Social Media Couldn't Be Bad Could It?

I was recently thinking about all this talk of use of Social Media in our PIDP3240 course. So far everything we've been told about using different forms of Social Media is positive.

This little Picture is a good interpretation on
how to keep yourself safe on facebook
http://www.fuzion.ie/index.cfm/page/cyberbullying

The truth is, Social Media can be DANGEROUS, if used incorrectly. I have decided to outline the possible dangers of using Social Media in classrooms ad propose possible solutions.

Bringing social media into a classroom can potentially open students up to Cyber Bullying. Cyber Bullying is any harmful action communicated through electronic media. Every year there are thousands of cases reported across the country, and this is not just limited to children. 

Cyber Bullying is NOT illegal. Most of the actions included in the act of bullying are though. They are usually considered harassment. I found some really interesting educational resources on the RCMP website. Including a game that outlines steps to take if you are a target of cyber bullying.

Play the game at the link below...
http://deal.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Cyberbullying_Interactive_Game.swf

Cyber bullying rarely takes place on faculty sanctioned pages, or on school property, but there are steps that teachers can take to minimize the chances of it occurring...

• Educate students of the existence of Cyber-Bullying
• Do not create Social Media that you do not have complete control of
• Put disclaimers on the Media of the consequences of posting anything inappropriate

The Canada Safety Council has a great list of things that teachers can do to curb cyber bullying. Take a look https://canadasafetycouncil.org/child-safety/cyber-bullying

Another common pitfall of using Social Media as a Teaching tool has nothing to do with the students, and everything to do with the teacher. There are a slew of ways that teachers can rack up potential law suits, copyright infringements, the list goes on and on.

But according to this article here: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/edtech-news-and-trends/understanding-the-potential-pitfalls-of-social-media/ there are ways of minimizing the risks.

Here are some examples:

• Follow your institution’s established guidelines or policies regarding use of social media
• State the purpose of the site on the site itself
• Educate students in the class regarding the site and its purpose
• Monitor the site carefully and consistently
• Become familiar with copyright laws as they apply to social media
• Always follow your institution’s policy regarding copyright
• Use links instead of posting full articles
• Educate your students regarding copyright laws and policies
• Obtain written permission from the institution before using its logo or mascot on your social media sites
• Use the institution’s logo or mascot only on sites that pertain to your official job description, such as a class facebook page—not on personal sites
• Identify opinions expressed on your sites as your own, making it clear that you are not speaking for the institution

Alternatively there is a 90 minute Audio Online Seminar on the issues of using Social media in the classroom called "How Administrators Can Avoid Social Media Landmines". To bad it is so expensive! If you purchase it, let me know and I will bring the popcorn!

http://www.facultyfocus.com/seminars/how-administrators-can-avoid-social-media-landmines/