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Teacher cyberbullying is a hot topic. I recently had the pleasure (?) of being able to talk about teacher cyberbully on Metro morning, Radio 1, our local Toronto CBC radio station. I talked about why and how kids and parents bully teachers using the Internet and how teachers can protect themselves from cyberbullying.

Just today I got an email from Kevin Phang who is a media associate at on-line schools. He thought I might be interested in sharing the info graphic about cyberbullying with my readers. The info graphic was created using data gathered by Professor Andy Phippen of the University of Plymouth.  I’ve shared it below. Thanks Kevin.

What do you think administrators need to do to protect teachers from cyberbullying?

Courtesy of: OnlineSchools.com

Yes, school starts in a little more than two weeks and just like so many other teachers I’m starting to think (reluctantly ) about preparing for the new school year. Usually I go into school the week before school starts and ready the classroom, organize the supplies I’ll need and photocopy the handouts for the first few days. I’m going to do that but this year I’m also making a conscious effort to protect myself from teacher cyberbullying. I’ve seen and heard all kinds of horror stories about teacher cyberbullying. You probably have too.

Teacher cyberbullying is the deliberate use of information and communication technologies by students, parents, teachers, administrators etc. with the intention of insulting a teacher or teachers, harming reputations, spreading hate or discrimination based on race, colour, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or disability.

How am I going to protect myself from cyberbullying? I’m going to know the law, the code of professional ethics, my school board’s policies, and I’m going to follow them.

I know that teacher cyberbullying is against the law and can have serious consequences for the bully.

Much of my class takes place in cyberspace. I use information and communication technologies as teaching tools for myself and learning tools for my students. I don’t want my students to misuse these tools and demonstrate a lack of respect for anyone, me included. The new technology is really cool but it is a double edged sword. The cameras in cell phones for example can be  used to complete assignments or it can be used for teacher cyberbullying.

Last semester I overheard students  laughing and reminiscing about how a couple of grades ago they’ve deliberately provoked their teacher Mr. Johnston (not his real name)  and then filmed Mr. Johnstones’ reaction. Students know how to push teachers buttons, and since teachers are only human  just like everyone else, they can  loose it at times.  The students shared the video with other students and poor Mr. Johnston was not even aware of it, but here it is two years later and the students are still laughing about provoking Mr. Johnston and filming his reaction, the reaction they were hoping to get. Sometimes these videos end up on YouTube .  There’s even a term for that kind of bullying: you’ve been YouTubed.

Last year, cell phones were banned in school.  This year,  allowing cell phones in the classroom is at the discretion of the teacher.   I’m of mixed minds.  I’m going to  discuss a cell phone policy in my class with my students .  The discussion will be centred around respect for the learning environment and respect for people in the class, including me. Have you had a discussion like this. I’d love to hear how it wen,t and what the outcome was.

Cameras in cell phones are a concern but so are emails. I correspond with parents and students by email. I don’t want to say something in an email in a mindless moment that could cause me grief down the road. I don’t want to be inappropriate even if it is unintentional. So I intend to always

• maintain exemplary professional standards whenever I send a work related email to anyone,
• use a professional voice when communicating with anyone,
• keep a copy of all my emails,
• use a signature that includes my name, my work assignment, and my school,

I will not

• share any passwords with students or colleagues,
• leave my computer on when I’m not at it,
• use my home computer to send any work related emails to parents or students,
• use any cyberspeak ( lol, u, btw),
• post criticism of students, parents, colleagues, administrators,
• allow pictures to be taken and posted without knowing that appropriate safeguards are in place.

