If looking for a presentation on digital citizenship......
I made my presentation that I am going to be presenting to my staff on Friday May 2nd. Thanks A LOT to Eldon Germann from Macklin.... :-) who did all the work...I just decided to not re-invent the wheel.... :-)
http://fjeldstrom.wikispaces.com/Digital+Citizenship
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Cool invention....drum machine
Here is a really neat video - I love building things as most shop teachers do, and this is really quite amazing....
It is a drum machine and the description is as follows:
Matches are activating lever-matches by rotating the cylinder. Lever-matches are kicking on several percussions.
Check It Out!
It is a drum machine and the description is as follows:
Matches are activating lever-matches by rotating the cylinder. Lever-matches are kicking on several percussions.
Check It Out!
Draft #3 and hopefully the last one.... :-)
Here is draft #3 - there were modifications made to #4,5,6 and there was a section added at the end dealing with computer use in the morning before 9:00am and during noon hour (lunch). These things were brought to my attention by fellow staff members and we came up with this as the modifications.....
Student Computer and Internet Use Policy
Luseland School
May 2008
Rationale
Internet safety and responsibility is the key. As a generation who is constantly using technology, we must be aware that there are items that are not school appropriate and are not safe to view on the internet. We can work together to become digital technology citizens and become responsible for what is viewed in our school. This is the first step to making and keeping our school a safe place for students of all ages. Always navigate away from the inappropriate websites and report it to a teacher to avoid consequences and misunderstandings.
These policy items will be in effect as of May 1, 2008:
1. There will be no unsupervised use of any video websites.*
This includes websites such as:
· Google Video
· Youtube.com
o These above websites are not to be used unless under direct teacher supervision. This involves the teacher being physically present while they are being used.
· Any other video websites
The only exception to this rule is the Discovery Learning (Streaming Video) website, which is directly education based.
Reasoning
a) Video websites slow down bandwidth of our school’s internet, making the computers’ internet slow for all users.
b) Some videos may contain school inappropriate content such as:
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
2. Any gaming websites are only to be used to view or play school appropriate items. Use of gaming websites during class time is under the discretion of that particular teacher. Students are not allowed on gaming websites unless the teacher gives permission.
Many games are school appropriate, so use your common judgment and know that any games that include the items listed below will not be tolerated and will result in loss of privileges.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
3. “Social networking” websites are allowed only for teacher directed learning, under direct teacher supervision. Wikipedia’s definition of a social network:
“A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
Most services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, etc.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service
This includes websites such as:
· Facebook.com
· Hi5.com
· Myspace.com
· Bebo.com
· Any other social networking websites
These items are to be used with discretion, on a student’s own personal time in a home setting, where they can be monitored by an adult such as a parent or guardian. School is a place where academic growth is the main focus. These types of websites are blocked at our school, as they do not need to be accessed and used by students.
Websites that are blocked from use are not allowed to be viewed. If a website is blocked by our school’s content filter and you have gone around the content filter to view that website, it is against school policy and is in direct violation of the computer use policy put in place by the division. Suspension of computer privileges will be immediate.
4. Websites used for music listening purposes are to be used with teacher permission during classes and only with headphones during student spares (when using a computer with a supervising teacher present).
All music must be school appropriate.
These websites include:
· Deezer.com
· Any other free music listening (not video) websites as okayed by the classroom teacher
Reasoning
a) Music is acceptable if the teacher deems it appropriate. It is up to the teacher’s discretion as to if it will be allowed in their classroom. Ask your classroom teacher before putting on music during class.
b) It is a respectful gesture to listen to music with headphones so it is not a distraction to others.
5. Any websites containing the following information listed below is forbidden. Any students caught on websites containing any of this information without direct teacher supervision will have their computer privileges removed. Items used in research for information in reports, essays, etc. are only acceptable if being viewed under direct teacher supervision, or with written consent from a teacher. If a student wishes to do research on their own time about these topics, they need to obtain written permission from a teacher.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
6. No computer use in the library and any other areas that are unsupervised during student spares. Spares are to be in held in the lunchroom or library (without using computers), from this point forward.
