Social media tools, along with handheld technologies such as smartphones and tablets, continue to push educational practice and how schools operate in a 24-7, always-on, connected digital environment. Effectively positioning your school to utilize social media, leverage student-owned technology and embrace other disruptive technologies requires a thorough understanding of the policy, guidelines, and recommendations that support such use. Join a panel of experienced administrators for a lively discussion of the issues.

Social Media and Student Device Policy Panel TechForum Texas

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Panel Discussion Path:

Introduction by David Jakes

Each participant will make an opening statement of introduction to their thoughts on social media

Why social media? What's the importance to learning?
Describe where your school district is with social media guidelines, frameworks, or recommendations, as well as permitting student owned devices.
Do we need guidelines for social media use by organizations? By teachers? Why or why not?
Make a case for, or against, an "open-device policy" in schools. If for, how do you address equity issues associated with open access?
"You Hunt Where the Ducks Are. My students are on Facebook." (Jeff Nunokawa, source: http://bit.ly/erjjxt) Is this a valid reason for using Facebook as a tool in school?. Is Facebook a valid learning platform?
How do you get organizational buy-in for change relating to disruptive technologies such as social media and cell phones?
Where is the line between permitting freedom of experimentation and innovation for educatiors and the organizational need for "consistent/safe/within the boundaries" tools supplied by the school district?

Rapid Fire Questions: interlaced between the questions above, these require a 30 second response per panelist.

Suggest one thing/one aspect the audience has not thought of when considering the need for social media guidelines.
What is one recommendation you have for the audience? (It can be anything, but it must be a one sentence recommendation).
Who are you paying attention to right now and why? (Perhaps someone doing interesting things with social media, open devices, etc. (This question submitted through Twitter by John Pederson.
Social means social. Should you engage in two-way communication on your social media platforms and comment back to responders?
Should you post student first and last names on content they create and class?
Should you provide recommendations for a teacher's personal use of social media?

Additional Discussion Questions:

Why is social media such a disruption for school
Are Facebook and Twitter realistic learning environments for schools? How important is social media/social networking for learning in today’s schools?
How has social media changed teaching and learning? What are the success stories that you can share?
Too much emphasis is placed on the tools, and not enough on learning. Comment on this.
With over 1/2 billion users, and with the number of virtual worlds exploding, can education afford to ignore social media? Is social use justification for educational use?
What’s most misleading about social media as a learning platform. What's not working?
Given that schools must address the role that social media plays in their mission, what are the next steps for learning organizations?
How can organizations and teachers move past the tools that are still emerging, and are still so much a part of the discussion in 2010?
In your opinion, what role do mobile devices play in schools? How important are they, how important will they become?
Shouldn't students have their own space, do they want educators in their social stream?
There was a recent article about 1st graders using Facebook. When do you begin using these technologies with students, if ever?
What next steps are you considering regarding your application of social media?

General Resources:

Center for Social Media | Making media matter

Social Media: Understanding the Conversations Below the Surface | presentation at Slideshare.net, introducing the fundamentals of social media.

Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 & Mobile Era | CoSN

Updating and Upgrading our Schools Media and Publishing Release | Sylvia Tolisano

Making the Case for Social Media in Schools | Mashable

Measuring the Impact of Social Media efforts | Chris Adams

The Anatomy of a Social Media Policy | Social Media Explorer

Social Media Policy for Schools | presentation at Slideshare.net from Oxiem

Social Media Infographics

Social Conversation | Avi Joseph, a great source of interesting infographics

How Social Media is Changing the Education Industry | Penn Olson

Are We Too Obsessed with Facebook? | Mashableca

The Winners & Losers of Social Networking | Mashable

65 Terrific Social Media Infographics | Social Media Today

Is Social Media Ruining Students | Online Education

Examples of Social Media Policy/Guidelines/Frameworks

Online Database of Social Media Policy | policies from a wide ranging of organizations, from the American Red Cross, to the Ford Motor Company, to the Mayo Clinic.

Social Media Policy of 113 Organizations | Social Media Today

15 University Social Media Policies | Amanda Vandervort

More Guidelines of Organizations | Social Media Toolkit

U.S. Army Social Media Handbook 2011 | MediaSnackers

Social Media Guidelines for Schools (podcast) | Wes Fryer

Littleton Public School discussion on the use of social media

The Real Life Social Network | Teachers friending students? OK, but go through this slidedeck, from Paul Adams

Mobile Learning: Cell Phones and Mobile Device Resources

Leadership for Mobile Learning | CoSN

Leadership for Mobile Learning | Lucy Gray

Mobile Learning: 21st Century Tools for 21st Century Schools | ISTE Mobile Learning SIG

Teens and Mobile Phones | PEW Internet