Pleasantville Township School District

Social Media Guidelines

Purpose

The Pleasantville Township School District (PTSD) understands the importance of teachers, students and parents engaging, collaborating, learning, and sharing on the Internet via “social media” through tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Apps, wikis, blogs, and many other online resources that allow people to connect and share information. With this in mind, we have developed the following guidelines to provide direction for all instructional staff, students and the school community when participating in online social media activities. . . .

If you have any doubts or concerns about how these guidelines apply to you or your situation, or how they might apply to some new form of social media in the future, please err on the side of caution and direct your questions and concerns to your teacher or school/district administrator (as appropriate) before you make use of such media.

General Guidelines

In addition to these guidelines, consult the employee handbook or student acceptable use policy as appropriate. Be aware that all existing policies and behavior guidelines extend to school-related activities in the online environment as well as on district premises . . . .

Profiles and Identity

. . . When uploading digital pictures or avatars that represent you, make sure that you select a school appropriate image. Also remember not to utilize protected (i.e. copyrighted) images.

Student Guidelines

Due to the wealth of social media tools available to students, student products and documents have the potential to reach audiences far beyond the classroom. This translates into a greater level of responsibility and accountability for everyone. Also understand that as a student you represent your school even when you are not posting to social media sites during class time, and that you should follow these guidelines anytime you post material that could identify you or your relationship to the school.

Below are guidelines students in PTSD should adhere to when using Web 2.0 and social media tools in the classroom, or in any way related to classroom or school activities:

• Be aware of what you post online - social media tools are very public. What you contribute leaves a digital footprint for all to see. Do not post anything you wouldn't want friends, enemies, parents, teachers, or a future employer to see.
• Follow the school's code of conduct when writing online. It is acceptable to disagree with someone else's opinions, however, do it in a respectful way. Make sure that criticism is constructive and not hurtful. What is inappropriate in the classroom is inappropriate online.
• Be safe online. Never give out personal information, including, but not limited to, last names, phone numbers, addresses, exact birthdates, and pictures. Do not share your password with anyone other than your teachers and parents.
• Linking to other websites to support your thoughts and ideas is recommended. However, be sure to read the entire article prior to linking to ensure that all information is appropriate for a school setting.
• Do your own work! Do not use other people's work without their permission. Be aware that it is a violation of copyright law to copy and paste someone else's thoughts. It is good practice to hyperlink to your sources.
• Be aware that pictures, videos, songs, and audio clips may also be protected under copyright laws. Verify you have permission to use the images, videos, songs or other clips.
• How you represent yourself online is an extension of yourself. Do not misrepresent yourself by using someone else's identity.
• Blog and wiki posts should be well written. Follow writing conventions including proper grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. If you edit someone else's work be sure it is in the spirit of improving the writing.
• If you run across inappropriate material that makes you feel uncomfortable, or is not respectful, tell your teacher right away.
• Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in the project and/or access to future use of online tools.