GUEST POST FROM Chris K. Syme (@cksyme) – Chris is the founder of CKSyme Media Group, working in digital/social strategy & crisis PR.
Chris has updated her book “Practice Safe Social” and I am happy to share this resource with you so you can keep your students, parents, coaches and staff savvy and safe on social media!
Practice Safe Social 2.0 by Chris Syme
We’ve come a long way from the days where school meant reading, writing, and rithmetic. Today’s classroom is bursting with technology and the pressure on teachers to learn how to use that technology grows everyday. One of the hot button issues in today’s classroom is whether or not to incorporate social media into the curriculum. But before we can do that, we need to define a standard of responsibility. How do we teach teens to use social media responsibly? Where do we start? Or do we even start?
Practice Safe Social 2.0 is a good place to start. This blueprint includes all the necessary components that educators need to teach the responsible use of social media. And that’s where we start. Incorporating social media into the curriculum without teaching its responsible use is an ultimate fail. It’s like handing over the keys of a brand new car to a 13-year-old without any driver’s training. Practice Safe Social 2.0 is an updated version of my original training manual written in 2013. It includes specific instructions on how to put together a training for students, staff, coaches, and even parents. I have made the book free for the month of June and I encourage you to download a copy. In the book, I address the four necessary modules that training should include:
- Privacy and safety: Users should know their privacy settings inside out. Every time they send out a picture or post, they should know exactly who will see it. They need to understand the importance of guarding their privacy and how to create an online community that is not public.
- Best practices: Privacy doesn’t mean you can break every rule behind the curtain. Social media users must have a base understanding that whatever they post on social media is permanent and can be accessed by the public. There are guidelines for how to use screenshots tastefully.
- Building a personal brand on social media: This module is most important for staff and older students. I don’t recommend this information in depth for middle school kids. Understanding how to build a positive presence on social media is important. Whether we are vying for scholarships or a new job, our social media is now part of our resumé.
- Cyber harassment: Social media users need to understand two basic things about the four types of cyber harassment: how to lower your risk of being a victim and how to report and document it when you are harassed online. This goes as much for adults in the workplace as it does for students.
Chris Syme (Twitter: @cksyme)
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I love how practical Chris gets in this updated resource! You will want to get a copy of this for your entire staff. Social media is a powerful influence in our society today, both for good and for bad. Improper use or ignorance can embarrass, complicate or even worse, ruin a student’s life. They must be smart on social media – and you can help them do just that!
-Randy
You can download a free copy of Practice Safe Social 2.0 at Chris’ website here. Be sure and email Chris if you have any questions or concerns.
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