internet+safety+and+ethics

From http://edudemic.com/2011/10/education-cybersecurity/

[|The Student’s Guide To Staying Safe Online]
There have been many recent instances of privacy violations, financial aid theft, and other forms of fraud, all using the personal information of both online and traditional college students, that online students need to be proactive and become their own advocates to protect themselves and their personal information. In one high-profile case, the sharing of private student information at Harvard University, by the university’s own professors, has left colleges and universities reeling over the need to secure online data and ensure student privacy, which is guaranteed under federal law. The “Harvard Privacy Scandal” erupted when sociologists at Harvard released to the public some of the data it had collected from an anonymous group of students, in a data collection they titled “Tastes, Ties, and Time.” This data collection includes the Facebook profiles of the 1700 students, believed to be members of Harvard’s Class of 2009. While the open access features of Facebook allowed researchers a whole new cache of often elusive data about race, ethnicity, gender, income, cultural tastes, etc., for many it raised a central question about how much privacy protection students need, and how they can secure their own information. For online students, awareness of this problem is even more important, because everything they do is available on line: from personal financial data to class assignments, an intrepid hacker can access just about anything. This is one of the reasons why FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) is so important. FERPA guarantees that your academic information, including grades on all work as well as final grades, must remain confidential. But this is not cut-and-dry: There are instances when student grade information can be shared if it is necessary to help a student reach educational goals. For example, I can share a student grade with an academic advisor when I am concerned about a student’s performance and think that student can benefit from tutoring or other support services. Also, extreme circumstances sometimes warrant the sharing of personal student information. I once had an extended email conversation with a dean at my college about the psychological status of a student who had shared with me his despondence, desire to drop out, and suicidal feelings. I have never regretted sharing this information, because it saved his life. The Dean intervened by making sure that a counselor reached out to this student, who was in very serious condition, and the student got the help he needed. A few semesters later, I ran into him on campus; he was a senior, ready to graduate, and was looking forward to the rest of his life. This is an example of one of the very few instances when federal law provides some elasticity in what faculty and administrators can share about students—because it’s about a student’s welfare. This is very different from when I was in college, when it was routine for faculty members to post social security numbers and their grades on a list outside their office doors, so that students could stop by any time to find out what grade their work earned. It was also standard practice for professors to leave graded papers in a box outside their office, so that students could pick their papers up anytime. I was never one of those students who took the time to flip through all the papers to see what grades my colleagues earned, because I was usually too anxious to see my grade—but I knew many students who routinely looked at all the paper grades, to see where their work stood in relation to the rest of the class.
 * [[image:http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/harvard-university-2.jpg width="156" height="155"]]The Harvard Privacy Scandal**
 * [[image:http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ferpa.jpg width="186" height="138"]]Everything Students Do Is Available Online**
 * When Sharing Information Helps**

5 Simple Steps To Take
For online students, this situation is even more complicated, because all work and class communication is done via online learning management systems such as [|Blackboard] and [|Moodle], or through email. Here are some proactive steps you can take to be your own advocate and protect your privacy in online classes:

[[image:http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Hlrg_TooMuchInfo2-222x150.gif width="222" height="150"]]Do not “over-share”
We are so used to the casual nature of emails, tweets, and Facebook updates that it is easy to forget that, even if you are sitting on your sofa in your pajamas, online classes are professional environments. While federal law provides students with the right to share personal information, not only are you under no obligation to share the details of your personal life, you really should not share such issues as personal medical information, prescriptions you are taking, financial data, and other personal issues that you do not want to become public knowledge. In group work, be careful about how much you tell other people about yourself.

[[image:http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/67396-delete-key-222x150.jpg width="222" height="150"]]Delete contact information
Use online search tools to discover what is out there on the Internet about you, and delete all personal information, such as contact information. Do you want the people in your classes to know where you live, what your phone number is, etc.? Email should be sufficient contact information for anyone in your classes.

