Tuesday, August 4, 2015
East Oregonian
DISCONNECTED:
Teachers use tech to
keep pupils up to date
Continued from 1A
are tasked with policing
the line between necessary
communication and inappro-
priate behavior.
Based off recommended
language from the Oregon
School Board Association,
the Pendleton and Hermiston
school districts’ social media
policy for staff is virtually the
same.
Both school districts ban
any sort of electronic commu-
nication during school hours,
which is punishable up to
dismissal.
But while texting or
communicating
through
social media between students
and teachers after-hours is
highly discouraged, neither
district prohibits it completely.
Certainly, exchanges of sexual
images is prohibited at all
times by state and federal law.
Wade Smith, the deputy
superintendent of the Herm-
iston School District, said the
school district’s legal counsel
said completely banning
social media contact between
students and teachers would
run afoul of teachers’ rights as
private citizens.
“We cannot say ‘Thou
shall not text students outside
work hours,’” he said.
In some cases, using
electronic
communication
is unavoidable, like when
coaches need to update
students on practice times. In
those instances, Smith said the
district encourages coaches
to text or email students in
groups as much as possible
and avoid non-school topics.
Pendleton School District
Assistant
Superintendent
Tricia Mooney said principals
and other building supervisors
are included in many commu-
nications between educators
and students as a way to ward
off inappropriate situations.
Both Smith and Mooney
said their districts’ policies
on social media often require
revisiting, especially consid-
ering the ever-shifting forms
of communication technology
and the comfort both staff and
students have in using them.
“This is obviously a gener-
ational challenge,” Smith said.
Much of that challenge
rests with teachers, who must
balance the need to integrate
technology into their lesson
plans while safeguarding
against inappropriate behavior.
Heidi Paullus, an instructional
strategies specialist for the
InterMountain
Education
Service District, has not only
navigated this gray area for
her job, she’s made into a
career.
Before joining the IMESD
in 2011, Paullus spent the
previous 13 years as a teacher
at Sunset Elementary School
in Hermiston and Sunridge
Middle School in Pendleton.
Already fascinated by how
technology could make tasks
like grading essays easier,
Paullus got a master’s degree
in educational technology.
Paullus translated that
degree into her current job
with the IMESD, which has
her help teachers from local
districts integrate technology
into their classrooms.
Although she isn’t in favor
of a completely computerized
classroom, Paullus said digital
devices and software is an
important tool for educators.
Paullus said some teachers
are wary of incorporating
technology into their curric-
ulum because their students
are more adept at using it, or
the potential ethical quanda-
ries digital communication
can present.
Despite some educators’
precautions, other teachers
have come to embrace using
technology in their classroom.
Christina Van Nice, a
language arts teacher at
Sunridge Middle School, uses
Google Chromebooks on a
daily basis in her classroom.
Installed in the Chrome-
books is a suite of apps called
Google Classroom, which
Van Nice uses for assignments
and in-class communication.
Van Nice said the digital
assignments require Internet
research and more critical
thinking. If a student abuses
the chat function, Van Nice
can mute them, although she’s
rarely had to use that function.
For after-school communi-
cation, Van Nice uses an app
called Remind, which uses
an automated phone number
to text students reminders of
assignments or tests.
Van Nice said the app is
ideal because it can only be
sent one way and automati-
cally logs every message sent.
Paullus said Remind not
only creates a level of privacy
between student and teacher,
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method of communicating
with students and parents
instead of the traditional
written note, which often
tends to be lost or forgotten
between school and home.
Although it’s not in her
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said making sure her students
are responsible digital citizens
is a part of her job.
With many children
growing up with technology
as entertainment devices,
lessons are as much about
using the Internet properly as
it is about math and English.
Along with academics,
Paullus said digital lessons
also tackle modern issues
like cyber bullying and how
students present themselves
online.
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and was facing an arraignment
for that next week.
reported, but added there are
Diaz’s Facebook pages
FRQÀLFWLQJ DFFRXQWV RI WKH showed he cared about the
vehicle involved.
issue of immigration from
Milton-Freewater police Mexico, was an avid angler
arrested Diaz on April 1 for and enjoyed time with friends
two counts of felony attempt and relatives.
to elude police, two misde-
Boedigheimer stated the
meanor counts of attempt to investigation is ongoing and
elude, reckless driving and when “pertinent hard facts
unauthorized use of motor become known” he would
vehicle. Umatilla County release more information.
Circuit Court records show
This is the second deadly
Diaz was serving 18 months shooting this year in Umatilla
probation after pleading guilty County. Alonso Madrigal,
on April 17 to one count of 23, died March 4 in the
misdemeanor attempting to parking lot of the 11th Street
elude. Records also show he Market, Hermiston. That
violated that probation in July case remains unsolved.
Page 9A
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