Students and Social Media in Monday's Unrest

The "riots" that occurred in Baltimore this past Monday will be talked about for years to come, as will the lessons that can, hopefully, be learned from these events. According to multiple media sources, the notion of the initial "purge" that began the unrest was spread during the school day via social media.

"The incident stemmed from a flier that circulated widely among city school students via social media about a “purge” to take place at 3 p.m., starting at Mondawmin Mall and ending downtown. Such memes have been known to circulate regularly among city school students, based on the film "The Purge," about what would happen if all laws were suspended."
-Excerpt from Scott Dance's Baltimore Sun News Article

As this blog is focused on the fusion of technology with education and the role the school has in monitoring the online activity of both its students and faculty, the social media aspect of Monday's unrest is of great interest here. Since the message of the purge was spread during the school day, numerous questions arise:

-Why and how were students able to spread this message so quickly while they were in school?
- Does the school monitor the students' social media?
- If the school knew about the "purge," should they have acted to stop it?


I do not have the answers to these questions, and frankly, I do not want to get in a debate about them. I do believe, however, that school systems have something to learn from the role of social media in Monday's events. So here is my final question- if you were the principal of a school and saw a "purge" message circulating, what would you do?

Call Me Maybe? Cell Phone Privacy in 21st Century Education

Teachers, let's be honest... If we were paid a dollar for every cell phone that we have, or should have confiscated during schools hours then we could probably retire a few years early!

Despite the hyperbole, confiscating a student's cell phone can be an incredibly serious legal matter- especially when we are faced with the possibility of having to search the contents of the student's phone.

So what does the law say on this issue? Unfortunately, there is no specific law on the books involving students and their cell phones, but the Supreme Court has given some guidelines on this issue. In 2014, the High Court decided in Riley v. California that police cannot automatically search the cell phones of the motorists whom they arrest. Although this case does not directly involve students, it is widely believed that this ruling would protect the fourth amendment rights of students who use cell phones in schools. However, this ruling would only protect students' cell phone privacy when the student is in trouble for a non-cell phone related issue. As a result, it looks like schools just can't search the phones of every trouble maker in the school- and this is probably a good thing!

But what about when the student is in trouble for using their cell phone? The courts are a lot less clear about this situation... So here are three scenarios, and you tell me what you think...

Scenario A: You are walking down the hallway and see Johnny texting. School policy clearly states students are not allowed to text during school hours. Are you allowed to take Johnny's phone and search though his messages to see who he was texting?

Scenario B: You are walking down the hallway and see Johnny, a student of yours, looking at a picture of the test is he supposed to take next period in your class. You take his phone, but can you search through his messages to see who sent him the image?

Scenario C: You are walking down the hall and see Johnny using his phone, but you can't tell what he id doing. School rules allow you to confiscate his phone. Can you search the phone to see what he was doing?

***Take the poll and share your thoughts in the comments section***


A good read: Supreme Court cellphone-search ruling sends a cautionary message to schools by Frank LoMonte

Let's Not Take a Selfie- Social Media Privacy in 21st Century Education

It seems even the President of the United States is getting involved in the social media, "selfie" craze these days.... 

But wait just one second, teachers and students, before you go posting that thought or pic, because it may just get you fired or expelled...

In this day and age where everyone wants to share their thoughts and actions with the World, we often forget that clicking "post" can have ramifications. After all, with great power comes great responsibility- and having the world at your fingertips is having great power. Teachers and students alike are coming under increased scrutiny for what they post on social media. Teachers have been fired over their posts and pictures as it reflects poorly on the school they work for; students have been disciplined for cyber bullying or other actions they have chosen to reveal online.  Here are some articles or blog links citing such incidences:

"What Right Do Schools Have to Discipline Students for What They Say Off Campus?"  Article from The Atlantic.


"Social media and Faculty Discipline" A wassom.com blog post.


"Social Media and Student Disciple" A wassom.com blog post.

In the 21st Century, it is incredibly important that we train our staff, faculty, and students to be responsible digital citizens. So, the next time you click "post," think twice about how it will reflect upon not only you, but your school.

You've Got Mail- E-mail Privacy in 21st Century Education

Have you ever sent or received an e-mail which, if your boss saw, could get you in some major trouble, or perhaps even fired? Have you sent or received such messages at work? Were you using a work-related e-mail address? Inappropriate e-mail are something that many of us deal with probably more than we should, but what are the implications for education?

A few years ago, my school decided it was time to start creating an gmail account for every student. The faculty thought, and still does think, that this was a great now- now we have a standardized e-mail address system for everyone! However, is the school allowed to monitor, restrict, and even discipline students for how their school e-mail accounts are used? The answer- yes and no... According to the ACLU:

If the school provides students with an e-mail address, it can impose rules on its use. For example, it can require that the address be used only for school-related purposes and can prohibit using the account in a way that interferes with another student's learning, such as sending flames or bullying messages.

But if your school does not have such a policy, it can discipline you only if what you write disrupts school activities or infringes on the rights of others.

School officials may not censor what is said in an e-mail simply because they disagree with the thoughts. For example, you may criticize a school policy or a school board action. You have the right to express your views on public issues, and doing so does not in itself interfere with the school's educational goals.

Student Rights and Responsibilities in the Digital Age. 

Based on this exerpt, it is clearly important that schools lay out definitive guidelines for how students, and faculty, are to use their e-mail accounts. 

From Passing Notes to Posting Pics- Privacy in 21st Century Education

In my seven years of teaching, I have never caught any of my students "passing notes" to one another, However, I have, on several occasions, caught students texting in class. According to our school's "Acceptable Use of Technology" Guidelines, when I find students passing such virtual notes, it is my job to confiscate the phone and turn it into our Dean of Students.... Let's be honest with one another- I don't do this. If I took every phone I saw being used inappropriately, well, I would be turning in cartons full of phones every day and nobody has time for that! But what if I see a message, or a picture, or a post of something incredibly inappropriate or dangerous? That is a whole other can of worms...

What is privacy in our schools these days??? This  incredibly important question  is currently being debated within the educational community. When a student's device is confiscated, are school administrators allowed to look through the device with or without probable cause? Can students be disciplined for social media postings made outside of school? Is faculty e-mail subject to review?

Over the next several days, I will be looking at specific examples where technology has blurred the lines of student and teacher privacy. Please check in and offer me your feedback.