Be personal
Connecting with real people online in a safe way is beneficial for online users as shown in a March 2020 Psychology Today article. According to this article, people who feel more connected to others have:
- Lower anxiety rates.
- Fewer incidents of depression.
- Higher self-esteem.
- Increased empathy toward others.
Knowing and using good digital citizenship skills makes online experiences safer and more enjoyable for educators and learners. Teaching learners how to share personal information safely to make connections in a secure environment is the responsibility of all educational institutions.
Schools use resources from the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) to answer questions and address concerns around student data privacy, confidentiality, and best security practices required by FERPA, COPPA, CIPA, and GDPR. Using a framework to evaluate online educational tools’ Terms of Service Agreements helps schools protect student data privacy by determining how an online service or app collects, uses and/or transmits user information.
Learners should stive to be personal and authentic, yet private, online. Learners achieve this by avoiding posting sensitive information and understanding that online posts last forever. Even though a post may be deleted by the original poster; others may take a screenshot, save the image, and re-post it in multiple apps; creating a permanent digital footprint. Educators need to teach learners: "If in doubt, don’t post!”
Learners should also be taught to evaluate their posts from a perspective of empathy and respect for others’ personal rights. They need to ask permission before sharing photos or videos of others in online spaces and evaluate when it's appropriate to make public jokes or references.
Educators also teach digital privacy to maintain private information in a safe space using a variety of Microsoft tools.
Tools to help make online experiences personal and safe
- Microsoft Stream is a secure video service schools use to manage video content. Educators and learners upload, view, and share videos securely; and organize content into channels and groups, providing channels specifically for learners' needs.
- Flipgrid, a social learning platform, elevates learner voice in a safe and accessible walled garden. Educators post topics to begin a conversation, and learners respond by using video and audio tools built right into the program. Flipgrid empowers every voice in a safe and secure environment.
- Game-based learning with Minecraft: Education Edition prepares learners for the future by teaching skills including problem solving, creativity, and systems thinking. Learners build a digital vault inside a Minecraft world to store personal data such as usernames and passwords. This enforces the importance of maintaining a digital locker for sensitive information.
- Windows device users have access to a free Password Strength Checker app that assesses the strength of password strings. Educators use this app in large group settings to demonstrate the differences adding special characters make to password strings.
- Microsoft Edge's Password Generator automatically generates a strong, unique password suggestion. The generated password is saved automatically in the browser and synced across all devices that use the Edge browser.