Using Social Media: Guide for
DEECD Employees in Schools
Created: January 2012
Resources
Learning On Line
website
www.education.vic.gov.au /learningonline
Resources
Using Social Media:
Guide for DEECD
Employees in
Schools
www.education.vic.gov.au /learningonline
Using Social Media: Guide for DEECD
Employees in Schools
Focus is on behaviours
NOT the technology
Components of Using Social Media: Guide
The Guide aims to:
• Define social media tools
• Describe the obligations of ALL school employees
• Provide real examples appropriate/inappropriate use
• Outline misuse and legal consequences
Components of Using Social Media: Guide
This Guide is NOT a disciplinary tool
Its greatest value is to assist DEECD
employees in schools to better exercise
their professional judgement when
making decisions about their personal
and professional use of social media.
Components of Using Social Media: Guide
Additional components of the Using Social Media: Guide for
DEECD Employees in Schools:
• Things to consider when establishing a social media
profile
• Step-by-step guides
Step-by-step Guides
Professional Learning Opportunity
Understanding what is in the existing legislation,
policies, instruments and guidelines and how these
apply to social media is an important part of being a
professional.
Example: Professional Learning Activity
Case study
Teacher K regularly uses a social networking site to socialise on a
personal level with friends. Teacher K attends a ‘hooker and ho’
themed fancy dress party. Teacher K’s costume is awarded the best
dressed prize. Teacher K has restricted her privacy settings so that
‘only friends’ can access her profile page. She uploads a photograph of
her dressed in her prize winning costume while drinking from the prize
winning magnum of champagne and uses this as her profile picture.
(Via a personally owned computer from her home wireless connection)
Example: Professional Learning Activity
Focus behaviour
Posting images of yourself on social media sites that have the
potential to negatively affect your reputation.
Relevant policy
• Education Training and Reform Act 2006 (Part 2.4)
• Ministerial Order (Clause 11.1.7 (1))
Example: Professional Learning Activity
Discussion starter
In terms of your professional practice consider… If privacy
settings are not used correctly, profile pictures can be viewed
by all users of the social networking site.
Workshop questions
1.What are the potential issues or concerns with the person’s
behaviour?
2.Are there any behaviours identified that are NOT an issue or concern
and why?
3.What is the potential risk?
4.Who is at risk? Who is at fault?
5.What might be an appropriate response to mitigate the risk?
Example: Professional Learning Activity
DEECD recommendation
DEECD employees in schools do not post images of
themselves on social media sites that have the
potential to negatively affect their reputation.
QUESTIONS?