The General Context

Individual students, groups, or entire classes, can create Web sites or web pages. Generally, these pages will deal with a specific topic of interest. They may also contain personal information about a student-information that allows him/her to be identified-or information about the student's private life or the private life of other students. The Web pages may also contain the student work: drawings, music, videos, recordings, written documents (prose or poetry), photographs, etc. Furthermore, when developing a Web page, the student or teacher may consider using documents from other sources or referring to such documents by way of a hyperlink.

When your students are planning to publish Web pages, discuss the implications and risks with them as well as their responsibilities. They must:

• Avoid inappropriate topics or content that is offensive, false or that promotes violence or hatred.
• Ensure the protection of personal information and privacy for themselves and others.
• Respect copyright.

At the elementary level, inform parents about the nature of the learning activity and the nature of the product that students will publish on the site.

Inform the students that although they can use search engines to find information on a topic (texts, images or photographs, music, entire Web sites), each element is protected by the copyright of the person who created it. Explicit authorization must be obtained in order to use such an element. The permissions granted on the site consulted must be checked or permission to use the element must be obtained.

Inform the students that they also hold a copyright and obtain their authorization or that of their parents.

Certain information and authorizations related to hosting Web pages may also require clarification or the consent of parents.

School boards are governed by laws and they must ensure that nominative information about their students is protected and that copyright is respected at all times. Teachers must therefore prepare their pedagogical approach, understand the impact of the tools they choose, provide parents with sufficient information concerning the learning events planned (including the advantages and the possible risks) and obtain the necessary authorizations, make students aware of potential risks and teach them how to be wise, responsible and safe users.

The issues

Nominative Information on a Web Page | Copyright-Students'Works | Copyright-Works from Other Sources | Hyperlink to Another Web Site | Acceptable Content | Hosting of a Site | Advertising on the Web

Nominative Information on a Web Page

A school, class or personal student Web page/site, may contain elements that reveal personal information (name, individual or group photograph/video, place of residence, class identification and school name). We recommend that you be extremely vigilant and avoid as much as possible publishing anything that allows identification of individual students. You must also explain to students that they are not to reveal information about other students.

Copyright-Students'Works

If you publish the work of a student (drawings, musical compositions, videos, photographs, written or recorded texts) on a site, the student, as the author or creator, holds the copyright. It would be appropriate to obtain the student's authorization to publish it or, if required, that of the student's parents. It is important to specify how long the material will remain accessible. If these documents have archival value, you can generally ask for permission to publish for three years.

Copyright-Documents from Other Sources

Most material available on the Internet is protected by copyright. This includes text (e.g., postings to newsgroups, E-mail messages), images, photographs, music, video clips and computer software. Under the Copyright Act, reproduction and unauthorized use of a protected work are currently infringements.

- Copyright Matters! Some Key Questions and Answers for Teachers
(Noel, Wanda, and Gerard Breau [Toronto: Council of Ministers of Education, Canada; Toronto: Canadian School Boards Association; Toronto: Canadian Teachers' Federation, 2000], 12.

In order to use a document found on the Internet, or a document digitized from another format (written document, photograph, drawing, musical recording, video clip, etc.), you must obtain clear consent from the creator of the material. If this is not possible, you must find on the site the copyright clearance to reproduce the material, and you must meet the conditions governing the rights granted. If you do not find copyright clearance, you must obtain it by contacting the person who holds the rights to the material.

Furthermore, you may modify the original work only if so authorized by the author, as Canadian law distinguishes between copyright and moral rights and prohibits the assignment of moral rights.

Certain exceptions are provided by law, but they are minor and clearly defined (see Acts-Copyright).

Hyperlink to Another Site

Since including, on your site, a hyperlink to sites belonging to third parties associates the content of your site with that of these sites, we recommend that you inform the authors of the sites and obtain their consent.

Acceptable Content

Students' Web pages must not contain inappropriate, offensive, false or illegal material (copyrighted material), nor must they promote violence or hatred.

Hosting a Site

When you host a class site or students' personal pages on a school board server, you must comply with the rules on the use of its communications network and with its user code of conduct. The school board is governed by laws, and it must ensure that personal information concerning students is protected and that copyright is respected.

However, teachers often do not have access to the school board server and therefore they might want to subscribe or subscribe their students to an external hosting service. Subscription to such a service requires them to provide identifying information. Furthermore, subscribers are then offered many other services (E-mail, mailing lists, discussion forums, chat rooms, online polls, file transfer, shared calendar) as well as the inevitable advertising. Teachers must be aware of the implications of students having access to these tools (see the relevant items on this site) and must inform students and parents accordingly.

The host server is often not under the responsibility of the same authority as the participants (students and teachers). Some servers that offer such services are not under the responsibility of the school board and are often outside the country. In such cases, the school board cannot guarantee the confidentiality of the information provided and cannot always ensure that its obligations will be fulfilled by the organization that hosts these servers.

The school board must ensure that its obligations as regards the protection of personal information are transferred to the hosting organization.

Advertising on the Web

Some Web sites permanently display an advertising banner.