[[image:http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Top-Antivirus-of-2011-222x150.jpg width="222" height="150"]]Install spyware and malware protection
Protect your work by protecting the security of your computer and network. Anything you search for, type into, or access on your computer can be monitored; protect your work from theft, your personal information from identity theft, and your personal reputation by controlling your work environment.

[[image:http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/networking-222x150.jpg width="222" height="150"]]Do not allow a faculty member to share information about you
No one likes confronting an instructor, but there are times when everyone makes a mistake. In the midst of an online discussion, it is possible that a faculty member could write something like, “That kind of deep analysis is why you got an A on your last paper!” As flattering as that is, it’s just as dangerous as writing, “If you would let go of your outdated ideas and do the reading, you might score more than a D on your next paper!” Both statements provide information about an individual student that should not be public information. Also, online faculty members are not allowed to share grades with students via email. That is a violation of FERPA, because e-mail is not as secure as the course management system. Gentle reminders to faculty, in the form of a question, are the best way to advocate for your privacy. A message that reads, “I didn’t know it was OK to share grades in e-mail!” will garner a much more positive—and apologetic—message from yuour instructor than a accusatory message.

[[image:http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/online-gossip-222x150.jpg width="222" height="150"]]Avoid discussions about where you work
In her thesis on online student privacy, Charlotte Stange writes (pdf) that “Students were overall very hesitant to fully disclose workplace examples and experiences in their discussion because of the sensitivity of the information to them, and because they were not assured that information they share could not be used outside of the online classroom.”This is a good practice to adopt. You simply do not know who in your class might end up as your co-worker someday, and might remember that time you described your boss as incompetent—and they just might share that. While it’s tempting to use examples from your own work and life experience in your class discussions, make sure that you remain aware that if you wouldn’t say it freely in life or work, then you shouldn’t say it freely online. Having said all this, I want to remind you that the Internet is still relatively safe, and encourage you to go ahead and fully participate in your online courses. I realize that it’s easy to become paranoid about the risks of sharing information online, but by taking the time to practice these few simple safeguards, your personal information should be secure. Also, these tips will help you develop good habits and create a worry-free environment in which to purse your educational and intellectual development. You can use these as a springboard from which you can develop your own plan to advocate for yourself. Taking control is often the best form of self-protection there is, and self-advocacy helps you do that. The old saying “better to be safe than sorry” definitely applies in the age of the Internet! **Jill Rooney, Ph.D.** is an education writer for OnlineColleges.net. After earning an undergraduate degree in Secondary Education and a Ph.D. in History, Dr. Rooney taught History, Political Science, and General Education college courses at state universities, small private colleges, community colleges, and for-profit colleges. An experienced educator with expertise in American politics, Dr. Rooney has also published articles in publications by the Smithsonian Institution, Oxford University Press, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Her teaching experience has taught her that all students really just want one thing: To learn. And that isn’t always easy, so she’s here to help! From http://edudemic.com/2011/10/student-online-safety-guide/
 * About The Author**

[|The Teacher’s Guide To Keeping Students Safe Online]
==//This is the second in a series of online safety discussions. Please be sure to check out Jill Rooney’s recent article for Edudemic ‘[|The Student’s Guide To Staying Safe Online]‘ for even more tips and tricks.//== Most students are familiar with and active users of mobile technology. While it does facilitate sharing and knowledge exchange, it can be a dangerous tool if improperly used. By this I mean students using their smartphones (or dumbphones, for that matter) to share things they would never normally share. From inappropriate comments to sexting, it’s a dangerous minefield. So what is a teacher’s role in keeping students safe online? Teachers and schools can actively block websites on desktops, laptops, and iPads but when it comes to a student’s personal phone… that’s a tricky area. So rather than viewing the problem as something that has to be blocked, teachers can view the ‘over-sharing’ by students as something that needs to be acknowledged. The first step is to identify boundaries that should be set.

