Digital Citizen – Website guidelines
We are fortunate that our email system is actually a complete communication and collaboration package. At the flick of a switch (well actually the tick of a tick box) each and every students (or selected groups) can have a personal website that included podcasting, calendar, file sharing, blogs as well as traditional webpages.
But with such easy access also comes responcibility. From my perspective the students need to be safe. By safe I do not mean wrapped in cotton wool and shielded, rather I mean they act in a manner that is both ethical and moral, they know what to do should they encounter unacceptable actions or material and know how they should act/publish/behave.
I believe that, like many things, schools are an appropriate place for young people to learn to use technologies like these. For us, as teachers, to overlook, avoid or ignore these opportunities does little to prepare our students for the world outside our campus. In a school environment, mistakes, misadventures and inappropriate activities can be dealt with in a manner that is supportive, controlled and appropriate. This can be lacking in the wider world we live in.
So here are my thoughts in the form of student website agreement:
Student Website Guidelines.
These guidelines are aset of basic principles between the school and the students about creating and maintaining students websites hosted by or supported by the school. These principles looks at the six tenants of the digital citizenship: respecting and protecting yourself, other people and intellectual property.
These principles covers the use of web publishing through homepages, calendars, blogs and blog comments, wikis, podcasting & vodcasting, chatrooms and sharing files.
It is expected that you will always act in an ethical and moral manner.
Basis principles
-
I will use the facilities for the purpose they were intended, my posts, comments and content will have an educational focus.
-
I will respect and protect myself and others by ensuring that the content I add to my website shows me, my peers, the school and the wider community in the best light and perspective.
-
I will not endanger myself or my peers by posting material that could put me or them at risk.
-
I will moderate all comments posted on my blog. I will remove comments that are inappropriate or could cause offense to other people
-
I will ensure that the material I upload does not violate anyones intellectual property and I will acknowledge the source of my materials.
-
I will, in all matters, conduct myself as a young adult acting in a moral and ethical manner.
-
I will always report abuse or inappropriate behaviour to safe guard my safety and the safety of my peers and community.
-
I understand that all material published is not private and is subject to view by a wide range of people including members of the school as well as the wider community.
So what is missing?
I leave you again with Dean Shareski’s quote
Source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/3352272716_a42d75c0f5.jpg?v=0
