Quality Matterswww.qualitymatters.org/

Policies Evaluated

The policies at the Virgin Islands Department of Education can be found at this site in the link. While they do provide a comprehensive Internet Use policy, it addresses how it was established and under which partnerships. The lists its primary purpose as promoting and advancing access. In the policy, they focus on preventing the users from accessing inappropriate content and state under which federal law this is supported. This policy is presented as a guideline for the users and teachers and staff to follow when they access the network. Students over 18 are required to sign it or if younger, requires the parents to sign. The guidelines focus mainly of preventing users from deleting others' accounts, or accessing others' accounts, threatening others or harassing others. There are other sections on identity and monitoring, privacy and security, and any penalties one would occur should they not follow the guidelines. This policy is overall too comprehensive and general to get at the specifics of Digital Citizenship. While they do have a statement, "threatening, harassing or making false statements about others" as improper use, that is too vague to convey in terms what students specifically need to learn about key aspects of digital citizenship. Rather than leave it to select teachers to interpret and for others to not have a clue about this policy, it is time to create a living document that is applicable to the students in 2022. This policy needs to be rewritten specifically to address the critical issue of Cyberbullying.

Up until this point, I had not really thought fully about how I am a digital citizen and the important role that I play in spreading awareness of it. When you dissect digital citizenship into its subtopics you learn about equity, access, netiquette, cyberbullying, and culturally responsive teaching and so many other essential topics. These areas are all critical and convey a sense of urgency in terms of their awareness. Sadly, through the news of two beautiful teenage girls’ deaths by suicide as the result of being cyberbullied, I understood the urgency that must be placed on creating a professional development unit on these areas of digital citizenship. It is also time to rewrite this policy to include a policy that addresses Cyberbullying and getting at the core of it. Parents need to know their children need to know how and why cyberbullying is a critical issue in schools. Parents have some blame when they allow their children to "defend themselves" and be bullies. This knowledge about the critical nature of cyberbullying what it does makes it all the more urgent to be a key topic in my professional development unit.

Steps to creating your Cyberbullying Policy

1. Visit this Cybersafett.com powerhouse of resources for parents and children. If you feel like your constantly living under pressure of bullies you can exhale with these powerful resources on your side. It provides information for parents who are there to support their children.