Setting Boundaries
Knowing when and where to draw the line according to your own personal comfort levels and ethics is a constant struggle for human beings, especially adolescents. Peer pressure is often the stressor that influences teens to overstep their boundaries to engage in regretful behavior. As teachers, we need to give students the intellectual and emotional tools to make the right decisions. When you talk to your students about boundaries, frame the discussion as a life skill. Don’t make it about drugs, inappropriate internet use, etc. It’s a much broader issue tied into innate self-confidence. Now that we’ve discussed boundaries, let’s move into specific strategies to help kids deal with some common internet-related issues.
 * What can teachers do?**
 * Help students set personal boundaries. Walk your students through hypothetical situations and ask them to set their boundaries and tolerance levels. They can’t defend their boundaries unless they know where they stand. For example, “A student asks you to text an inappropriate picture of yourself. What are your boundaries?” Some introspection now can save a lot of pain and angst later on.
 * Bring personal boundaries into the open. Have students talk openly to their friends about their boundaries before there’s a time to test them. Teach students that true friends will always respect their boundaries.
 * It’s okay to share concerns. Let students know if they are concerned about a friend’s health and safety, they need to speak to a trusted adult.
 * Ask students to sign a “no-judgment” pledge for the classroom. Make the classroom a zone where they can relate what makes them uncomfortable without anyone laughing or holding grudges against them. Then ask your classes to talk about times they’ve felt pressured and uncomfortable.

Sexting
The vast majority of teens have cell phones and the age at which they receive phones is getting younger and younger. This huge growth has spurred texting as the communication format of choice for teens. Combine this with expanding smartphone usage and teenage hormonal development; a perfect storm called sexting emerges. What is sexting? This is an unofficial term for sending nude or nearly nude images via text messaging. It is an illegal activity when it involves children under eighteen and violates most states’ sexual offender laws. However, many states are downgrading the offense since some teens have been convicted of laws usually reserved for serious criminals. Statistics show one out of six teenagers have received a sext message and four percent have sent messages themselves. It is thought the number is quite a bit higher since teens are reluctant to answer this question truthfully. More alarming is that a majority of students think sexting is “no big deal.” Why would teens send inappropriate pictures of themselves? Three scenarios are typical. Smartphone apps exist that allow people to text outside of the normal SMS cell phone network; therefore, saving texting fees. The concept is the same except instead of your data being copied and saved on the cell phone company’s servers, they are saved on the app server’s company.
 * Younger teens tend to send sext messages instead of actual physical contact. This can and does happen, even in middle school.
 * Some students choose to send these messages to test the water before starting a more serious relationship.
 * Finally, some students choose to engage in this behavior as part of romantic interactions.
 * What can teachers do?**
 * **Be aware that sexting is prevalent in middle and high schools.** Be attentive to student discussions that might mention inappropriate texts and be prepared. Ask your principal now what the school policy is if you learn of a sexting situation.
 * **Warn students of the unintended audience.** When interviewed about sexting, students tell of one scenario that happens over and over again. A student is convinced to send an inappropriate picture of him/herself to a boy/girlfriend. They have a fight or breakup and the image is sent to everyone in the school. This is absolutely devastating to a teenager and your students will most likely know someone this has happened to. Tell your students, “If you are going to text an inappropriate picture, you are sending it to the whole school.”
 * **Teach students how texts work.** Believe it or not, many people believe texts fly magically through the air from phone to phone. They don’t! Students need to know that messages go through a computer system where all of the information is stored permanently. You can demonstrate this with a copy machine (or pretend a box is a copy machine). Have one student on one side and another student on the other. Give them both paper and pens. Now have them write a message on the paper for the other person. After they write a message, they have to give it to you first. You copy it (or pretend to copy it…just make sure you keep a piece of paper to represent each message) and hand it to the other student. You say, “Thanks, I’ll just copy this message, keep it forever and pass it along to the recipient.” Then, ask your students to “delete” a message by throwing the paper away. You still have permanent copies!
 * **Teach students about image permanence and accessibility.** People really don’t like to hear this…everything we do digitally is saved forever in a database and is most likely backed up in several locations throughout the world. Students think this is boring until you explain that actual people manage those databases and the information, including images, can be accessed. So, the image sent to another student is probably being viewed by a database manager in some other part of the world.
 * **Share your state laws with students.** Students are often shocked when they find out they can be permanently labeled as sex offenders by sending an inappropriate picture of themselves. Also, law enforcement agencies can subpoena data and get access to all of a student’s texts and images.
 * **Discuss alternatives with your students.** Have discussions and role-plays with students about what to say when solicited for an inappropriate picture. Having a solid, ready response such as, “I have too much respect for myself to do that and if you have respect for me, you won’t ask again,” can be vital to avoid being pressured into a regretful situation.
 * **Encourage parents to be proactive.** Parents are usually very uncomfortable with the subject of sexting and want to ignore it. Talk to parents at school events and encourage them to tell their children this type of behavior is not acceptable. Sure, some students will ignore their parents or even rebel; however, many are yearning for guidance. Statistics on teen drug use show teens that have been told repeatedly by their parents that drugs are unacceptable have a much lower drug use rate. The same can be true for sexting.
 * **Develop a school-wide awareness campaign.** For example, create an “If you wouldn’t send it to Grandma, don’t send it” campaign. Get your drama and art departments involved to create posters and skits. Picture a poster with a very shocked grandma looking at her phone!

