Technology advances keep midstate school leaders ever vigilant

School rules aren’t just about talking in class, chewing gum and fighting anymore.

As technology has become a bigger part of the learning process, codes of conduct have needed revisions to keep up.

“It just puts a little bit different level of responsibility on the schools,” said Michelle Masters, Houston County’s assistant superintendent for school operations.

A big component of that responsibility stems from the rise of social media. With new platforms regularly joining the field alongside stalwarts such as Twitter and Facebook, students have a variety of ways to contact classmates and people from around the world.

“On campus and off campus, social media has completely changed the landscape,” Masters said.

For one thing, the district recently added language to its anti-bullying policy to specifically include acts of harassment and ridicule online.

That doesn’t mean social media is just now becoming a focus, though.

Twice a year, Houston County schools hold training sessions for students about bullying. The goal is for students to know that online bullying is harmful and that there are teachers and staff members that they can talk to about bullying, Masters said.

“Schools have always looked at the electronic media ... because it would affect the daily operation at school,” she said.

In addition, Masters hopes students will come to realize how permanent online communication of any kind can be.

“Saying something is one thing, but when you put it in electronic form, it’s there forever,” she said.

BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE

In Houston County, students are allowed to bring their own electronic devices -- smartphones, tablets and computers -- to class for educational purposes. Because of that, the code of conduct for students on school buses also needed an upgrade at a recent board meeting.

Now, bus riders will be allowed to use their personal devices to listen to music or for other appropriate activities.

“As long as it’s not distracting the driver, it’s great,” school board Vice Chairman Fred Wilson said.

Of course, school officials are also having to deal with the negatives that go along with digital devices even being allowed in the classroom.

With a world of distractions available on the very devices students are supposed to be using for schoolwork, teachers are tasked with determining if their charges are on task or not.

“You can imagine, that’s hard to police at times,” she said.

The school system also has filters on its wireless Internet to prevent students from accessing inappropriate material while they are on school grounds. The plan isn’t perfect, but it’s part of a districtwide effort to treat electronic media the same way printed materials are handled.

“While they’re in our care, we want to make sure we have provided a safe environment” for using electronic devices, said Cindy Flesher, deputy superintendent for administrative services.

Similarly, the board has needed to clarify its policies related to smoking. While traditional cigarettes have long been against the rules, policy updates include a ban on electronic cigarettes in school buildings and on buses.

Masters said that issues with electronic cigarettes cropped up this year.

“I had a new student come in and wanted to know if they could have electronic cigarettes,” she said. “The schools have had to deal with that a little bit more this year than they have in the past.”

TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTION

Earlier this year, Houston County High School teacher James Vance resigned amid allegations that he had exchanged inappropriate communication and photos with a student. The Warner Robins Police Department investigated the matter, but Vance wasn’t charged with a crime.

The incident reportedly stemmed from Vance’s seeing a disturbance in his class one day involving a student’s phone. Later, he sent a female student a message on Twitter about the commotion, and in the course of the conversation, she sent him provocative photos.

During a police interview, Vance was asked by Detective Carder Gravitt about that day, and while Vance maintained his innocence, he recognized that a change had to be made in the way he interacted with students.

“I got pictures from her. I didn’t ask for them, and I didn’t deny them,” he said in a recorded interview The Telegraph obtained through an Open Records Ace request. “But, I mean, I deleted them, and I’ve tried to limit contact with her in that way since.”

Situations like that one, in which Vance said he generally limited communication to school-related content, can happen when teachers and students communicate on social media. The district already has guidelines for teachers using social media. They recommend that communication only be done with groups of students and parents, and that teachers not accept “friend” requests from students.

Keeping up with the ever-changing social media landscape can be tricky, Flesher said.

“Technology is an ever-evolving monster. ... We can’t keep up with the kids,” she said. “Keeping up with technology, we have to constantly review our policies and procedures. ... That is an ongoing process.”

Despite the educational benefits of having digital devices in the classroom, Masters said the obvious concerns left many educators longing for simpler times.

Technology’s role in education will only get bigger in the future, as will the complicated nature of handling its pitfalls.

“Anybody in education that has been in education for any length of time would say that there was a lot good about the way things used to be,” she said.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331.

This story was originally published June 16, 2015 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Technology advances keep midstate school leaders ever vigilant ."