{"id":257,"date":"2023-08-27T15:53:48","date_gmt":"2023-08-27T22:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/med\/?p=257"},"modified":"2023-09-28T16:51:59","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T23:51:59","slug":"considering-privacy-in-online-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/med\/2023\/08\/27\/considering-privacy-in-online-spaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Considering Privacy in Online Spaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is second nature to most to take selfies, share them on Instagram, Snapchat, etc., equally it is common for educators to be excited about using innovative technology tools in the classroom to engage leaners and support their learning. In the role of a public school teacher or within any public body, you must adhere to the laws set out by the B.C. Office of Information and Privacy Commissioner<\/a> for public bodies (private organizations have a different set of rules) with regard to stewarding students’ personal information. Their office has put together guidelines for you to follow to better understand what the rules are and how to get consent as detailed in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Each school district will have their own process (which may range from not allowing to an expectation to integrate networked learning tools from outside of Canada), so it is important to understand your school context. That said, you may find some school administrators or staff breaking these rules or not aware of them. As a teacher, it is important for you to enter the field and uphold the law, regardless of the culture you enter. This does not mean that you do not engage online or outside of Canada. It means that if\/when you do so, that you understand the steps, which are not much more complex than the consent you would get normally for going \u201con the Internet,\u201d as is described in most schools, but you must name the date consent is effective and, if applicable, the date it expires. It is important that you work with your school district on the consent process. You can see an example of how school district are addressing access to cloud tools outside of Canada here\u00a0<\/a>(Coquitlam) and\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0plus\u00a0here<\/a> (Victoria). You must also name each tool individually. It cannot be \u201cblogging.\u201d You must name WordPress.com or Blogger, etc. If you use Flipgrid, you must name Flipgrid. Consent must also be informed, so effort must be taken to ensure that those signing consent understand the implications – that their data may leave Canada, how it may be harvested, and to know about the U.S. Patriot Act. One archived resource by the Canadian Treasury Board provides significant detailed information about the Patriot Act here<\/a>. It is important to also review section 4(b) of the\u00a0B.C. Digital Literacy Framework<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of course, some of these rules were shifted during the Covid-19 pandemic<\/a> and this led to some significant malfeasance by technology providers, as detailed here<\/a> and here<\/a>. Protecting and raising awareness of student privacy and data usage is an important consideration when integrating any educational technology tool or intervention.<\/p>\n

Additional Resources for Review\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Privacy Education for Kids<\/a>\u00a0by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada<\/p>\n

Information Security Awareness<\/a>\u00a0by the BC Government<\/p>\n

MediaSmarts: Canada\u2019s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy<\/a><\/p>\n

Some competencies for you to explore and ask if you need help:<\/p>\n