Inappropriate online material
We all know inappropriate content is prevalent on the internet. As teachers in technology-rich learning environments, instances of this content are likely to occur even with internet filtering. This can be accidental or deliberate but planning ahead can help you be prepared to handle the situation.
 * What can teachers do?**
 * **Encourage appropriate use.** It’s easy to focus on the negative aspects of internet usage, but you’ll have better results if you focus on the positive by encouraging appropriate use instead. If your students know, in no uncertain terms, what is and is not acceptable, everyone is on the same digital page.
 * **Teach students what to do if they accidently navigate to inappropriate content.** The school district has filters in place to protect students from inappropriate content. However, these filters are not 100 percent effective. Teach students if they accidentally access something inappropriate, close the window, close your laptop and tell the teacher. As a teacher, don’t overreact. Explain that it is unfortunate that this type of content exists and move on.
 * **Be aware of school procedures for deliberate access to inappropriate content.** Make sure you and your students know the acceptable use policies and consequences for unacceptable behavior. If a student chooses to ignore these policies and accesses inappropriate content, don’t overreact and be ready to follow the policy exactly.
 * **Inform students how data is stored when they surf the internet.** Many students believe that search history is only stored on the computer they are using. If you delete the browsing history, the information is gone. In fact, everything we do on the internet, every search, every image we view, is tracked and stored forever on servers worldwide. It can never be deleted and could be accessed. Students do not need to be fearful of this fact; however, they need to be aware.
 * **Bring parents into the conversation.** Responsible use of the internet is not just for school hours and week days. Parents and caregivers need to take responsibility for talking about these challenges in the home, too. Communicate with parents at events such as “digital Safety Night” and through school newsletters. Encourage them to set clear expectations for appropriate internet use from their children. Parents have expended a great deal of energy into teaching their children to “do the right thing,” to be honest, respectful and kind. Encourage parents to extend those values into the digital world.

Learn more
To learn more, explore these resources:
 * [|//Technology for Learning: A Guidebook for Change//] on the Digital Learning Environments site is loaded with great information for teaching the digital generation. Chapter three has excellent digital safety tips.
 * Pew Internet & American Life Project is an excellent resource to discover the latest digital life statistics.
 * The Wireless Foundation has guides for teachers, students and families on their Get Wise about Wireless website.
 * Digital citizenship information can be found in the educators’ section of the ikeepsafe website.
 * A couple of good books include //Digital Citizenship in Schools// by Mike Ribble and Gerald Baily and //Raising a Digital Child// by Mike Ribble.

Conclusion
There’s no doubt that sexting and other inappropriate content are uncomfortable topics—both for yourself and your students. However, developing a plan to address the digital birds and bees will provide the tools for students to navigate these difficult issues. //Source: HP Teacher Experience Exchange//