 

I realize despite my best efforts I could still be a victim of teacher cyberbullying.  The thought of it makes me shudder. Sometimes there’s not much I can do about it because teacher cyberbullying has moved out of the classroom and school environment.  Students can use a site called Rate Your Teacher to say vicious things anonymously about teachers.  Teachers don’t even know who is bullying them.  Kids are protected by their anonymity. I’ve talked  with  teachers who were victims of teacher cyberbullying on Rate Your Teacher.  Believe me, they were extremely upset and stressed about the situation because Rate Your Teacher wasn’t willing to remove the comments.  I’m told that sometimes Rate Your Teacher does remove the comments, but I personally don’t know of this happening.

What can I do if I’m a victim of teacher cyberbullying?  I can defend myself  by

• making copies of all messages/web postings or other related data including the URL,
• telling the sender to stop the behaviour and tell the sender such conduct is inappropriate and unacceptable,
• not  discussing the situation beyond tell the sender to stop becasue the conduct is inappropriate and unacceptable,
• seeking  support from my employer and local teachers’ federation,
• advising  My Occupational Health and Safety Committee if my safety is threatened,
• get in touch with my federation if things aren’t resolved effectively or if I need more information

 

It seems that a teacher’s life is getting more and more complicated.  It’s not just about the 3 “R’s” anymore.

Do you have any things to share about teacher cyberbullying?  I’d love to hear how you plan to protect yourself or deal with it if you are a victim.  Have you been a victim of cyberbullying?

 

Resource:

Cybersafety- important information for OSSTF/FEESO members

 

I’ve had to think about student YouTube-use management strategies in my class ever since the Board unblocked YouTube. From the moment my students discovered YouTube was unblocked, they kept sneaking onto it instead of focusing on the online assignment I’d given them. (I’ve written about my frustrating experiences here , here and  here.) Notice, I said my students “kept sneaking” onto YouTube. I can use the past tense because now my students don’t do that anymore- well almost not anymore.

What made the difference? I now give my students independent time on the computer for the first 15 minutes of the class to explore any topic that interests them. Students are free to access any site they wish during that time. My thinking here is that my students can meet their emotional needs (the need for undue attention, the need to feel important, the need for fun and the need for freedom) at the beginning of the class using their free time on the computer and then settled down and do the work I assigned to meet the needs of the curriculum for the last 60 minutes of class.

I can imagine that some of you at this point might be thinking that taking 15 minutes of class time to let my students explore what they will online is wasting time. Well, it actually isn’t. Let me explain. I teach struggling, reluctant students. Many of them are “at-risk” academically and find school offers them little. Usually my students will trickle into class for the first 15 minutes. I have to be pleased they come to class at all. I make my classroom as inviting as possible so students will come to class on their own accord. Mostly, it works. I don’t have many skips at all. Honestly, I’d rather they come to class a bit late than not at all. Since I’ve started letting my students explore their interests online at the beginning of class, they are coming to class earlier and earlier. They don’t want to miss out on the fun. Yes, the fun for most of them is YouTube. However, some students do choose other sites such as Wikipedia or coolmath games. We usually do have class discussions around what they choose to see. Mostly the discussion starts with me asking why they find the particular video they’ve chosen so interesting. I don’t ask this question to criticize their choices of videos, but to help me better understand my students. Believe me, I’m learning a lot about the culture of 14 and 15 year olds, and to think I have YouTube to thank for that. Who knew.

The other classroom management strategy I use to help my students focus on the assignment I give them is to block YouTube after the 15 minutes of free time. A large padlock appears on the screen indicating time is up. Students aren’t resentful that I do this. They get it. They know our tacit or perhaps not so tacit agreement. First I give them freedom and fun, then they settle down and do their work and give me completed assignments. We’re both happy. Our needs are met.

I’d like to thank Liz, teachermom, Sam and Melanie for leaving comments about their classroom experiences with students using computers as learning tools.   I appreciate their suggestions and  insights on the topic.  I do appreciate all the help I can get.

