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Saved by 61 people (1 private), first by anonymouse user on 2009-04-04


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The most important thing is to understand this: not having control over documents doesn’t constitute a violation of CIPA. Not having control over an online document doesn’t make Google Docs a violation of CIPA any more than not having control over a pen and paper makes spiral bound notebooks a violation of CIPA.It’s actually more or less irrelevant to the law.

Highlighted by kchichester

CIPA does require that school districts filter the internet to protect students from content that is “harmful to minors” (and the primary concern is porn). The key is that schools need to show due dilligence in blocking sites they know are “harmful.” There is no expectation that schools will block “anything that could possiblly or potentially be inappropriate.”

Highlighted by ptaylorsjr

But… remember that COPPA forbids Google from collecting profile information for users under 14 years old. So younger students should not be using any Google tool, including Google Docs, that requires them to log in with a Google Account. This is because Google has no mechanism for collecting “verifiable parent consent” for student profile information. However, school districts excell at collecting “verifiable parent consent” - we call this permission slips. So, if you set up Google Apps: Education Edition, collect parent consent for students to use it, and control the student accounts yourselves, you’re in good shape with respect to COPPA.

Highlighted by ebagish

You’d be well within your rights to request (and expect) Google Docs to be unblocked.

Highlighted by kchichester

COPPA forbids Google from collecting profile information for users under 14 years old. So younger students should not be using any Google tool, including Google Docs, that requires them to log in with a Google Account.

Highlighted by kchichester

o, if you set up Google Apps: Education Edition, collect parent consent for students to use it, and control the student accounts yourselves, you’re in good shape with respect to COPPA.

Highlighted by tagmirror

For students 14 and over, you’re legally fine having them use Google Docs -

Highlighted by kchichester

(For students 14 and over, you’re legally fine having them use Google Docs - and despite the fact that Google’s terms of service say users need to be of legal age to enter into a contract, which i 18 in California, Google does encourage the use of their products with students aged 14-18.)

Highlighted by kchichester

Google does encourage the use of their products with students aged 14-18.)

Highlighted by kchichester

Google is explicit about the intellectual property still belonging to the user. (And their privacy policies and practices are very strong.)

Highlighted by kchichester

sharing confidential student information, we’re talking about instructional use.

Highlighted by kchichester

We’re not

Highlighted by kchichester

With respect to archiving documents for public disclosure: Use of Google Docs for teaching and learning is no different than using spiral bound notebooks, photocopied assignments, or ordinary blackboards.

Highlighted by kchichester

the online documents are generally better archived than anything a district can ordinarily pull off

Highlighted by kchichester

particularly with the history of revisions.

Highlighted by kchichester

if districts are not concerned about “archiving” handwritten student essays on paper, I don’t see why Google Docs would be any different. We’re talking about instruction here, not district business. It’s important to remember the difference.

Highlighted by kchichester

It frustrates me to no end how many valid educational resources are blocked by my district. I have submitted several requests to unblock legitimate sites and block inappropriate websites. Unfortunately most requests are ignored–good educational resources remain untouchable and other potentially harmful influences remain available for viewing.

Highlighted by missraub

The only thing in question would be do we “enforce a policy to monitor online activities” Our policy will be that all student created material will be open to all teachers to monitor (we give the teachers the student login).

Highlighted by ebagish

Monitoring is not full proof. I believe if we have detailed abilities to protect our students with firewalls, filters and spot monitoring based on questionable behavior that should be sufficient for erate purposes and for CIPA.

Highlighted by kchichester

So, shouldn’t we have curriculum that teaches students how to be responsible users of the digital content they have access to? The tide is starting to turn towards a ‘yes’ answer to that question, but the problem then becomes is that there aren’t enough enlightened educators in each school to take on this task. So, as we move forward, we need to have a two-pronged approach. One to teach the kids ethical and appropriate behavior and the other to teach educators how to handle the issues that they will be confronted with.

Highlighted by ebagish

Filtering as a way to absolutely keep inappropriate content away from kids is a fantasy.

Highlighted by kchichester

houldn’t we have curriculum that teaches students how to be responsible users of the digital content they have access to? The tide is starting to turn towards a ‘yes’ answer to that question, but the problem then becomes is that there aren’t enough enlightened educators in each school to take on this task.

Highlighted by kchichester

So, as we move forward, we need to have a two-pronged approach. One to teach the kids ethical and appropriate behavior and the other to teach educators how to handle the issues that they will be confronted with.

Highlighted by kchichester

As Michael states above we too have created a domain that is just docs with no chat and no email. The docs are only internal and cannot be shared with anyone outside of our domain. Since I uploaded students names and we used their id number as their password Google is not collecting any profile information from students under 13. In some respects we are using Google Apps/Docs as an internal file storage system for students and teachers.

Highlighted by ebagish

FERPA is not applicable to the Google Docs question as the law refers to student records, these are records that are legally required and retained by a school or district which must be made available to parents upon request.

Highlighted by kchichester

Google Docs is like the spiral bound notebook that is discarded once the assignments are graded and returned.

Highlighted by kchichester