Student Data Privacy in K12 Learning with Kerry Gallagher

Student privacy is a growing concern across K12 education. Although many digital tools and edtech providers have invested in student data privacy, many stakeholders are calling for more training, awareness, and cybersecurity in the classroom. How can we guarantee that students get the best possible experience leveraging edtech tools and that their data is secure and privacy safeguarded? 

In this episode of the CoSN Podcast, today’s guest Kerry Gallagher discusses student data privacy, increasing awareness, vetting procedures, and more. There is no doubt that schools have a responsibility to protect student data and maximize student data privacy. In order to do this, schools must implement proactive strategies and training to support staff and increase student safety. 

Student Privacy Responsibility

At the beginning of this conversation, Kerry explores the responsibility of IT and teaching and learning administration professionals to ensure the protection of students’ information. In many ways, digital learning tools have revolutionized the classroom. However, with the massive amount of generated data and personal information gathered by these tools, schools need to recognize the role they play in protecting students’ privacy. 

As Kerry explores, this conversation around student privacy is twofold. Firstly, it is important that we build awareness in our communities surrounding student privacy and data protection. Secondly is prevention; however, this conversation must be in tandem with the awareness of parents and students and the training of educators. 

Overall this training can support educators, students, and parents to feel empowered to engage with tools and know that they will be safe. There are, of course, inherent risks to engaging with technology in the classroom but knowing those risks increase students’ access to cutting-edge learning practices. 

Data Privacy Education Across the Community

In the second half of this episode, Kerry considers parenting strategies, systems of success, and her expertise in district and school-wide replication. Kerry recommends that systems for data privacy are built into existing systems of technology management. Screening is key to assessing the data protection needs of your school. Implementing these tools into existing structures helps CTOs, tech professionals, and teachers integrate screening into their processes. 

The more systemized and easy to apply, the more successful a screening process will be. As Kerry explores, one process you could tie screening into would be book approval processes. So when teachers send a list of books they’d like to use in the classroom, they can also send a list of websites and apps for approval. 

The conversation closes with a discussion of digital citizenship and how we approach the lessons of participating on the internet with students. Kerry gives great insight into how students express themselves online and how we can bridge conversations that often feel limiting, disingenuous, or unrealistic. 

The Importance of Data Privacy

Overall, this conversation highlights the importance of data privacy education and awareness. Kerry provides a great background for students, parents, and educators to work together to protect students’ privacy data and assess tools for the classroom. 

This episode of The CoSN Podcast is supported by Clever

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The CoSN Podcast is produced in partnership with edCircuit. Learn more about CoSN.

For more episodes of the CoSN podcast visit: https://edcircuit.com/cosn-the-podcast/

Learn more about today’s guest, Kerry Gallagher, below.