second iteration of ziizoo tutor code of conduct
April 23rd, 2007 by Robert EinspruchA special thanks to all the tutors that commented on the first version of the code of conduct. I took several of the comments into account when crafting this second version. Again, we are open to suggestions.
Thanks.
Robert
1) ziizoo values learning: ziizoo tutors are committed to teaching pupils and honoring their best work, without doing it for them.
2) ziizoo is for everyone: ziizoo tutors treat every student equally, regardless of race, gender, nationality, economic background, etc.
3) ziizoo values honesty: ziizoo tutors are committed to posting truthful information about their age, academic credentials, work history, abilities, etc.
4) ziizoo values privacy: ziizoo tutors will not ask for or share personal information, particularly anything of embarrassing, explicit or private content.
5) ziizoo is about safety: ziizoo tutors are committed to the safety of their pupils and will never suggest or arrange offline meetings.
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:50 am
I like the code of conduct now.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:26 am
Looks good–I would suggest looking at the wording of #3, though. It’s awkward having information twice in one sentence.
Pardon the English nerd.
Carrie
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:28 am
#1- I think a word is missing- I believe it should say ziizoo tutors are committed TO teaching pupils…
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:31 am
Changes made per the comments above.
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I think #3 is a good starting point but I think asking about age is illegal - along with race, religion, national origin, etc.
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I think this one looks and sounds even better. It is very direct and concise. Great job!
April 23rd, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I like this one better. It has a more positive sound than the other.
April 23rd, 2007 at 4:30 pm
definite improvement.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
: )
April 24th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
This whole effort is a great idea. I wish you much success. Regarding the code, my beliefs are as follows:
If you are intending to lay out standards of ethical behavior for participating tutors, which I think is important for shaping the community and protecting students to the extent possible, I think this code should be framed more explicitly *as* a code, consisting of terms that tutors agree to and perhaps even sign off on (or click off on). Instead of writing this as descriptive statements about who and what the teachers *are*, it should, in my opinion, be drafted as specific terms of behavior that teachers agree to, or must agree to, if they wish to participate.
The honest and good tutors won’t need a code, and any opportunists or willfully dishonest folks perhaps won’t follow it, but there will surely be a group of borderline cases, and these are the ones who really need a code–and things should be clear to them, without ambiguity or soft edges. And perhaps having such code will scare off some really bad eggs by making clear, affirmative, non-touchy-feely statements regarding what this community is about and what tutors agree to and what will be tolerated.
Furthermore, I think having such a code will be reassuring to parents and thus may increase the volume of participating students. Yes, it will be made clear to parents that you can’t police and verify everything (or anything) but at least they’ll see what is expected of the tutors, and they’ll know that anything short of what is expected will be grounds for expulsion of the tutor from the community. They will know that, if tutors violate these terms, parents have a right to complain and their complaints will be taken seriously. In fact, I think parents should be told, on the website, that violations of the code are grounds for expulsion of a tutor from the community; perhaps they should even be asked to report any such violation. Remember, we’re dealing with minors, and we’re dealing with customers who are the parents of these minors.
The following are unedited and no doubt can be greatly improved upon, or totally tossed and rewritten, but should at least give a concrete sense of what I’m talking about:
1) Tutors agree not to do students work for them. Zizoo is a teaching community, committed to promoting students best educational interests, and these interests cannot be promoted by doing the student’s work…
2) Tutors agree to treat students equally, regardless of… and not to discriminate etc.
3) Tutors agree to post fully accurate information about their background, credentials…
Etc.
April 25th, 2007 at 6:57 am
Ben hits the nail on the head. The marketplace will breakdown immediately if trust is violated. Tutors will be bound by both formal and informal rules, and at registration you will have to “cllick and agree” to complete the registration process. These rules include grounds for expulsion from the site and in the cases of fraud, refunding parents/students out of the tutor’s own pocket.
April 25th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
morchard@mcleodusa.net wrote:
I read the second version of the code of conduct. If we value “privacy”,
why do we need to reveal our age (other than over age 18)?
It would be wise to clarify #4, because sometimes teachers need to
reveal some personal info or ask for some, to make the learning
experience seem relevant to the student. For example, when I teach
history, I try to relate it to what grandparents, or great-grandparents
may have experienced. When teaching math, I choose applications that
relate to the student’s everyday life, hobbies, career goals, etc. When
I teach writing, I have students write about something of interest to
them. Online it would be important to avoid giving the impression that
the tutor is looking for personal facts about the student, but it is
sometimes unavoidable, because emotion and relevance create teachable
moments and make learning memorable.
Maybe the code of conduct should spell out certain topics that are
off-limits and allow others. When teaching minors, we should have
parents/guardians consent.
April 25th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
The main point from above, about revealing age and information like that, is tutors should not *mislead* students about their age or anything else. To be blunt, do not say you are 18 when you are 48! Don’t say you went to Harvard if you only have a GED - no matter how good of a tutor you are.
I know this does not apply to 99% of the tutors out there, but we have to make sure it isn’t the 1% that brings this whole thing down!
Robert
April 25th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
This iteration is much better - more positive in tone, and more like a commitment from the tutors. I think that item #4 should simply stop after saying ziizoo will not ask for or share personal information of any kind.
I still think we need an equal committment from students. We need to be protected as well from any unscrupulous people.
Margaret
April 26th, 2007 at 7:43 am
The code of conduct sounds good. Has the legality/ethics of posting a tutor’s age been clarified? Companies that hire tutors do background checks. Is that going to happen on Ziizoo?