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Teachers & Social Media in the BC Context

As a BC educator, I believe my primary role is to help students achieve their
potential to live as responsible, happy, productive citizens in our digital, mediadriven, networked world. Students need a toolkit of 21 st century skills and literacies
(Ananiadou, K., & Claro, M., 2009) that will allow them to navigate safely and
successfully, both on and offline. To provide students with this toolkit, I believe we
need to understand that social and networked learning is necessary, and that
privacy and safety boundaries are crucial in our increasingly digital world.
Furthermore, a digital divide exists, which will need to be overcome if we are to
offer all students an equal opportunity to gain these 21 st century skills and literacies.
Thus, as an educator, I feel compelled to examine whether social media (computermediated tools around which networks of users create and share information, ideas,
and learning) can help to address the digital divide, and whether appropriate
boundaries are in place for this networked, connectivist approach to learning.
Social Justice and the Digital Divide
Through my teaching, I have become keenly aware of the digital divide that
exists with regard to technology and access to the Internet. As Wikipedia (n.d.)
outlines, a digital divide is an economic and social inequality with regard to access
to, use of, or impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) (para. 1).
A digital divide encompasses not only a disparity in ownership or accessibility to
technology, but also the skills to use the technology. It should be noted that,
recent studies have measured the digital divide not in terms of technological
devices, but in terms of the existing bandwidth per individual (Wikipedia, n.d., para.
3). (Bandwidth facilitates the development and distribution of multimedia content
and other innovations, for which dial-up is limiting.) In northwest BC where I live and
teach, this inequity is particularly noticeable with students from low-income families
and/or of First Nations ancestry, many of whom live in outlying areas or on reserves.
As Hengstler (2015) notes, educators often have the challenge of trying to
balance helping students master the use of digital tools, or ICT tools, while working
on the improvement of literacy skills (and/or other skills). Yet, literacy skills are more

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successfully learned once one has mastered the use of digital tools. So how do
educators address this digital divide?
In Gibsons (2011) review of the book Digital Diversity (by Looker, E.D., &
Naylor, T.D.), Susan Gibson presents the concept of social networks providing social
currency, and thus the ability for a person to call on social ties for resources and
support for accessing and using ICT tools. Gibson states, It is argued that
increased social capital is critical for success in our global, information based
economy (p. 350). This has led me to reflect on the value of social networks for
learning, with particular attention to how social currency might support First
Nations learners. The use of social media for learning could be a powerful tool I have
yet to explore. Arcands (2011) article, Language Warrior, seems to support this
possibility. The article outlines how Dustin Rivers (a language revitalization
activist) has been actively working to save the Squamish language by blogging,
tweeting, and podcasting. Moreover, a research project funded by Human Resources
and Skills Development Canada also speaks to the power of social media as a tool
for inclusion. In this report, Anne Taylor (2011) states that data from different
regions of Canada and anecdotal reports suggest that First Nations and Inuit peoples
have embraced social media, using tools such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for
connectivity, support, and the preservation of cultural identity (p.1). She adds,
youth are defying income/education/connectivity predictors and finding a way to
participate in social media (p.29), thus illustrating the power of social networks.
Social and Networked Learning
Lankshear and Knobel (2011) point out that a primary tenet of social network
theory is the placement of the individual at the center of his/her networks. These
networks are said to have strong and weak ties (strong ties forming from regular
contact, and weak ties from less regular contact), and it is noted that loosely knit
networks - now prevalent due to technological advances and the affordances of the
web - are becoming increasingly important. It is discussed that weak ties are
important for accessing new ideas and information, and thus necessary for
stimulating innovation. As an educator, this is especially relevant when considering
ways to facilitate student learning of 21st century skills and competencies. As
Howard Rheingold points out, network awareness is an important 21 st century

