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THE MAGAZINE FOR ONTARIOSPRINCIPALS AND VICE-PRINCIPALS

WINTER 2009 VOL.11 NO.4

Publication Mail Agreement # 40033279

The LEAP exchange a story of partnership

around the world

SHARINGA LITERAC

SHAKE

INNOVATIVE TEACHING SK ILLS THE EARLY LEARNING REPORT FACEBOO

Host of the International Confederation of Principals 10th World Convention 2011

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acebook is a global social networkingwebsite. Users can add friends andsend them messages, update their per-sonal proles and notify friends about

recent activities. In September 2009, Facebook

surpassed 300 million users. In Canada, thereare 12 million users more than one out of every three Canadians!

While there are many advantages to thesite, users need to be cautious of the pitfallsas well; specically that inappropriate or un-professional use can have personal and pro-fessional consequences. For educators, this isparticularly important. Just as you dont stopbeing a principal when you are at the grocerystore on the weekend, you dontstop being a

principal if you set up a Facebook page.Here are some tips that users should keep

in mind: Establish settings Make sure your privacysettings for both content and photos are setto your preferences. Carefully screen who youwant to see your information, as well as whocan post to your site. Its best to set up thesepreferences when you rst create your prole. Monitor your page A daily look to see whathas been posted is advised. It is best to delete

or hide responses from friends when necessary. Dont tell all Avoid including a lot of personal information on your prole page,as hackershave been known to use thisinformation to create fake accounts on otherwebsites and destroy your credit rating. Third party chatter Dont post personalinformation about anyone else on your page. Understand the Internet Keep in mind thatthe material you are currently posting will

remain in cyberspace indenitely and can beviewed by anyone around the world. It canpotentially be edited and/or forwarded by oth-ers without your knowledge. Digital dirt Be aware that your postings and

pictures can follow you for years. Employersand post-secondary institutions are now usingsearch engines to see what information youhave posted on social networking sites, lookingfor your digital dirt. Keep track Its important to have a recordof who you have accepted as a friend. Dontcomplain about your job if you have added col-leagues and/or your boss as friends. Know the boundaries Professional andpersonal lives do not stay separate on social

networking sites. If you are obliged to keep cer-tain information condential in your job, donttalk about that information on Facebook. Making friends As a general rule, educa-tors should not accept students as friends,since this can be viewed as inappropriate andunprofessional. If you decide to friend astudent, communicate with them on yourpage as you would talk to them verbally infront of a crowd. While itis okay to set up apage to post homework and assignments,

it is not okay to send/receive inappropriateposts to/from students. Dont gossip Talking about students, staff,colleagues, trustees, supervisors or parents onyour personal page can be damaging. Such in-formation can be forwarded to others withoutyour knowledge. Digital reputation Be aware that what youpost on Facebook, or any other social network-ing site, speaks directly to your character.

Take precautions Consider installing theFacebook application called Privacy Mirror,which will show you exactly what other peoplare seeing on your site. Be respectful Other peoples privacy must

be considered. Dont post photos on yourFacebook site that include family members anfriends if they dont want their photo availableand accessible to others on the Internet. Think before you type While you can deletesomething from your Facebook page, be awarthat if someone else has already copied it, thenit is out of your hands. Think about this BEFOyou post anything. Legal policies Know your Board policies thamay limit or prohibit you from using or access

ing Facebook on a Board computer or duringworking hours. Software can identify what sityou visit, when and how often, so it is easy foremployers to monitor your Internet activitywhile at school. Deleting a prole Currently, when youdeactivate a Facebook page, the content is notpermanently deleted. While the company hasagreed to change this in the next year, for nowa deactivated site remains in cyberspace. Practice common sense There are many

advantages to social networking sites andwhile they will continue to grow in number anpopularity, use common sense. Dont avoid thsites but be smart when using them. Use professionalism Be considerate of otherand most importantly be professional. Be awaof the long-term impacts of what you post tothe cyber world and its effect on your future.

Tips for Facebook Users

E-mail: psweeney@principals.ca

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