Educators have been taking pictures in their classrooms for generations. I still have a copy of the VHS tape my team made to share with incoming students more than 25 years ago!
For just as long, there has been "no photo" lists kept by school administrators, so that those students whose parents did not want their children photographed at school could express those desires. Whenever I prepare images for school web sites, I always consult the list when reviewing my pictures.
The issue of parents taking and posting images is becoming a problem that I am asked about with increased frequency. The scenario is consistent: parents are invited to the school for a "non-public" event (concerts, games, and similar events are different), and they take photos that are posted to FaceBook or other public sites. Students on the no-photo list may be in those pictures, and the problem may be made worse if they tag students who are in the photos.
Clearly the solution is not to prevent parents and other visitors from taking pictures. I am beginning to recommend teachers say "if you take and share pictures today, please respect students' privacy by not tagging any children in the photos other than your own."
This seems a lesson worth teaching students also: let others control their identity by not tagging.
-- Gary Ackerman, Ph.D.
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