Running Head: Social Media Policy 1

Social Media Policy

Elizabeth Futch

Georgia Southern University

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Many facets of today’s society are becoming linked more than ever before through the

emergence of social media and Web 2.0 technologies. Daniel Nations (n.d.) defines social media

as any website or service that utilizes a social or Web 2.0 philosophy. A distinction needs to be

noted between the use of social networking sites and the use of educational networking sites.

Johnson (2009) describes educational networking sites as those that are restricted to a select

group of individuals, like a class of students, and are not open to the general public. It is not

uncommon for students and teachers to access and utilize social media on a daily basis. Social

media and Web 2.0 technologies are being used as instructional tools throughout the nation in the

form of Blogs, Wikis, Webcasts, and Podcasts. While many districts block access to these tools,

other districts are embracing the educational benefits of incorporating 21st century skills into the

content standards. Perhaps the greatest obstacle in terms of using social media in school settings

is the lack of rules or policies regarding its use.

Through the evaluation of my district’s media center policies, little to no reference was found

in regard to the use of social media or Web 2.0 technologies. Most policies, often found in the

form of Acceptable Use Policies, typically focus on the general use of the Internet during school

hours. During my research, I discovered a school located in North Las Vegas, Nevada, that

established an extensive media center manual that includes a section on social networking and

Web 2.0.

Bentheim and Reininger (2010) pose the following benefits of social networking in an

educational setting:

They [social networking sites] are an ideal environment for students to share

what they are learning or to build something together online. The nature of the medium

allows students to receive feedback from librarians, teachers, peers, parents, and others.
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Social networking technologies create a sense of community (as do the physical library

and school) and in this way are already aligned with the services and programs at the

library and/or school. (p.33)

When it comes to creating a social media policy, several different viewpoints emerge. Some

feel that social networking does not have a place in education at all. Others believe that social

networking and Web 2.0 are essential to teaching 21st century skills. Still others feel that while

social networking is an acceptable instructional tool, a separate policy outside the Acceptable

Use Policy is not warranted. Anderson (2010) feels that by keeping parents informed of social

networking use in the classroom and by properly educating students on appropriate Internet use

and Digital Responsibility, there is no need for a separate social media policy. Kroski (2009)

feels that a social media policy will establish clear guidelines and set ground rules for employees

with regard to their online activities. Garton (2009) indicates that there is no place in education

for non-educational social networking sites, but embraces the use of educational networking sites

that are provided internally by the district such as Moodle, or a professional community such as

Classroom Ning 2.0. Valenza (2009) will argue that by omitting the use of social networking and

Web 2.0, it then becomes an intellectual freedom issue. According to Valenza (2009),

“Librarians should be willing to fight for open access to new information and tools with the same

energy we use for books, helping our districts develop reasonable filtering policies and

demonstrating models of effective use of online tools” (Intellectual freedom extends to Web 2.0

section, para. 2).

While many social media policies exist in the business realm, very few have yet to be created

that deal primarily with educational applications. To date, several districts and schools have

implemented their own social media or networking policies. One such policy was created by
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Dicken’s Elementary School in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The Dicken’s policy provides

guidelines for Friends, Comments, Content, Blogging Policy, and Blogging Procedures for

Patrons. The school library media specialist retains moderating rights while allowing for freedom

of expression in alignment with the position statements of the American Library Association.

Kroski (2009) suggests creating a policy addressing different types of applications, such as

blogs, Facebook, and other emerging technologies. Kroski (2009) goes on to suggest that such a

policy is best composed using a wiki format which will allow for frequent updates or changes as

technology dictates. Johnson (2009) offers networking guidelines for both social networking

sites and educational networking sites by professional staff.

Johnson’s (2009) guidelines for education networking sites by professional staff are as

follows:

• Let your administrator, fellow teachers and parents know about your educational

network.

• When available, use school-supported networking tools.

• Do not say or do anything that you would not say or do as a teacher in the classroom.

(Remember that all online communications are stored and can be monitored.)

• Have a clear statement of purpose and outcomes for the use of the networking tool.

• Establish a code of conduct for all network participants.

• Do not post images that include students without parental release forms on file.

• Pay close attention to the site's security settings and allow only approved participants

access to the site. (para. 7)

Rules established for student use of social networking sites, as outlined in most Acceptable

Use Policies, generally follow the same principals as those of Digital Responsibility and
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Netiquette. One such rule deals with privacy and the avoidance of posting personal information

such as last names, addresses, or phone numbers. Another rule for students is to use digital

etiquette when posting; this includes avoiding posting opinions which will offend others and to

post using appropriate language. Finally, it is important to always check for spelling and

grammar errors. Bentheim and Reininger (2010) further suggest that one should not write about

another person without first receiving permission from that individual.

Do social media and Web 2.0 policies have a place in school media centers? Yes; not only do

they need to be included in school media center policies, but they should also be added to a

school’s Acceptable Use Policy. Social media and Web 2.0 technologies will continue to evolve

and lead to future technologies; all of which will find a place in the business sector. If students

are not allowed to use and apply these applications for educational use, they could potentially

lack skills they will need in the job-force. The benefits of providing engaging instruction with

Web 2.0 technologies will further increase student learning and understanding of content

standards. It is almost unfathomable to grasp how one would teach the Standards for the 21st

Century Learner (AASL) without the use of social media and Web 2.0 technologies. By having a

social media policy established at one’s school or district, the chances for misuse will be greatly

reduced and thereby provide an engaging and productive means to provide instruction to our

students.

References
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Anderson, Steven W. (2010, January 17). Why have a social media policy anyway? Take 2.

Message posted to http://web20classroom.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-have-social-media-

policy-anyway.html

Bentheim, Christina & Reininger, Barbara J. (updated March 30, 2010). D.L. “Dusty” Dickens

Elementary School library media center program, policies, and procedures manual.

Retrieved from https://www.box.net/shared/sls3d26q1f

Garton, Janetta. (2009, September 27). Social networking best practices. Retrieved from

http://www.willard.k12.mo.us/co/tech/Document/SocialNetworkBestPractices.pdf

Johnson, Doug. (2009, August 20). Networking guidelines, revised. Message posted to

http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/8/20/networking-guidelines-

revised.html

Kroski, Ellyssa.(2009).Should your library have a social media policy? School Library

Journal,55(10), 44-46. Retrieved from

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6699104.html

Nations, D. (n.d.). The Web 2.0 glossary: A list of Web 2.0 terms defined. Article posted to

http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/web20-glossary.htm

Valenza, Joyce. (2009). 14 ways K-12 librarians can teach social media. Tech & Learning.

Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/23558