Privacy, Security, & Safety

It’s 2020 (just about) – do you know where your students' data is?

As National Cyber Security Month (October) has come to an end; and as the dawn of New York State’s proposed Education Law §2-d protecting students' Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is upon us here in The Empire State, I found it a good time to share this playlist for staff development. I recently have used this at a forum where I had tech leaders, newbies, innovators, coaches, etc. take ownership in their learning and understanding of the laws and regulations surrounding privacy, security, and safety. Working collaboratively (or in solitude if preferred), they were able to contribute to a Padlet where further discussion was given after the chance of exploration and written reflection were given on their findings.

Interestingly enough, not everyone in the room was familiar with every regulation. Many awesome conversations and questions were had…. Especially around student privacy.

Of course I understood their concerns. How can we be innovative and restricted? With the onset of New York State’s proposed Education Law §2-d it has left many tech gurus and administrators sweating bullets. I by no means am a lawyer (although I have been known to argue even if I am clearly wrong) and by no means am going to extend legal advice on the subject – but I do know this: knowledge is power.

Once upon a time, I was a naive teacher wanting to be cutting-edge, though I did not thoroughly understand or was aware of all privacy acts provided by the ed-tech companies or policies pertaining to student security and safety. What I did do was educate myself as I became more responsible for the technology infrastructure in a school setting. As Peter Parker in Spiderman once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” As we move forward in this technologically advanced age we need to not only protect our information, but our students and ultimately the school districts we serve. So please feel free to make a copy and edit this EdElements inspired playlist on Privacy, Security, & Safety to share with your faculty and staff to empower them as learners and leaders in this century of education.

Access the playlist on Privacy, Security, & Safety here.