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literacy (Lankshear & Knobel, 2011, p. 204). Thus, could social media tools lead to
creative ideas and innovation, and if so, what do we need to know about the social
web?
Julia Hengstler (2013) notes there are several key expectations for
participants (users) of the social web, which include contributing value, engaging
directly, and monitoring activity in order to respond to the network (audience). She
describes a variety of social media tools, and cites some concerning statistics
regarding participants understanding (or lack thereof) of privacy settings. For
example, only 15% correctly understood what happened if they deleted a Facebook
account (Hengstler, 2013, p. 3). This reinforces the need for educators to evaluate
both the benefits and risks of using social media.
Privacy
It is the responsibility of every BC educator to understand and implement the
legal guidelines surrounding privacy laws in BC. These laws, of which the legal
mandate is overseen for adherence (and investigated if need be) by the BC Office of
the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC), pertain to the collection, use, and
disclosure of personal information (recorded information about an identifiable
individual) of an individual. There are two pieces of important legislation: the
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA legislation for public
schools) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA legislation for private
schools). It should be noted that, as per BCs Cloud Computing Guidelines for Public
Bodies (OIPC BC, 2012), BCs privacy laws restrict the storage of personal
information on servers external to Canada. Therefore, when using social media and
cloud computing tools, or before posting a students work online, educators need to
obtain explicit written informed consent (if the student is a minor, this consent
needs to be obtained from a minor students legal parent or guardian). Hengstler
(2013) outlines in A K-12 Primer for British Columbia Teachers Posting Students'
Work Online:
Informed consent is the principle of seeking the individuals permission for,
and securing his or her agreement to, the collection, access, use, disclosure
or storage of the persons personal information by providing the individual
with sufficient notice and knowledge of the reason for, and the circumstances
and implications surrounding, the proposed collection, use or disclosure. (p.6)

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It should be noted that Informed Consent is typically requested and provided in

writing.
Cavoukian (2011), in her Privacy by Design approach, notes that privacy
measures should be proactive rather than reactive. Hengstler (2013) also reminds
us in her handbook, A K-12 Primer for British Columbia Teachers Posting Students'
Work Online, privacy-sensitivity needs to occur at the beginning of the development
process, and not when a privacy breach has occurred (p.3). Furthermore, Cooper,
Southwell, & Portal (2011) state, If, after all cautions have been taken and a privacy
breach still occurs and the individual harmed complains to the Information and
Privacy Commissioner, then the instructor can show a history and record of due
diligence (as cited in Hengstler, 2013, A K-12 Primer for British Columbia Teachers
Posting Students' Work Online, p.3).
Hengstler (2014) theorizes a continuum of six privacy compliance positions
exist for educators: Avoidance, Ignorance, Knowledgeable Non-Compliance,
Approaching Compliance, Establishing Compliance, & Full Compliance. While
educators cover the full range of this compliance spectrum, (with perhaps very few
in full compliance at this time), there seems to be an indication that educators such
as Breanne Quist (n.d.) are concerned and working towards creating resources that
others may use to meet the compliance challenge, with respect to the use of social
media and cloud computing tools. Yet, this privacy challenge needs to be met at all
levels, as observed this week by the BC Ministry of Educations data breach (CBC
News, 2015). Will we manage to, as danah boyd (2010) comments, "hold the
architecture around us accountable" for helping to maintain privacy ("Making Sense
of Privacy and Publicity": The binaries of public and private, n.p.)?
Safety
The introduction of new technologies is often accompanied by fear: a fear of
the things we dont understand. Thus, is danah boyd (2012) correct when she
comments in her video, "Culture of Fear + Attention Economy=?!?", that the rise of
moral panics has been ramped up by a technological society? Are those who are
leveraging technology to build networks also holding power, and is this shaping
public life? If this is the case, can we afford to not become participants in this
networked world. After all, without participation, we dont have the opportunity to

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contribute towards our future. Yet, as Julia Hengstler (Safety Boundaries, 2015)
discusses, if we use social media with students, we must be prepared to assess and
address risks (para. 3). She notes that safety boils down to a benefit/risk analysis.
Hengstler discusses a few approaches to assessing risk, one of which classifies risks
in terms of the 3Cs: Content, Conduct, and Contact (Safety Boundaries, 2015).
However, Hengstler contends in her 5 Pillars of Risk (1. Knowledge; 2. Skills &
Training; 3. Practice & Experience; 4. Guidelines & Policy; 5. Confidence) that ones
perception of risk changes as one learns about the technology. She comments that a
little knowledge can lead to technopanic, where technology is banned for no
sound reason. Thierer (2012) states, A veritable technopanic mentality is
increasingly on display in debates over online child safety, privacy, cybersecurity,
and even copyright policy (para.1). Willard (2012) notes that public bodies often
contribute to this culture via fear-based internet safety messaging. Perhaps we have
seen the opposite with respect to privacy and student data storage here in BC?
In discussing social media and digital communications, Hengstler references
Whittington & Hoofnagle (2012) and warns that parents should understand nothing
is free; we are trading information (who we are, where we are located, what we like,
etc.) and content for the use of social media sites and services, and this information
is often sold to advertisers or another third party. Hengstler encourages educators
and parents to be diligent and research what will happen to their data, thus guiding
students to understand the ubiquitous nature of social media and digital
communication it is persistent, readily replicated and distributed, always on, and
searchable: we have limited control comments Hengstler (2013) in What Parents
Should Know Part 1: Basic Understanding of Social Media & Digital Communications.
She notes, although we cant control the technology, we can control our behavior
and how we use it.
While the American Academy of Pediatrics identifies benefits of social media
use for tweens and teens (i.e., socialization and communication, enhanced learning
opportunities, and access to health information), they also note associated risks,
which include online expression of offline behaviours (i.e., cyberbullying, privacy
issues, sexting, Internet addiction, and sleep deprivation) (O'Keeffe & ClarkePearson, 2011). Hengstlers (Cyberbullying, 2015) OLTD506 (D2L) discussion of
key digital/Internet safety issues - cyberbullying, sexting and revenge porn, and

