Terms of Service for Education Programs

When you sign up for a new service, it is common for you to have the opportunity to read the terms of
service.  How many of us click ok and never read it? I am guilty of not reading the terms of service. Our students use many websites and programs and it is our responsibility to make sure the site protects their data.  I will review the terms of service for G Suite, Canvas, Aleks and Flipgrid.

G Suite

The G Suite terms of service are long and full of broad language. This is what I expected. My general opinion is that the terms of service says Google is not responsible for any violations the customer is responsible for everything. I read through the document with the premise of determining how the end user’s data would be used.   The document breaks down into main components. The Services component stated that “Google may transfer, store and process Customer Data in the United States or any other country in which Google or its agents maintain facilities” and by using the program you the customer agree to this premise. A lot of the responsibility of using the services and maintaining the end user data is stated as the Google Domain Administrators responsibility. Since this is a program used by education entities that responsibility probably falls on the shoulders of someone in IT like it does in my district. The terms of service give the admin the responsibility of turning on services and creating and modifying end user accounts.

The terms of service include a section on Confidentiality. The obligation section mentions that the customer will use “reasonable care to protect against disclosure” of confidential information. That is as detailed as it gets in this section, which is not much. I noticed that the intellectual property of the customer is protected under the terms of service. I thought this stood out because this is a concern when you are creating original work using your G Suite account. The rest of the document refers to payments, terms, and abuse of the service.

Canvas

The Canvas Instructure terms of service are more detailed. One thing that stood out to me right
from the beginning was that the first component was about copyright. It says that services are
“protected by copyright laws throughout the world.” I like that it acknowledges this because copyright
violations are a huge issue in the K-12 world. The rest of the information is like other terms of service.
Canvas will allow instructors to create an account and share with students. You may have one
account. The user is responsible for all content created and Canvas will not pre-screen content.
Canvas holds the right to pre-screen, refuse, or remove any content that violates the law, creates a
liability issue, or violates the terms of service.

As a user, you agree to only use Canvas for its stated purpose.  If you provide any feedback via the
Canvas suggested methods, Canvas has no obligation to do anything with that feedback. Canvas has
links to third-party software. If you open the third party software and you are subject to the terms of
that newly opened software. These are the most significant points that address the end user.

Flipgrid

Flipgrid has a specific terms of use.  I appreciate that the information is detailed and clear.
Like the other programs, once you create an account, you agree to the terms of service.  One of the
first statements is that Flipgrid does not use personal information market or advertise. The most
important section of the terms of use related to Grid Owner associated with schools.  There is a list
of requirements. You have to comply with the privacy policy, prove consent to the use of student
information, obtain and file evidence of parental consent, and only use student information in relation
to the grid. Flipgrid also has a code of conduct for educators. The code of conduct includes: don’t do
 anything illegal, don’t engage in an activity that harms children, don’t send spam, don’t share
inappropriate content, don’t engage in fraud, don’t circumvent any restrictions, don’t infringe upon the
rights of others or their privacy, and don’t use the student information for marketing or advertising
purposes. I like how this is explicitly listed for users. The rest of the terms of service is not related to
the end user.

I expected everything I read in the terms of service. Age restrictions were mentioned on the Canvas
terms of service as 18, but I did not see that on the other sites. All the companies say that any issues that arise
are the responsibility of the end user. I think you have to keep that in mind as you use the
site/program. You are responsible for your content and how you use the site/program with students.
Therefore, you need to use the sites/programs for educational purposes and monitor student use.
Also, while it may seem tedious, it is worth taking the time to read the terms of service before using
something with a student. Ultimately, you are liable and you need to make sure you are following the
guidelines. I think districts (curriculum) and building administrator need to do a better job of bringing
awareness to terms of service and copyright. While it is the user's responsibility it is important to
have support for your principal and district leadership.

ISTE Educator Standard: Citizen d. Model and promote management of personal data and digital 
identity and protect student data privacy.

ISTE Student Standard: Digital Citizen c & d
To apply the student standards to this lesson, I would need to have the students complete the
same activity. The students would research the terms of service/use for social media applications that
they use personally. I would have the students complete the same blog activity explaining their findings and
reflecting on how their use of the sites might change. I would have the students comment on each other's
blogs to further the discussion and reflection. If I could not use a blogging platform, I would use the
discussion board feature in Canvas.


References:
Terms of Use. (2019, June 20). Retrieved June 20, 2019, from Canvas, Google search terms of 
service website, https://www.canvaslms.com/policies/terms-of-use

Terms of Use. (2019, June 20). Retrieved June 20, 2019, from Flipgrid, Google search terms of service website, https://www.canvaslms.com/policies/terms-of-use

Terms of Service. (2019, June 20). Retrieved June 20, 2019, from G Suite, Google search terms of service website, https://gsuite.google.com/terms/2013/1/premier_terms.html