The big issue

Once we know more about how to make sure that we are sharing appropiate pictures of our students, let´s move into the most important issue here:

How do we prevent our students from suffering some type of cyber bullying?

Cyber bullying is a type of bullying that takes place online. It usually involves sharing pictures of the victim, sending messages into a public space to ridicule the victim, or some type of action of those lines. The problem with the internet is that, since it is an anonymous platform, a mask that protects the bully is settled. Thus, we need to put effort into protecting the students and making sure that the pictures that they share online are adecuate, show them how to act if they are being bullied online (or offline, of course), and develop a plan for the school.

How to post pictures of our students: key points

1. Check the guidelines of your school. They vary from school to school, and even from class to class. Make sure that you are following the specific guidelines.

2. Ask for consentiment (you can get different guidelines and formats, such as this one). Not only from the parents, but also from the students.

3. If in doubt, do not post the picture!

4. Do not show direct information of the students

5. Make sure that the pictures are meaningful

6. Use private platforms, so that whoever is seeing the pictures has to request access to it. 

7. Try normalizing the use of pictures, that is, make sure that you share them at a school level first, and then online. This could help the parents feel more comfortable with those pictures being shared online. 

To know more, have a look!    

Teaching how to share pictures responsibly

Here´s a very good visual resource that can help educate adults and children about the importance of "keeping it private"

What´s the issue here?

Technology is a paralel world in which we live. Adults and children, happy and sad people, moms and dads, singles, adventurers, actors, teachers, big and small business, astronauts. We are all there.

Our world has rules. In one hand, we have developed laws that vary depending on where you physically live, study and work.

The internet has no rules. Its very own nature radicates on freedom. Is this necessary? Should we restrain parts of the internet for the sake of safety?

I think that the answer is quite simple: NO.



First, because we can´t. The internet is so flexible, so thin and so expandable that it is impossible to regulate it. Even the most encrypted systems can be hacked, even the internet can have a paralel dimension.
Second, because we should not. It is different controlling from restraining, educating than prohibiting.

The problem with this issue is that, as educators, we face a very important and complicated wave: the new generation of technology kids. They learn different, feel different, their brains are even different 

They will share their pictures. We will probably share their pictures.

The issues here are the following:

How do we explain to them the need to be safe?
How do we educate them in selecting safe sites?
When could we post their pictures? Where? Under what circumstances?