This document provides an overview of social media and guidelines for educators on appropriate social media use. It defines social media as a trend where people use technology to get things from each other rather than traditional institutions. It then discusses why people use social media to share information and stay connected. It cautions that email and social media have made communication more casual and discusses privacy laws like FERPA that protect student information. Overall, it provides best practices for educators to thoughtfully engage with social media while avoiding privacy violations or inappropriate disclosures.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA TRAINING FOR EDUCATORS 2009
BRAD DOMITROVICH

2. What is social media?
A social trend in which
people use technologies
to get the things they need
from each other
rather than
traditional institutions.

3. What is social media?
A social trend in which
people use technologies
to get the things they need
from each other
rather than
traditional institutions.

4. What is social media?
A social trend in which
people use technologies
to get the things they need
from each other
rather than
traditional institutions.

5. What is social media?
A social trend in which
people use technologies
to get the things they need
from each other
rather than
traditional institutions.

6. What is social media?
A social trend in which
people use technologies
to get the things they need
from each other
rather than
traditional institutions.

7. Why are people
using social media?
★To share information.
★To keep in touch.
★To re-connect.

11. Social Media
has become
a legitimate
form of
sharing and
communicating!

12. CAUTION!
E-mail and social media
has allowed us to become
“overly casual”
in how we communicate!

13. HIPAA,
FERPA, and
the Public
Information Act

14. What is HIPAA?
★ The Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
Privacy Rule.
★ The HIPAA Privacy Rule creates
national standards to protect
individuals’ medical records and other
personal health information.

15. Understanding FERPA
★ The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is
a Federal law that protects the privacy of student
education records.
★ The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an
applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
★ FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their
children's education records.
★ These rights transfer to the student when he or she
reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high
school level.

16. More on FERPA
★ Schools must have written permission
from the parent or eligible student in
order to release any information from a
student's education record.
★ FERPA allows schools to disclose those
records, without consent, to school officials
with a legitimate educational interest.

17. A Public Information Primer
★ Government is the servant, not the master.
★ People are entitled to complete
information, with limited exceptions.
★ Government does not get to decide what is
good for the people to know.
★ Information is public unless it fits one of
the exceptions in the statute.

18. PIA Exceptions
★ PIA does not require the release of information
contained in education records except in
conformity with FERPA.
★ Information that is “confidential by law.”
★ Information in a personnel file if the disclosure
would be a “clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy.”
★ Your college transcript, except for degree
obtained and curriculum studied.

19. More PIA Exceptions
★ Information pertaining to pending litigation.
★ Information that would give a bidder an
advantage.
★ Location or appraisal of property under
consideration.
★ Home address, phone number of public
employees who exercise “opt out” option.
★ Social Security Number.

20. What is public?
★ Applies to information “collected, assembled
or maintained” in connection with official
business.
★ Includes a book, paper, letter, document,
printout, photo, film, tape, microfiche,
microfilm, photostat, sound recording, map,
drawing, voice, data or video representation
in computer memory.

21. Is it really just
harmless gossip,
or is it
a violation
of the FERPA law?

22. One of your students was injured in a
car wreck. She is still in the hospital.
You want to help.You would like to e-
mail everyone about her condition.
What can
you do?

23. You and a fellow teacher have
exchanged e-mails about a student.
You have deleted all the e-mails from
your in-box. The parent has asked for
a copy of all those e-mails.
What do you tell
the parent?

24. As a team leader, you e-mail your
entire campus an emergency phone
tree list with names and phone
numbers of fellow employees.
No problem!
Right?

25. Some Social Media Headlines ...
★ Teacher disciplined for Facebook postings.
★ Schoolteacher suspended for Facebook gun
photo.
★ When young teachers go wild on the web.
★ MySpace leads police to murder suspect.
★ Twitter: It’s not just for students anymore.
★ Your tweet is showing.

26. Using Social Media:
vs.

27. Common Social Media Tools
Networking Tools (Linkedin)
Presentation Sharing (SlideShare)
Journal Publishing (Blogger)
Scrapbook Publishing (tumblr.)
Communication Service (twitter)
Journal Publishing (Facebook)
Video Sharing (YouTube)

28. Social Media Thoughts
Everything you write
is a permanent record
of your professionalism.
Sister St. Catherine - St. Kevin’s School

29. Linked-In strengthens and extends
your existing network of trusted contacts.
Linked-In is a networking tool that
helps you discover inside connections.

33. Social Media Thoughts
Consider maintaining separate
professional and personal sites
with strict limits on
personal information
being made available
to your students.

34. SlideShare allows you to share your
PowerPoint and Keynote Presentations.
Share publicly or privately.
Add audio to make a webinar.

36. Social Media Thoughts
Tell parents that you might text
message students or communicate
with them through the Web, so they
aren't surprised. Make sure they
have an opt-out opportunity if it
makes them uncomfortable.

37. Blogger is a free blog publishing tool for
easily sharing your thoughts with the world.
Blogger makes it simple to post
text, photos, and videos.

43. Social Media Thoughts
Check personal sites regularly if the
public has access to them.
Even if you don't post inappropriate
material, that doesn't mean your
friends or your students won't.

44. If blogs are journals,
tumblelogs are scrapbooks.
Tumblelogs are slightly more structured blogs
that make it faster and easier to post to.

47. Social Media Thoughts
Have a collective discussion
as a faculty to consider
the implications of social media
and settle on best practices.

48. Twitter is a service for
friends, family, and co-workers
to stay connected
through the exchange of quick answers.

55. Social Media Thoughts
If you’re wondering
“should I post this?” ...
you probably shouldn’t!
Terry Morawski - Mansfield ISD

56. Facebook is a social utility
that connects people with friends and others
who work, stdy, and live around them.

59. Social Media Thoughts
Make it a habit to go through
your list of friends and followers
to weed out anyone
that may be posting
inappropriate information.

60. YouTube is the world's most popular
online video community, allowing millions of
people to discover, watch and share
originally-created videos.

66. Are you in Cyberspace?
WhosTalkin.com
SocialMention.com
Technorati.com
Google Alerts

67. 45% of Employers use
social networking sites to
research job candidates!
★ 53% not hired - posting provocative or inappropriate
content or photos.
★ 44% not hired - posting content about drinking or
using drugs.
★ 35% not hired - bad mouthed their employer or co-
workers on-line.
★ 14% not hired - for using emoticons ( ) or text
language (gr8).

69. Questions?

70. SOCIAL MEDIA TRAINING FOR EDUCATORS 2009
BRAD DOMITROVICH