An Ethical Guide for Social Media Use in Education
As an educator who specializes in technology (digital design, information technology, computer science, and instructional technology), social media plays key roles in topics of discussion in class and for communication of school-related announcements. Graphic design students create content optimized for various social media applications. Instructional technology students learn best practices of social media accounts for teachers. It is also a popular way to network and share ideas with other professionals from all over the world. This is an ethics guide for school districts to follow with school-sponsored social media accounts. Thoughts on prevention and management of crises in social media platforms are included. This guide is specific to account for situations that are relevant for schools, but flexible for modification to fit the needs different school districts may require.
Introduction
Ethics can be defined by determining good from bad in systems of moral principles (Encyclopædia Britannica). Every occupation has a code of ethics with appropriate behaviors to follow. Having systems of ethics in place promotes safe and productive work environments. This is especially true for educators. When parents send their children to school it is expected that children will be learning from knowledgeable and respected role models in the community. School districts use social media accounts to communicate and promote news regarding their institutions. When using school-sponsored social media accounts, the platforms are extensions of school grounds. The behaviors, voice, and message need to be held to the same standard as if they were being delivered in a classroom from a teacher or administrator. This is an ethical guide for school districts to foster a culture defined in their purpose statements in an ever-changing landscape of social media.
Mission and Voice
Have a consistent voice that reflects your mission. Mission statements are found on the first page of faculty guides, student handbooks, and school district web sites. The list of goals and values should drive every decision schools make. This includes district policies down to the individual teacher lesson plan activities. The overall mission is part of your voice and needs to be consistent across all social media platforms. Tone changes with the nature of different messages but voice must be consistent with the brand of your school.
Audience
Know your audience (Blitch, 2021, slide 7). Social media followers are a diverse community of people with varying interests. Parents and students are the most important people we want to reach. Our schools exist to teach kids. Social media is a way to communicate events, functions, and announcements in a platform that parents and students are already active with. Business partnerships, community stakeholders, and taxpayers also benefit from being informed about schools. Communicating relevant messages targeted to specific audiences help people stay current with information, but not feeling bombarded with spam. Do all parents need announcements from all activities or schools? Understand what information should be sent through which channels to meet specific interest groups.
Inform, not Influence
Do not show bias (Blitch, 2021, slide 8). Diversity is what makes a community special. We are a people of different ethnicities, religions, political parties, cultures, and race. We can celebrate our differences and appreciate the values of others. It is unacceptable to use social media platforms to influence or promote favoritism in any of the areas listed above. Additionally, be mindful to not endorse products on social media.
Privacy
Do not compromise privacy (Blitch, 2021, slide 9). The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects privacy of student education records (U.S. Department of Education, 2020). Check to see that you have the permission of anyone pictured or mentioned in a social media post. Be sure that any pictured student hasn’t had paperwork turned in prohibiting the publication of their photograph. Have a colleague check for evidence of educational documents. There should not be any worksheets, grade reports, or student signatures visible in the photograph. Educators are excited to celebrate the success of students, but privacy laws need to be followed in all settings.
Accuracy
Verify before posting (Blitch, 2021, slide 12). It is advised to not immediately post content on district social media platforms. Check to be sure that each of the elements above are followed. People have had their fill of misinformation. Information needs to be accurate, and sources should be used when necessary. Be sure the voice and tone are appropriate. Check that the information can’t be misinterpreted. It is better to check twice and post once. Retractions and clarification posts can lead to more confusion, and lose engagement from our community. Predict what the impact of the post will be on the intended audience.
Crisis Prevention
Crisis prevention is crucial. Do not forget about a post once it is online. Monitor and listen on social media platforms (Blitch, 2021, slide 13). Asking how you can help, or more information are two powerful things to say to someone that makes them feel seen and heard (@wellness_mh, 2021). If you are unable to help someone, get them in touch with someone who can. Blitch (2021, slide 24) explains in a social network discussion 80% of Twitter’s advertisers’ inbound customer service requests happen in the app. Social media user voicing concerns expect a resolution within the platform. Do not take criticism personally as people are more likely mad at a situation than you.
Crisis Management
Crisis management plans are needed in the result of a failure in the mission from the school system and helps with damage control. Swift actions need to take place. Pausing all outbound messages needs to happen first, followers by acknowledging that there is an issue (Blitch, 2021, slide 27). You can inform followers that you will soon post information for information and where to send inquiries. This information can include a summary of the situation, a link to a living FAQ document, a place to publicly vent or voice concerns (moderated rules and etiquette should be followed), and channels for those affected to be moved offline (Blitch, 2021). These can be posted across all channels. Communication needs to be truthful and transparent (Blitch, 2021, slide 6). District staff will be notified of the ongoing situation and provided with information they can say if they are asked by the public.
Learn and Improve
Learning experiences are also for educators. Social media posts provide convenient documentation as they are exact records with included time stamps. These should be archived to be sure nothing was missed during crisis management (Blitch, 2021, slide 36). Traffic from platforms can help see which apps were most successful during the crisis, and which weren’t. Once everything is back under control, posting an apology, and a promise to learn from mistakes and improve can be shared on platforms, and scheduled posts can start to come back online.
Conclusion
It can be easy to forget we are reaching real people when communicating behind keyboards and screens. We must be as conscious how our words sound when read by others as we are while speaking them face to face. Our social media platforms are virtual institutions held to the same high standards that our physical academies are celebrated for.
References
@wellness_mh. (2021, April 13). Two powerful things to say to someone that makes them feel seen and heard… How can I help? Tell me more. #BeKind #mentalhealth #tuesdayvibe [Tweet]. Twitter.
Blitch, K. (2021). Crisis Situations & Ethics [Lecture Presentation]. UFCJC Online, University of Florida.
Blitch, K. (2021). Social Networks [Lecture presentation]. UFCJC Online, University of Florida.
Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). Ethics. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/ethics-philosophy.
U.S. Department of Education. (2020, December 15). Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Home. https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.
