Privacy & Security
Shared Roles and Responsibilities
Use of technologies and digital citizenship is a shared responsibility between students, parents/guardians, educators, schools, districts, and governments. Given the dynamic nature of digital technology, all groups work together to reduce the risks posed by Internet usage and promote positive digital citizenship practices.
The following overview provides the responsibilities of the various stakeholders in Central Okanagan Public Schools to mitigate and manage risks associated with digital technology usage, through student education and supervision, through informing and supporting employees, and through network filtering and monitoring.
Checking In On Your Digital Footprint
As an educator it is important that you are aware of your own digital footprint. In SD23 our Board Policy (386) states that all staff are to "demonstrate digital citizenship, both during and outside school hours" and to" advocate and model digital etiquette, responsible social interactions, and safe ethical use of electronic and social media". As such, we encourage you to google (search) your own name and see what comes up in both the search results and images. If any items come up that you feel are not appropriate, be sure to take the steps to remove them.
Obtaining Meaningful Consent
Many educators make use of digital tools with students. As you read in the "Shared Roles & Responsibilities" document, educators are required to "know the status of their students’ consent for any digital tools" they choose to use in their classroom.
To support everyone, we've created various consent form templates for many of the commonly used digital tools in our district (ex. GSuite, FreshGrade), which you can find on Learning Technology website (link below). There you can also find a "create your own" consent form template for any tools that may not be on the list provided.
Copyright
All staff and students are responsible to model safe and ethical use of electronic and social media communication, including respect for copyright, intellectual property and the appropriate documentation of sources.
Staff members in nonprofit educational institutions may communicate and reproduce, in paper or electronic form, short excerpts from a copyright protected work. Check out the resource above to ensure you are fully informed on what you can and cannot do when it comes to copyright.
Passwords
Passwords are the key to almost everything you do online and you undoubtedly have multiple passwords that you use throughout each day. Therefore, creating strong passwords and managing them securely is fundamental to the safety of all students, staff, and families.
Check out this resource that includes information on how you can reset your own password or the password of your students should they forget it. It also includes some important FAQs and best practices to follow when it comes to passwords.
Phishing
Phishing scams are social engineering attacks and are one of the most prevalent, and dangerous, types of cybercrime that individuals and organizations around the world are currently facing. It is important that you develop your skills in detecting a phishing scam.
Check out this resource that includes information on how to protect both yourself and your organization from the damage of potential phishing scams (including what to do when you come across an email that you believe might be fraudulent).
5 Things You Can Do Today!
While there are endless things you can do to keep yourself safe and secure in the online world, the following list includes items that our team strongly encourages everyone to consider when it comes to Privacy & Security.
What's Your Key Takeaway?
After going through the above resources around Privacy & Security, what is your key takeaway? What important learning did you come across that you would share with a colleague?
Share your reflection in the Padlet.
