Digital Self: Terms of Use?

I am working on becoming ISTE Standards Certified. 

One of the assignments is to: Write and publish a blog post about what you learned about how your data might be used. 

This is to learn and reflect on the ISTE Standard:
Citizen 3d.: Model and promote management of personal data and digital identity and protect student data privacy. 
Investigate the privacy policies and terms of use of 3-5 web tools that you or your students use. (Hint: look for the site's "Terms of Service" or "Legal.") 

I will investigate the privacy policies and terms of use of Microsoft OneNote, Google Apps for Education, and Instagram. My students use all of these on a regular basis, and I'd like to see what restrictions and permissions our students are agreeing to, in order to be able to use these tools. 

Microsoft Use Terms

https://support.office.com/legal?llcc=en-us&aid=Office_Mac_Use_Terms_2018_en-us.htm

First of all, it is easy to find online, however, it does get significantly harder to find and read the agreements after your initial log in and agreements. From their website:

"This agreement (together with terms accompanying any software supplements, updates, and services that are provided by Microsoft and that you use), and the terms contained in web links listed in this agreement, are the entire agreement for the software and any such supplements, updates, and services (unless Microsoft provides other terms with such supplements, updates, or services). You can review this agreement after your software is running by going to “Licensing Options” under “Settings” within the software. You can also review the terms at any of the links in this agreement after your software is running, and you agree to do so. You agree that for each service or included app that is governed by this agreement and also specific terms linked in this agreement, you will read the terms for that service before using the service. You understand that by using the service, you ratify this agreement and the linked terms. 
Those links are:

Privacy Statement for OneNote

Microsoft Legal and Corporate Affairs website" (bold mine) 

How many of us have read any of the terms of service, let alone read them for each "service before using the service"? 

I talk through the initial Google Apps for Education terms of service - explaining in simple terms:
1. You are agreeing to share your data. 
2. Your data may be used by the school. 
3. Your data may be reviewed by school staff for any purpose. 

Google Apps for Education
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/181692?hl=en:

I always point out to the students that they are agreeing to certain terms. I specifically point out that all their data that they make, access, or share from their school accounts is now owned by the school organization. For most of my students, we also go over how because it is owned by the school organization, I and other school staff members can access their emails, history, etc. I remind them that we can see and retrieve even deleted items, as they are on the school's server. Many of them never think that what they may share or even receive from another student, even when deleted, can still be found!

Instagram: 
https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870?ref=dp


I was most interested in Instagram's age limits. The age restrictions state you must be 13 years old. I know many of my students have Instagram accounts, and are under 13. They are all private accounts, but after years of reminding students to set their privacy settings, I wonder if we should rethink that (I am still thinking!!!). As many of former students now follow me on Instagram, I cannot see what they are sharing because their accounts are private. As they like or comment on my posts, I want to at least be aware of what they are 

sharing, and be able to remind them to review the age limits if they are not yet 13, as this is a great real world digital citizenship lesson, and can be addressed with the students and parents. It is a very gray area as to when and what to step in on, but as digital life becomes our life, I think it's time to be good role models for our students, and bring resources for our parents to help them navigate this new digital world. 


I hope that as I learn more about the permissions, I can explain them to my students, and help them understand that they are building their digital selves. As time goes on, there will be a wealth of data on my students. Some good - they'll have a wonderful portfolio of work from 3rd grade on, and some bad, maybe sharing that screenshot in 6th grade wasn't the best idea. 

How do we encourage our students to share and create digital artifacts, but be mindful about over sharing and creating artifacts that may be hurtful? I think the more we discuss it and share examples, the more my students will have tools and strategies to maneuver in an ever changing online world. 

See more on the ISTE Standards for Educators and the ISTE Standards for Students. 

Works Cited
"Data access by your administrator or service provider." Google Account Help, Google, Inc,           2018, support.google.com/accounts/answer/181692?hl=en. Accessed 12 Sept. 2018.
"ISTE Standards for Educators." ISTE, 2018, www.iste.org/standards/ 
     for-educators. Accessed 13 Sept. 2018. 
"ISTE Standards for Students." ISTE, 2018, www.iste.org/standards/for-students. 

     Accessed 13 Sept. 2018. 
Remsen, Adam. "A Lawyer Digs Into Instagram’s Terms of Use." PetaPixel, 7 Dec. 
     2016, petapixel.com/2016/12/07/lawyer-digs-instagrams-terms-use/. Accessed 

     12 Sept. 2018. 
"Supplement to Microsoft Services Agreement." Consumer Subscription Service and 
         Software, Microsoft Office 365, Oct. 2018, support.office.com/legal?llcc=en-
         us&aid=Office_Mac_Use_Terms_2018_en-us.htm. Accessed 13 Sept. 2018.

"Terms of Use." Instagram, Instagram, Inc., 19 Apr. 2018, 
         help.instagram.com/581066165581870?ref=dp. Accessed 12 Sept. 2018.