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Abstract
This paper examines the use of digital communication technologies in the context of the school and the right to freedom of speech. Specifically, the authors note the ubiquity of technologies such as the Internet, social networking sites, and cellular phones, as well as the increasing frequency of instances of inappropriate use of these technologies both within, and outside of, the school environment. The authors note that it is an essential duty of a school principal to provide students, teachers, parents and community members with the skills and knowledge necessary for safe and appropriate use of digital technologies, a task that requires the principal to create policy that strikes a balance between promoting a safe and nurturing learning space and one that does not infringe on the right to freedom of speech. With reference to case law on students' and teachers' rights to freedom of speech, as well as recent developments in the legislation on cyberbullying and teacher misconduct online, this paper aims to provide principals with a framework for ensuring that both safety and freedom of speech rights remain intact both within and beyond the school setting.
Keywords: principal , technology, social media , online communication, freedom of expression, privacy, youth, cyberbullying, school law
Introduction
A school principa l is responsible for maintaining order and strict adherence to school and division policy within the school setting. Further, the principal must ensure that teachers are following a set curriculum in providing enriching educational opportunities for students. As students constantly change and evolve, so too must the schools in which these young people spend such a large portion of their lives; thus, principals and teachers must modify their teaching strategies and philosophies to keep up with their evolving students. The largest impact upon this evolution within schools over the pa st decade has arguably been the explosion of student use of technolog y. The ubiquitous use of the Internet, social net working sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and others) and cellular phones is in many cases as frequent within a classroom a s t he use of a pen and pencil. As well, this use of technolog y by students obviously continues away from the school and classroom, and its use away from...