Preparation
- Students will participate in the Netsmartz.org Internet safety curriculum in class.
- Students will use school email address to register accounts, if possible.
- Students will share this document with parent(s) or guardian(s).
- Students will get a parent or guardian signature on the CHS Communication Technologies Social Networks Code of Conduct.
- Students will understand and follow the CHS Communication Technologies Social Networks Code of Conduct and the safety measures suggested in the Safe profile settings videos available on the class web site for each tool used in class.
Publishing Tips
- Be Safe
- Be Mindful of What You Say
- Be Respectful of Others
- Be Informative
- Be Interesting
Be Safe
Anyone can access the Internet and view what you write on a blog or wiki. Even if your page is ‘protected’ there is nothing to stop your friends from copying your material and placing it elsewhere on the web. It is important to respect your privacy. Use your first name only and do not use pictures of yourself in the content or as an avatar, unless approved by the teacher. If you wish to have an image associated with your blog, use a picture of something that represents you. Don’t give out any personal information about yourself, anyone else or your location.
Be Mindful of What You Say
You are responsible for anything that is posted in your name. Always use appropriate language and remember that how you say something is as important as what you say. Avoid exaggeration, provocation and sarcasm in the language you use.
Be Respectful of Others
When writing on your blog or wiki or if you are commenting on others, always make sure what you write is fair and accurate.
When blogging or podcasting, do not record any person without his or her consent and awareness. You must have the consent from every individual whose voice can be heard on your podcast. Start each audio recording by identifying everyone present by their first name only.
Other bloggers and podcaster will love to hear what you think of their work. If you want to make some constructive criticism why not try giving two stars and a wish (two positive comments and one thing you think could improve).
Be Informative
Write about and present what you know. Make sure you get your facts straight and ask for advice if you are not sure. Remember that your blog can be searched through Google. Make sure that you write in a way that everyone can understand e.g. limit your use of text speak.
Be Interesting
There’s no point in blogging or podcasting if people don’t read or listen to what you say. When people leave a comment, reply to them quickly to bring them back to your site. Make sure it is interesting. Make it fun so that you will encourage your readers and listeners to come back for more. One way to do this is to expand on others ideas. You can quote other people’s work, link back to it and add your own thoughts or opinions to their ideas.
Consequences
These tips compliment your OSD Acceptable Use Policy Any inappropriate use could lead to the loss of Internet use privileges, as stated in the OSD Acceptable Use Policy, or other disciplinary action.
Signatures
Student ____________________ Date ______
Parent/Guardian ____________________ Date ______
Issue
Young adults are publishing online. They are capturing images, video, and audio with cell phones and other digital devices and posting to social networking and social media sites like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, etc. What conduct is safe, appropriate, and legal? We need to engage students in discussion and guide them in the proper use of information and media in the digital age.
Background and Benefits of Social and Media Networks
Social networking and social media web-based tools are very powerful communicators with tremendous potential. They help people connect, collaborate, and create. Many employers and universities expect potential employees or students to have information technology skills. Steve Borsch details many attributes of the new skills expectations in his paper Rise of the Participation Culture:
“While many of us were placing our attention elsewhere, the post-dotcom-crash World Wide Web and global Internet continued to evolve. Once seemingly focused primarily on web page publishing, ecommerce, and transaction-oriented paradigms, an amazing array of web-based applications, social media and social networks have burst forth over the last several years and a new culture has emerged comprised of people participating rather than acting as passive recipients.”
Businesses are reaching out through these vehicles to potential clients. Schools run virtual classes online. People are forming valuable communities for learning, work, and recreation. A new literacy is expected of 21st-century citizens. Students need to practice these skills, understand appropriate behavior, and prepare for their future.
Just like any tool, it can be used properly or not. We need to teach students to make appropriate choices and empower them in the digital age. What does it mean to be a responsible digital citizen? We need to discuss and explore this in the classroom and at home. The more students understand the potential and limitations, the better prepared they will be for an ever-changing world.
2018 Standards for Technology Literate & Fluent Students
(Based upon 2016 ISTE Student Standards)
We use social media and social network tools to help students achieve the following State Standards in technology.
- Empowered Learner – Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.
- Digital Citizen – Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.
- Knowledge Constructor – Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.
- Innovative Designer – Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.
- Computational Thinker – Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.
- Creative Communicator – Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.
- Global Collaborator – Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.
Student Publishing Process and Tools Used in Class
- Learning Journal and Projects Showcase
- Educational blogging with Edublogs.org
- Video Explanation
- Safe profile settings
- Learning Resources Management
- Social Bookmarking with Diigo.com
- Video Explanation
- Safe profile settings
- Image Gathering and Publishing
- Online photo sharing with Flickr.com
- Video Explanation
- Safe profile settings
- Presentation Resources and Platform
- Publishing presentations with Slideshare.net
- Web Site Tour
- Safe profile settings
- Resume and Employment Showcase
- Building a professional presence with Linkedin.com
- Video Explanation
- Safe profile settings
Glossary
- Avatar
- An avatar is a computer user’s representation of himself/herself or alter ego, whether in the form of a three-dimensional model used in computer games, a two-dimensional icon (picture) used on Internet forums and other communities. It is an “object” representing the embodiment of the user. The term “avatar” can also refer to the personality connected with the screen name, or handle, of an Internet user.
- Blog
- (a contraction of the term “weblog”)[1] is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
- Digital Citizen
- A digital citizen commonly refers to a person who participates in society using a certain amount of information technology (IT).
- Information Technology
- IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.
- Olympia School District Internet Use Policy
- Podcasting
- A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication. The mode of delivery is what differentiates podcasts from other ways of accessing media files over the Internet, such as simple downloads or streamed webcasts: special client software applications known as podcatchers (like iTunes, Zune, Juice, and Winamp) are used to automatically identify and download new files in the series when they are released by accessing a centrally-maintained web feed that lists all files associated with the series.
- Social Media
- Social media supports the human need for social interaction, using Internet- and web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers. Businesses also refer to social media as user-generated content (UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM).
- Social Networking
- A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
- Wiki
- A wiki is a website that uses wiki software, allowing the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked Web pages. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, for personal note-taking, in corporate intranets, and in knowledge management systems
Resources
- School social media and social networking policy development: http://landmark-project.com/aup20/pmwiki.php
- NetSmartz.org
- Common Sense Media
- Planet Youth
- Scott Le Duc’s Film Class Syllabus
- Glossary definitions: http://wikipedia.org
Scott Le Duc 
