Framing the Law & Policy Picture: A Snapshot of K-12 Cloud-Based Ed Tech & Student Privacy in Early 2014 http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2014/06/studentprivacy *Leah Plunkett, Alicia Solow-Niederman, and Urs Gasser* Today, 6.30 pm Webcast live: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast http://nexa.polito.it/berkman-webcast-live In conjunction with the June 3, 2014, release of our latest paper-- /Framing the Law & Policy Picture: A Snapshot of K-12 Cloud-Based Ed Tech & Student Privacy in Early 2014/-- the Berkman Center’s Student Privacy Initiative <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/studentprivacy> (SPI) team is pleased to present an overview of the rapid transformation underway in primary and secondary (K-12) education as school systems nationwide adopt cloud-based educational technologies (“ed tech”). Cloud-based ed tech facilitates educational innovation-- such as new connected learning frameworks-- but also poses privacy challenges as more and more potentially sensitive data about students goes into the cloud. Though there is often no bright line rule that can strike an ideal balance of the imperatives of protecting both student privacy and innovation, the SPI team will present several pragmatic recommendations to guide policy and decision-makers at the school district, local, state, and federal government levels as they consider cloud-based ed tech. We also look forward to discussing how such recommendations might evolve as both the student privacy and ed tech pictures continue to develop. About the Student Privacy Initiative The Berkman Center for Internet & Society's Student Privacy Initiative, led by Executive Director Urs Gasser, explores the opportunities and challenges that may arise as educational institutions consider adopting cloud computing technologies. In its work across three overlapping clusters – Privacy Expectations & Attitudes, School Practices & Policies, and Law & Policy – this initiative aims to engage diverse stakeholder groups from government, educational institutions, academia, and business, among others, develop shared good practices that promote positive educational outcomes, harness technological and pedagogical innovations, and protect critical values. To get in touch with the SPI team, please write to Leah Plunkett (lplunkett (at) cyber.law.harvard.edu) or Paulina Haduong (phaduong (at) cyber.law.harvard.edu). About Leah Plunkett Leah A. Plunkett does research with the Student Privacy Initiative. Leah is also Associate Professor of Legal Skills & Director of Academic Success at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. [More... <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/lplunkett>] About Alicia Solow-Niederman Alicia Solow-Niederman joined the Berkman community in September 2011, beginning work as a research assistant for Professor Jonathan Zittrain before transitioning to her current position as project manager. As project manager, Alicia's portfolio includes Media Cloud (with a particular emphasis on Controversy Mapping) and the Student Privacy Initiative as well as research on information quality with Executive Director Urs Gasser. [More... <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/aliciasn>] About Urs Gasser Urs Gasser is the Executive Director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and a Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School. He is a visiting professor at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and at KEIO University (Japan), and he teaches at Fudan University School of Management (China). Urs Gasser serves as a trustee on the board of the Nexa Center for Internet & Society at the Politecnico di Torino and on the board of the Research Center for Information Law at the University of St. Gallen, and is a member of the International Advisory Board of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin. He is a Fellow at the Gruter Institute for Law and Behavioral Research. [More... <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/ugasser>] Links * To learn more about the Student Privacy Initiative, please visit: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/studentprivacy * Collected publications from the SPI are available for download at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/publications/2014/spi_publications
