As a user of social media, I enjoy posting, tweeting and adding pictures to my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. I reserve the right to accept “friends” and refrain from accepting parents and students within these digital platforms. I understand my responsibility as an educator to maintain a level of professionalism in and out of the work environment. I have read the Alberta Teacher’s Association Code of Professional Conduct and understand I have an ethical responsibility to act “in a manner which maintains the honour and dignity of the profession,” (Teachers.ab.ca, 2004). How does this apply to the online environment? Looking through my Facebook pictures there are a few that I would question and reconsider, but I tend to be a bit on the conservative side. Looking through colleagues pictures, my pictures would be considered very tame. When it comes to actual posts, I, unlike some colleagues refrain from posting anything negative relating to my profession, district and students. So, what is considered inappropriate content to post/share? Who determines what is considered unethical content?
Stories of teachers losing their jobs for inappropriate online activity are becoming common place. According to the College of Education in Austin Texas, teachers have been fired for posting inappropriate pictures and writing negative comments about students (Community.edb.utexas.edu, 2013). Caregiver Lindsey Stone was fired for posting a picture that was considered offensive to many people, in particular military personnel (Ronson, 2015). These are examples that I feel are reasonable terms for dismissal, but if they are continually occurring, are teachers unaware of expectations online? With the changing landscape of technology and privacy, an update to the Code of Professional Conduct to include online environments may be worth consideration. Rather than a reactive approach, districts and teacher’s unions should develop a proactive document to support educators in understanding what is considered appropriate and inappropriate online sharing.
References
Community.edb.utexas.edu,. (2013). Why are teachers getting into trouble? | Social Media Professionalism for Teachers. Retrieved 27 February 2015, from http://community.edb.utexas.edu/socialmedia/node/61
Ronson, J. (2015). 'Overnight, everything I loved was gone': the internet shaming of Lindsey Stone.the Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/21/internet-shaming-lindsey-stone-jon-ronson
Teachers.ab.ca,. (2004). Code of Professional Conduct. Retrieved 27 February 2015, from http://www.teachers.ab.ca/About%20the%20ATA/UpholdingProfessionalStandards/ProfessionalConduct/Pages/CodeofProfessionalConduct.aspx
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Albertalandlord.org,. (2015). Retrieved 27 February 2015, from http://www.albertalandlord.org/images/ethics.jpg
Hi Lindsay,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog and the examples that you provided. There have been numerous reports relating to unprofessional conduct involving social media over the past few years and the spotlight on this issue has had me thinking a fair bit about e-professionalism. As an administrator I have received quite a few complaints about what staff are posting on their sites and I often finding myself asking similar questions as the ones you are asking. What is considered inappropriate content to post/share? Who determines what is considered unethical content? I have viewed staff content (posts and images) that I would not be comfortable posting and would go as far as stating that it was not wise on their part, but stop short of saying that it goes against the ATA code of conduct. The rules of engagement are unclear and I am not comfortable using my own personal morals and ethics as the professions measuring stick. I could not agree more than with your suggestion that districts and teachers unions should develop a proactive document to support educators in understanding what is considered appropriate and inappropriate online sharing. My advice has been quite simple to staff and very similar to Harte & Albers (2013) who urge professionals to be very conscious of what they send and post and to whom (p.382).
Thanks again Lindsay,
Samear
Harste, J.C., and Albers, P. (2013). "I'm riskin' it": teachers take on consumerism. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(5), 381-390.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you that we are bound by certain codes of conduct within our profession. The social landscape has changed, but there is still a degree of common sense that must be exercised by those in positions of trust. Thinking about what you post, whether it be a picture, status update, tweet or a friend’s photo that you are tagged in, it is up to us to monitor and adjust our digital footprint before it becomes an issue.
ReplyDeleteBefore I became a teacher, I did not concern myself with how my online persona might appear to others in the future. I was mindful of what I posted to my accounts to a certain degree, but not to the extent that I do now. As a teacher of younger children, I know that parents like to know who is going to be looking after their children and what type of person they are. While our social media accounts certainly don’t show our true selves (which is a whole other issue), it is an easy and accessible way to get a glimpse of somebody. Ensuring that what you post is what you would feel comfortable your students and parents seeing is the best way to prevent negative blow-back.
There does need to be an update to the Code of Professional Conduct, as online behaviour and networking is where we are seeing these issues appear. Waiting for all professionals to ‘figure out’ what is acceptable and appropriate online will only cause more unfortunate incidents, such as the Lindsey Stone case (Ronson, 2015) you mentioned. I recall reading that same article and feeling quite sorry for this individual; yes what she did was in poor taste, but the backlash of it seemed disproportionate. A cautionary tale for all those in these types of professions-think before posting!
References:
Ronson, J. (2015). 'Overnight, everything I loved was gone': the internet shaming of Lindsey Stone.the Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/21/internet-shaming-lindsey-stone-jon-ronson