This week in class, we discussed the importance of FIPPA: the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. FIPPA is an Act implemented by the British Columbia Government, which regulates protected data and data sharing. As future teachers, it is important to recognize how this Act affects us and our actions in the classroom.

It is our responsibility to protect our student’s information. And we must understand how to do that.

I was aware of the general rules around social media and privacy: don’t post a photo of students without their informed consent. However, before this class, I had not thought about data storage and how something as commonly used as Google Classroom could infringe on the privacy of my students. We learned that data from Google is stored in the US rather than Canada, and as a result, the US government has access to our student’s personal information if we disclose it on Google Classroom. To comply with FIPPA, any teacher in BC must ensure their students are anonymous if they wish to use Google Classroom. I found this really interesting to learn as just a few days prior, I spoke with a teacher who was raving about the practicality of using Google Classroom with their full names plainly visible.

He stated that most of his colleagues used the tool as well.

Reflecting on this interaction, I wonder how many teachers need to be made aware of the above information and how our own knowledge and awareness will shift surrounding new technologies or apps and FIPPA in the future.