Using Social Media: Guide for DEECD Employees in Schools

Created: January 2012

Resources

Learning On Line website

www.education.vic.gov.au /learningonline

Resources

Using Social Media: Guide for DEECD

Employees in Schools

www.education.vic.gov.au /learningonline

Using Social Media: Guide for DEECD Employees in Schools

Focus is on behaviours

NOT the technology

Components of Using Social Media: Guide

The Guide aims to:

•Define social media tools

•Describe the obligations of ALL school employees

•Provide real examples appropriate/inappropriate use

•Outline misuse and legal consequences

Components of Using Social Media: Guide

This Guide is NOT a disciplinary tool

Its greatest value is to assist DEECD employees in schools to better exercise

their professional judgement when making decisions about their personal and professional use of social media.

Components of Using Social Media: Guide

Additional components of the Using Social Media: Guide for DEECD Employees in Schools:

•Things to consider when establishing a social media profile

•Step-by-step guides

Step-by-step Guides

Professional Learning Opportunity

Understanding what is in the existing legislation, policies, instruments and guidelines and how these apply to social media is an important part of being a

professional.

Example: Professional Learning Activity

Case study

Teacher K regularly uses a social networking site to socialise on a personal level with friends. Teacher K attends a ‘hooker and ho’

themed fancy dress party. Teacher K’s costume is awarded the best dressed prize. Teacher K has restricted her privacy settings so that

‘only friends’ can access her profile page. She uploads a photograph of her dressed in her prize winning costume while drinking from the prize winning magnum of champagne and uses this as her profile picture.

(Via a personally owned computer from her home wireless connection)

Example: Professional Learning Activity

Focus behaviour

Posting images of yourself on social media sites that have the potential to negatively affect your reputation.

Relevant policy

• Education Training and Reform Act 2006 (Part 2.4)

• Ministerial Order (Clause 11.1.7 (1))

Example: Professional Learning Activity

Discussion starter

In terms of your professional practice consider… If privacy settings are not used correctly, profile pictures can be viewed by all users of the social networking site.

Workshop questions1.What are the potential issues or concerns with the person’s behaviour?

2.Are there any behaviours identified that are NOT an issue or concern and why?

3.What is the potential risk?

4.Who is at risk? Who is at fault?

5.What might be an appropriate response to mitigate the risk?

Example: Professional Learning Activity

DEECD recommendation

DEECD employees in schools do not post images of themselves on social media sites that have the potential to negatively affect their reputation.

QUESTIONS?