Ethical Use of Social Media in Schools

School leaders in the 21st century must embrace the use of social media in schools because it affords the opportunity for all students to contribute to the world in meaningful ways.  Online and mobile access to social media is not just a trend but has revolutionize the way students socialize.  Social media should be embraced by educators as a learning tool in the classroom. When incorporating social media in the classroom, educators should be mindful of Children's Online Protection Act of 1998 and the Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000.  COPPA protects students under 13 from having their personal information collected without the permission of a parent or guardian.  CIPA requires that schools provide Internet filtering to prevent student access to offensive content.  This is the reason why school districts have implemented Acceptable Use Policies for students which must be signed by parents. 

On the flip side,  the use of social media in schools has also been unethical.  The reports of educators "friending" students can and has led to inappropriate and unethical relationships between educators and students.  Other reports have been made of educators engaging in cyberbullying tactics against students.  Instances such as these have led districts to implementing rules blocking educators and students from communicating on social media for any reason related or unrelated to education.  Districts have also instituted "no-friending" policies to restrict inappropriate contact between educators and students.

As educators, we consistently model skills, strategies, and methods for our colleagues and our students.  Educators should also model responsible use of social media in schools as well as provide feedback to students on their use of social media on a daily basis.  Behavior modification requires constant practice of the new behavior and some school districts have stopped using AUPs and have replaced them with RUPs (responsible use policies).  If we want to change the culture of using social media from one of irresponsibility to one of healthy, responsible use, then we must create an educational environment that fosters this behavior.  The more students are immersed in this environment of practicing responsible use of social media, then the more they will be invested and adopt the behavior as their own.