Students are active users of Social Media. They are on Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat. Students regularly use these tools in their daily lives.  As educators, we have an ethical responsibility to understand how to use them as well.  Part of our responsibility as educators is to guide our students as digital citizens.

Professional Social Media Guidelines

1. Be Professional-  Keep in mind you represent yourself, your school and all of Haywood County Schools when you use social media as a professional.

2. Social Media Communication with Students is Inappropriate-  You should never use social media for direct communication with students. If you need to communicate directly with students, you should use your district provided email account or another district managed resource.

3. Be Selective in Who You Follow- You should not follow or friend students on social media.  We understand that some social media tools allow students to follow you, such as Twitter, but following students is inappropriate.

4. Think About What You Say-  Don’t post it to social media if you wouldn’t post it on the door of your classroom.

5. Read the Fine Print- Follow the terms of use and model appropriate online behavior.  You should not expect your students to have social media accounts when creating the account would violate both COPPA and the sites terms of use.

 

Social Media Practices and Procedures

Twitter Practices and Procedures

FaceBook Practices and Procedures

HCS Social Media Policy -7335