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online predation and grooming - points out that a strong positive peer norming
approach can be an effective method to managing the risks associated with
cyberbullying and establishing safe environments (D2L, n.p.). Therefore, as
educators, we need to model and teach good digital citizenship. Digital literacy skills
will contribute to a positive digital footprint, which has become a measure of ones
digital professionalism.
Digital Literacy, Digital Footprints & Professionalism
The Shewan Decision of 1987 (Siracusa, 1991) leads us to ask, how do
educators maintain the confidence and respect of their superiors, their peers, and in
particular, the students and their families in todays digital world? Teachers need to
act with digital professionalism, and as Julia Hengstler (2012) states, we must be
aware of our digital footprint and vigilantly protect it (p. 2).
A digital footprint is literally a footprint or profile of ones online activities
i.e., sites we have visited, items we have posted or blogged about, things we have
liked, etc. Our footprint may be either (1) active comprised of our voluntary
contributions to the web (i.e., blogs, comments, images and photos we post) (2)
passive - data collected by others about us (i.e., via cookies or ones browsing
history), or (3) second-hand, a term coined by Hengstler, meaning data others
deliberately share about you (Hengstler, 2011, p. 93). Therefore, if we are subject
to the sensibilities of others, what can we do to protect our digital footprint?
Kuehn (2010) of the BC Teachers Federation notes that teachers have a new
daily task: online reputation management (p.1). Kuehn (2010), subsequent to an
interview with Hengstler, notes that it is important for us to develop a positive online
presence, as this will help to balance those contributions to our digital footprint that
we cannot control.
To foster good digital citizenship among our students, I believe we need to
actively engage in the online world so we can understand it, and thereby be positive
role models for our students. As Hengstler comments (2011), educators have a
moral responsibility to teach students how to manage their digital footprints, in
order to protect and hopefully expand the students future opportunities. She
questions whether society and educators abdicated their responsibilities in regard

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to preparing these young people to handle this technology (Hengstler, 2010, para.
3). Thus, we need to ask ourselves, how can we do better?
Conclusion
Fryer (2013) feels social medias loss of formality is a huge advantage
(1.16/2.09 min.). He comments that peoples lives are broadened through the
networks and connections that can be created, and he feels social media can add to
E-learning. He feels that social media is important, because it allows for
inventiveness and the sharing and creating of new ideas by the participants. He also
comments that social media develops new ways of communicating, while allowing
for learning to start from any point (i.e., where the learners interests lie, and where
the learners are at) (Fryer, 2013). This is supported by Tarte (2013), a director of
teaching and learning with a large Twitter following, who states, social media will
help you meet your students, their parents, and your community where they already
are (para. 6). With the increasingly diverse needs of todays 21st century learners, I
feel Fryers (2013) points exemplify why social media could be a powerful resource
for educators and their students. Fryer (2013) suggests getting policy and decision
makers onside with the use of social media for learning by letting them experience it
directly. He states, let them see it happeninglet them experience the joy, the
creativity that young people show when theyre involved (Fryer, 2013, 1.46/2.09
min.). However, Warschauer (2004) notes that access to ICT requires more than
providing computers and Internet connections. It involves a complex array of
factors encompassing physical, digital, human, and social resources and
relationships. Content and language, literacy and education, and community and
institutional structures must all be taken into account if meaningful access to new
technologies is to be provided (p.6). Therefore, could the true challenge be the
collaboration and communication between schools, agencies and services required
to address this complex array of factors that will facilitate the learning of 21 st
century skills and literacies via the social web?

Swiss cognitive psychologist Jean Piaget stated,

The goal of education is to create individuals who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what
other generations have done.

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