Posting Videos and Student Safety

So I have a question for our group… many of my students have been creating videos with partners.  The kids faces are shown during these videos as they are explaining their thinking about a variety of topics.  They were very excited to post them onto their individual blog.  Their enthusiasm was contagious…and I thought it was a great idea and posted them onto their student blogs.  Parents were thrilled to see their children speaking and working with others as it gives them a snapshot of what their child does all day right before their eyes.  They left comments on their child’s videos which wound the kids up with excitement even more.  But then I started to panic as I thought about internet safety.  Is this safe to do?

I’ve also been posting videos on my classroom blog and have caught myself asking a question and then calling on a student name and then moving the camera to focus on this student.  Is this a problem too?

I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and the kids are really wanting to take ownership over their blogs.  They want to see themselves and share their ideas by video and through writing.  There is nothing they love more than watching themselves live!   Am I creating a safety issue if I have their first name attached to a video on their individual blogs?  Last names are never given…however, it would be easy enough to figure out where we are located if you look at the url for AMDSB and then go to our site and search my name for my school.

My first instinct is “NO, NO, NO!!!” not safe.  But then I think about Facebook and all the other internet-based sites out there that quickly let you find anyone.  If someone wants to find somebody, they can do it a lot easier than through my blog.

I need some feedback.  Thoughts?

Jenn