Committee Exploring the Role of Social Media at WHRHS

A committee is reviewing how to “harness the power” of social media for the good of WHRHS.

Principal Thomas DiGanci and Chairwoman Courtney Griffith  updated the Board of Education Monday night on the progress the WHRHS Committee on Electronic Communication and Social Networking has made over the last year.

“We wanted to discuss how we as an educational system might be able to harness that power for the good, to enhance student performance,” said DiGanci. “As fast as we move, the kids are one step ahead of us. We discussed what is acceptable for school use and what isn’t and how it can be incorporated into the culture of Watchung Hills.”

The committee is made up of representatives from each department, IT, administration, students and the community. Committee members focused on four key questions:

1. Is social media a useful tool for instruction?

The committee took into account the legal and privacy issues related to Facebook and MySpace. “We are not comfortable in a Facebook or MySpace environment where it can’t be private,” said DiGanci.

“Most of us like the platform that Facebook provides but we kept coming back to the fact that there is so much about Facebook that is not private,” added Griffith.

With an emphasis on keeping students and teachers safe, the committee agreed that the ideal would be a Facebook-like platform which could be controlled in-house.

2.  Should social media be included on teacher web pages?

The committee determined that teacher web pages should not include personal social networking sites. “We want a system that is self-contained and controlled by Watchung Hills, with one person overseeing it. We want to make sure we can protect our students and protect our teachers,” DiGanci explained.

3. What are the implications for the use of technology in the classroom?

 “We are limited only by our creativity and, at times, our resources,” DiGanci said.

4. Should an honor code be developed which reflects the 21st Century society?

“We’re in a new environment now,” the principal stressed. “We never really addressed that in the Warrior Golden Rules.” The committee recommends adding a fifth rule about how to use social media morally and ethically.

The committee also recommended that one person (preferably public relations representative Elie Matthews) handle WHRHS’s official presence on Facebook, updating information and monitoring the privacy settings.

The committee is expected to continue meeting during the upcoming school year.