Do You Know?

In the early 90’s, the primary source of information was limited to print materials with a level of trust that the information had gone through a review process to be valid and credible. Safety concerns typically revolved around not talking to strangers, looking before you crossed a street, and not sharing personal information with people you didn’t know. Then came the internet. Initially, the content on the web was static and there was concern about purchasing anything online for fear that your credit card numbers would be stolen. As time went on and technology improved, you no longer needed to be a computer programmer to read and write to the web. Blogs, wikis, social media, video conferences, apps, extensions, and so much more soon became the norm. Whether it be communicating, creating, or collaborating, the internet has opened a world of possibilities. Although inherently good, the internet has brought new safety concerns to the forefront. Anyone can post to the web raising concerns about the validity and credibility of information. The ease of which we can download software, access web apps, install add-ons and extensions to GSuite apps and Chrome is convenient, but also potentially harmful. How often do we click through buttons in order to gain access to a resource or tool without ever reading the fine print? Do we know what we have agreed to? Do we know what access we have granted them to our information? Is the site secure? Is our information secure? What data is being collected? If so, what is being done with our data? Does the resource comply with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and Rule (“COPPA”)

Our students have access to so many great resources to engage them in their learning as well as to enhance their learning, but it is imperative that we look at the security and privacy policies beforehand. The privacy policies of three productivity tools that I often use with students are below.

TinkerCad – Privacy Policy

TinkerCad is a free online resource that allows students to design 3D structures. Their privacy statement is consistent with the requirements of the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and Rule (“COPPA”) and the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), where applicable. When students under 13 create an account, they are asked to provide a parent/guardian’s email address. The parent/guardian will receive an email and be asked to approve/verify the account via a credit card or a signed consent form. At any point that TinkerCad becomes aware of activity that is inconsistent with COPPA, the data will be deleted and/or a parent consent form would be required.

BookCreator – Privacy Policy

BookCreator is a user-friendly tool that allows you to create interactive ebooks. It is a software that has been fully certified by Internet Keep Safe (iKeepSafe) and is compliant with COPPA and FERPA. By default, all student books are private and only teachers can choose to share a book beyond the classroom. Data is not sold or used for advertisements. It is stored in Google Cloud, which offers a high level of security

Screencastify – Privacy Policy

Screencastify is free screen recorder that allows you to record, edit and share videos. It is a software that has been fully certified by Internet Keep Safe (iKeepSafe) and is compliant with COPPA, FERPA and SOPIPA. Screencastify collects the minimum amount of personal information required to operate their business. They collect email addresses, basic app usage data, and any information the user chooses to share. If at any time you want to check on the data being collected, you can email the company and have it removed. All videos are owned by the creator, not Screencastify.

All three of these tools comply with COPPA and have gone to great length to be transparent in the data that is collected. Only BookCreator and Screencastify comply with FERPA. Because of the shared community within Tinkercad, they have an additional layer to get parent/guardian permission. After reading through all of the policies, the thing that surprised me the most was how much information there is to consider when utilizing an app with students. It also makes me realize that I need to take the time to read these policies prior to using them with students and promoting them with educators. It is imperative that we are informed about the resources we are using with students, especially those under the age of 13. It is also a good idea to communicate with your Technology Department to get their assistance with any backend privacy concerns. At the end of the day, the internet is a plethora of resources for us to consume and create new information, but in doing so, it is imperative that we are vigilant about reading critically and keeping ourselves, our students, and our data safe.

Digital Citizenship

We teach our children about having good manners by reminding them to say please and thank you. We teach them to be kind and respectful to others. We teach them that it’s not what we say, but how we say it that can affect the message being conveyed. We help our children work through the ups and downs of developing friendships. We keep them safe by reminding them to put on their seatbelts when we are in the car and only let them go to the homes of others that we know and are comfortable with. We believe that it takes a village to raise our children, but have you noticed that your child’s village has spilled over into the digital community? Do you know who is in this village? Do you know what your child is posting online and to whom? Do you know what trail of information your child is leaving behind? Do you know that once something is posted online, it never goes away? You are very much a part of your child’s real world, but are you also a part of your child’s digital world? If not, you should be.

Most adults did not grow up with technology and are often referred to as digital immigrants because we can remember the days of no computers, cell phones, tablets, etc. Today’s children on the other hand can’t imagine a world without this technology. They do not fear it and embrace every opportunity to use it for communication, entertainment and information. There is no doubt that technology is a powerful tool, but in the words of Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.”

Our students may be growing up in a world of technology, but that doesn’t mean that they have the life skills to effectively and responsibly use it. Technology is a great tool for learning, conducting research, and communicating. Unfortunately, however, we often hear how students use digital tools inappropriately for plagiarizing, cyberbullying, cheating, sexting, oversharing personal information, and meeting online strangers in person. As parents and educators, we have a responsibility to train and guide them on how technology fits into their lives. They need to learn that decisions they make online today can have long-term implications tomorrow. We want our students to be safe and to be positive members of the digital community, but they aren’t going to get there by themselves. We need to take an active role in their digital life by being aware of what they’re doing online, monitoring their online activities, and most importantly serving as positive role models. 

Have you ever Googled yourself before? If not, you might be surprised to see what your virtual identity looks like because everything you do online is collected into a digital dossier, otherwise known as your digital footprint. This footprint is traceable by others and is virtually impossible to eliminate.  Our students must become aware of their digital identity, so that they can learn how to manage and develop it into a positive one. It is imperative that they keep themselves and their personal information safe as the lines between the digital and real world have become blurred.

Our digital reality is that technology is very much a part of all our lives and it is here to stay. For our students, they are interacting digitally more and more everyday with content, one another, and in various communities. Google, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchatand Instagramare but a few of the tools they are using to conduct their interactions. The tools they use tomorrow may change, but what won’t change is the need for our students to be educated on digital responsibility, citizenship and creating a positive online footprint. Together as parents, teachers and community members, we must be the village that works together to raise our students into digital leaders.

For additional information and resources, please visit http://digitrail.weebly.com.