 

I think I’ve finally figured out why some of my students in my grade nine learning strategies class continually insist on sneaking to other sites like YouTube when they’re supposed to be doing their assignments using sites like Prezi, VoiceThread, Animoto, Voki, Wordle, or Bit Strips.  Not only are these students off task when they go to other sites instead of the one they’re supposed to be on, they crank up the volume so loud other students hear the sound and crowd around the monitor to see what’s so funny and soon no one is on task. I’ve tried blocking sites to keep students on task, but they just find other sites to go to. It’s been driving me crazy. I’ve been wondering why these students choose to be off task and disrupt the class day after day despite our little talks in the hall. I can’t really ban them from computers because I so “cleverly” integrated computers into the course so they need to be online to complete their assignments. I felt really defeated because I want to use computers and online applications in my classroom but using them was causing me such grief. I was beginning to wonder if it was counter productive to have my students use computers and online technology in the classroom. Then suddenly, it dawned on me. Some of my students are behaving the way they are while using computers because they are trying to try to meet their emotional needs in mistaken ways.

Ages ago, I learned about Glasser’s Behaviour Choice theory.  The idea is that students act certain ways to try to meet certain basic needs.  Sometimes these students try to meet their needs by inappropriate behaviour. These needs are are

• Survival- the need for for, shelter, clothing
• Power- the need to feel important
• Love/Belonging- the need to feel accepted and loved by others
• Freedom- the need to choose what we want to do with our lives
• Fun- the need to find enjoyment in life by learning and playing

For example, a child might try to meet his need to feel important by getting undue attention.  When my students are off task and go to other sites online and turn up the volume so that everyone crowds around them, they’re getting undue attention from other students and from me.  They might be thinking they’re only important when they  keeping me busy and keep getting the attention of other students.   That scenario seems to fit a couple of kids in my class.

Students could try to meet their need for power by going off task repeatedly and promising me when I try to redirect them that they will stop going off task and stay focussed but don’t, and I have to continually refocus them.  They may think that they only belongs if  they can be boss and prove I can’t make them do anything. I see that explaining some of the behaviour I see in my class.

Some of my students have profound learning disabilities that makes school difficult for them, and they don’t do as well as some of the other students.  They often feel stupid even though they have average or above intelligence. Since they have difficulty learning or demonstrating their learning,  learning isn’t much fun and they meet their need for fun by amusing  themselves by going to other sites like YouTube which they find entertaining.  When I ask my students why they go to other sites, they  tell me the other sites are fun. I can see why they think that  that because these fun alternative sites don’t expect anything from them like the sites I assign that support the curriculum. For at least one student,  learning how to take tests or write a strong paragraph can’t compete with  the fun of listening to various body sounds (farting sounds)  on www.soundboard.com. No, I’m not kidding.  A student, a grade 9 student, went  to that site and played back farting sounds to amuse himself while while other kids worked quietly on task- quietly, that is, until they heard the farting sounds.

Students could meet their need to chose what they want to do with their lives by refusing to do the assignments in class because they don’t want to be in a special education class. They want the freedom to choose what to do, and they don’t have it. They don’t want to be in my class so they choose not to do the work.  I’ve  heard students tell their friends my class is another English class even though it isn’t.  Students will even ask to keep the door shut because they don’t want their friends to see them in the learning strategies class because it’s a special education class.

When I think about some of the behaviour  goíng on in my class ín light of  Glasser’s theory, the behaviour makes sense to me. I now understand why some of my students act the way they do when they are completing assignments online.

Since I use computers  in my class, students are not sitting in the usual classroom configurations of rows or  tables.  They’re  sitting at computers facing the outside walls of the classroom. They don’t have the opportunity to  interact with me or their classmates in the same way as before I had computers in the classroom, so they have to figure out how to meet their emotional needs in the new context of a classroom with computers.  Students are trying to meet their needs in this new context  in inappropriate ways and this leads to a less than a positive learning environment.  The challenge for me is to help students  meet their needs in positive ways using appropriate behaviour in this new context. .

Any ideas?

 

photo thanks to sanjoselibrary

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