14 teachers suspended as a result of their social media activity and 18 more placed on probation |
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Figures from the General Teaching Council for England show that more than 40 teachers were referred to the GTC in 2011 for unprofessional conduct related to the inappropriate use of social media sites.
With 14 teachers suspended as a result of their social media activity and 18 more placed on probation; it's more important than ever for schools to provide up to date guidelines for staff, advises iTeachingResources.com.
The website – which is part of the PDC Education network – has welcomed the NUT's recent statement notifying schools of the need to implement social media policies ahead of the new term.
Rebecca Jordan, founder of iTeachingResources says every school needs to make it clear to teachers what they should and should not do in the virtual space: "Social media is changing almost daily which makes it very difficult for schools to effectively police the use of sites like Twitter and Facebook by teaching staff.
"However, the number of teachers facing disciplinary action because of inappropriate behaviour online really highlights the need to have a single and detailed policy document in place to govern social media usage and provide a clear distinction between public and private use."
iTeachingResources has developed a social media policy in conjunction with internet and teaching experts, which it claims will help schools manage this increasingly important task.
The safe use code was written by teacher Tom Tolkien, a senior manager with extensive experience of whole school assessment, internet and e-safety and initiative and policy development.
Source: EdExec
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