as we look to integrate Web 2.0 tools/social media in to our classrooms.
References:
Hengstler, J. (2013a). A K-12 primer for British Columbia teachers posting students' work online.
Hengstler, J. (2013b). "OLTD 506 (2013) backgrounder: Cloud computing, social media, privacy, & consent
for educational use.oltd506_backgrounder.pdf
When you entered this course, a few of you mentioned prior knowledge of FIPPA (or FOIPOP as it was called in the past). Many of you mentioned that privacy was a concern with educational uses of social media. Now that you've read some theoretical and practical pieces on privacy--especially in BC, how has the course content (material I post in the module, the readings and resources provided) extended, challenged, or deepened your initial understanding around privacy as it relates to social media use in an educational context? Will your knowledge affect your behaviours or expectations when using social media in an educational context? How will your ability to take & use ideas from teachers in other provinces or countries be affected? (Cite references as appropriate.)
Reflection 1.3
September 8, 2013
Jane Jacek
In a previous OLTD course we created a Non-LMS toolkit. My first thought was that in order for this to be of use to me I needed to inquire as to what, if any, restrictions my school district has, in relation to students use of tools and services. I talked to our technology person and found out two regulations.
First, students can use any tool or service where they create their own account however before they can go ahead with such use they and/or their parents need to be informed so they can make a decision about whether or not they wish their child to use it. This is why it is important ahead of planning the use of web based tools to make sure you have consent for that specific tool from all in your class. I would not want to spend time planning a great lesson, unit or class communication around the use of a specific Web 2.0 tool/social media only to find out that half the class is not given parent consent, which would then lead to me revamping the whole plan rather than exclusion of some students from participation.
Secondly, if I wish to use a management system or resource, in which I register students and create accounts for them, then it must be Canada based or hosted on our own server, as those hosted in the US are not subject to the Canadian privacy act. We use as our LMS Blackboard which is hosted on our own server. Presently our district is looking at the use of Word Press as it can be hosted on our district server as well.
In relation to the first regulation I found the following information from Hengstler (2013a) relevant:
Knowing my interests, parents have approached me to describe incidents
where students are using social media and cloud based resources in their
local schools without any permission forms or information being sent home.
One parent described Googling her child’s name only to find a Prezi with
scanned family photos and information—yet the parent had never been approached
for permission–much less had discussions or handouts on the activity and its potential
privacy risks. I have heard numerous accounts of teachers doing great things with Google
docs and their classes–using Facebook or Twitter, but when I pause to ask them whether
they sent out and obtained written permission slips, I either meet a dead silence or
am told, “Oh, our school media waiver covers that.” The likelihood that a school media
waiver meets the key criteria set down in our BC law and regulations for ‘knowledge’,
‘notice’, and ‘informed consent’ with regard to these types of activities in these technological
environments is slim. (Blog Post Hengstler, 2013a)
This right away made me think of teachers I know that use Prezi and Glogster with their students and others who have mentioned using Google docs. In our district all students and parents fill out a district “Student Use and Agreement Form” titled “Expectations for Students using School or District Electronic Communications Systems” https://documents.sd61.bc.ca/super/polreg/pdf/reg5131.9(attach).pdf . This may be sufficient to cover certain situations but I question whether it is relates to informed consent for use of these Web 2.0 tools.
This takes me to the second item from Hengstler (2013b) that I found highly important and that relates directly back to what I learned from our IT person.
Various provinces in Canada--and other jurisdictions across the world
--have enacted laws to protect privacy. In BC, we are covered by the
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or FIPPA
(http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/96165_00)
It is one of the most defined privacy protection frameworks in Canada. FIPPA
states that ‘public bodies’ such as schools and public organizations have
defined legal requirements for handling your personal information when
it is within their ‘custody’ and ‘control’1. Generally, public bodies must
make sure that your personal information cannot be stored or accessed outside
of Canada without your express permission—‘consent’ (Note: there are certain
exceptions in the law like data covered by treaties, etc.). FIPPA states that
your consent must be in writing, state to whom your personal information may
be disclosed, and how your information will be used. Also, if you post personal
information about others, their permission must also be secured. (Hengstler, 2013b)
In looking to the fact that each province has its own laws to protect privacy, what may be acceptable in one province may not be acceptable in BC. This needs to be taken to account when looking to use ideas from both teachers and instructors in other provinces and other countries. This was noted frequently by A. Couros, an instructor in one of our previous OLTD courses, who lives in another province.
In closing, as teachers we need to be well informed and up to date on the BC privacy act and its boundaries. In turn we must then make sure our students and in particular their parents are well informed as we look to integrate Web 2.0 tools/social media in to our classrooms.
References:
Hengstler, J. (2013a). A K-12 primer for British Columbia teachers posting students' work online.
- Blog post http://jhengstler.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/a-k-12-primer-for-british-columbia-teachers-posting-students-work-online/
- Handbook Primer on Posting Minor Students Final.pdf
Hengstler, J. (2013b). "OLTD 506 (2013) backgrounder: Cloud computing, social media, privacy, & consent
for educational use.oltd506_backgrounder.pdf