Over the
past few months, as schools have scrambled to figure out how to educate kids in
the era of Covid-19, we’ve seen a lot of chaos. Remote? On-site? A combo of
both? If on-site, how does everyone stay safe? It was all to be expected, and
frankly, it’s quite amazing so many districts have done so well, especially in
the Hudson Valley. But with so much going on, it’s easy to see why some schools
who might have solid protocols for on-site safety would neglect to investigate
and share safety tips for online learning. In case these issues have fallen
through the cracks, Douglas B. Parisi at CampusLifeSecurity.com offers
some very helpful guidelines to cross a few more T’s and dot some I’s.
According
to Parisi, “Stories are flooding the news about kids experiencing hacked Zoom
calls – and that’s just the beginning when it comes to dangers of online
instruction.” He doesn’t want to freak anybody out, but says, “These tips are
based on recognizable safety that has always been espoused by security
experts. The importance of maintaining privacy for our children is the
fundamental goal with most of these suggestions.”
First and
foremost, Parisi reminds us that cameras always tell more than we think they
do. Simply put: students should always do remote classes with a bare wall
behind them, and, if at all possible, they should not be in their own room. “Students
that get bored have been known to start perusing the backgrounds of their
classmates,” Parisi says. “The best way to avoid any breach of safety is to not
reveal anything in the first place.” Also, parents and siblings may give an
unintentional “photo bomb.”
READ MORE: Make remote learning easier
Also,
parents should remember, and should tell their kids: everything on the internet
is permanent. Anything they say or type into a chat or mutter to a friend when,
say, the teacher steps away for a moment, will never go away.
Finally, regarding
hacking to disrupt a class (which has happened, and will continue), Parisi
reiterates that students should be told never to share any links or emails from
the teacher. All requests to ‘send me the link’ should be directed to the
teacher. Lastly, when sharing computers, do not to save username or
password information.
It’s a
strange, unfolding new world, but with precautions and mindfulness, we can get
through it safely.