Acceptable Use Policy Activity

Scenario 4: Class wiki is setup using students' first names and last initial. One student copies and pastes an entire section of website information without citing the source. Student is then forced to remove the information and serve lunch detention. The following email is received:

It has come to my attention that my son, Nick West, served a detention for copying information from one website to your class wiki.  Although I agree that he shouldn’t have copied information without citing his source, I have looked over this wiki and I see that you have students using their real names.  Is this not a violation of my son’s privacy?  Why was I not asked permission before my minor son participated in creating a site that the whole world has access to?

Mr. West

The following is what my reply would be to this email. I'm using the Student AUP of Defiance City Schools for this activity, which can be found here: Defiance AUP . (I will note too that the Defiance AUP seems to be dated from 2005; if that is the case I think it should be updated!)

Dear Mr. West;

First I feel I should point out that both you and your son, Nick signed our district's Acceptable Use Policy, and in that policy under section IV-C (Internet Safety/Hacking & Other Illegal Activities), it is stated that: "Any use which violates state or federal law relating to copyright, trade secrets, the distribution of obscene or pornographic materials, or which violates any other applicable law or municipal ordinance, is strictly prohibited." When Nick copied and pasted an entire section of website information without citing its source, he not only violated Defiance's AUP, he was also in violation of Federal Copyright Law. As such, we felt that a lunch detention was the appropriate consequence for his actions, so that he will more clearly understand and refrain from such actions in the future.

With regard to my use of of the students' names on the class wiki, I have actually not violated your son's privacy. According to the AUP, section IV-B (Internet Safety/Personal Safety), only a student's last name is prohibited from use. Additionally, section IV-D (Internet Safety/Confidentiality of Student Information) states that a supervising teacher may "authorize the release of directory information" for "approved educational projects and activities." The class wiki was approved by my principal for this educational class activity, so no violation of privacy has occurred per our AUP. However, if you would prefer, your son is welcome to use a mutually agreeable and appropriate code name for the class wiki project; or I can simply remove his last initial if that is your preference. Please let me know which you'd prefer and I will take care of that ASAP.

Respectfully, Mrs. Grimes.

My Thoughts: I can understand why the parent would be upset in this case, with regard to the use of the student's name. It's a matter of Digital Rights and Responsibilities and Digital Security, per Mark Ribble's nine elements of digital citizenship. Having a student name publicized, even using only a first name and last initial, can make finding a student's full name an easier task for a would be cyber criminal. It makes the student more vulnerable, and even if it doesn't violate the district's AUP, our first concern should be with student safety. If I were to actually do a class wiki with my own class, I would either contact all parents first to get written consent for how student names would be used; or, I would have the students only use first names or even code names on the wiki to help prevent privacy issues or concerns. 

That being said, it seems to me that in this scenario, the parent is primarily irritated with the fact that his son got detention. He seems to not be overly bothered that his son violated the district's AUP, let alone federal copyright law. Rather, he seems to want to get back at the teacher for giving his son detention. Some parents don't take digital citizenship as seriously as they should, and are in just as much need of education about it as their children.