If a student needs to use a computer, it may only be used for educational purposes. No items containing the items listed below may be viewed at any time.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
Students may only use a computer if they are in a supervised classroom, and only with a present teacher’s permission
Consequences
Students caught violating these items will be facing consequences. They will include:
First Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended for one full school day and will remain off of all computers for the rest of the day.
Second Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer for the remainder of the day, have their computer privileges suspended for 2 full school days, will have an office referral and be placed on the discipline cycle.
Third Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended for 2 full school days, will have an office referral, will move up a step on the discipline cycle, parents will be contacted and a meeting between the parents and administration will be conducted.
*Computer use during student spares
Students must understand that although spares are unsupervised, these consequences will still be in effect for any student who is in violation of them. Any items that need direct teacher supervision (a teacher physically present) will not be allowed on spares unless there is a teacher directly monitoring your activities. Although spares are frames of time to be used to your discretion, computer use is not a requirement for those times, and therefore must be used accordingly or computer privileges will be removed during spares.
*Computer use in the morning before 9:00am or during noon hour (lunch)
Students who with to use computers in the morning before 9:00am or during noon hour, must follow the student internet use policy, or you will have your computer privileges suspended during these times for:
1st offence – For a period of one full school week
2nd offence – For a period of one full month
3rd offence – For the remainder of the year
If you have your computer privileges suspended and:
A) You are supposed to be using a computer for a class that you are currently in; you will still have your computer privileges suspended until the teacher whose class you are in can discuss the issue with you and give you appropriate discipline. You are to remain off the computer until the time that your teacher whose class you are currently in can attend to the issue.
B) You are on a student spare; then you will have your computer privileges suspended for the remainder of the day. Computer use during spares is a privilege and not a necessity so use it according to the school’s policy.
Student Computer and Internet Use Policy
Luseland School
May 2008
Rationale
Internet safety and responsibility is the key. As a generation who is constantly using technology, we must be aware that there are items that are not school appropriate and are not safe to view on the internet. We can work together to become digital technology citizens and become responsible for what is viewed in our school. This is the first step to making and keeping our school a safe place for students of all ages. Always navigate away from the inappropriate websites and report it to a teacher to avoid consequences and misunderstandings.
These policy items will be in effect as of May 1, 2008:
1. There will be no unsupervised use of any video websites.*
This includes websites such as:
· Google Video
· Youtube.com
o These above websites are not to be used unless under direct teacher supervision. This involves the teacher being physically present while they are being used.
· Any other video websites
The only exception to this rule is the Discovery Learning (Streaming Video) website, which is directly education based.
Reasoning
a) Video websites slow down bandwidth of our school’s internet, making the computers’ internet slow for all users.
b) Some videos may contain school inappropriate content such as:
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
2. Any gaming websites are only to be used to view or play school appropriate items. Use of gaming websites during class time is under the discretion of that particular teacher. Students are not allowed on gaming websites unless the teacher gives permission.
Many games are school appropriate, so use your common judgment and know that any games that include the items listed below will not be tolerated and will result in loss of privileges.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
3. “Social networking” websites are allowed only for teacher directed learning, under direct teacher supervision. Wikipedia’s definition of a social network:
“A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
Most services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, etc.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service
This includes websites such as:
· Facebook.com
· Hi5.com
· Myspace.com
· Bebo.com
· Any other social networking websites
These items are to be used with discretion, on a student’s own personal time in a home setting, where they can be monitored by an adult such as a parent or guardian. School is a place where academic growth is the main focus. These types of websites are blocked at our school, as they do not need to be accessed and used by students.
Websites that are blocked from use are not allowed to be viewed. If a website is blocked by our school’s content filter and you have gone around the content filter to view that website, it is against school policy and is in direct violation of the computer use policy put in place by the division. Suspension of computer privileges will be immediate.
4. Websites used for music listening purposes are to be used with teacher permission during classes and only with headphones during student spares (when using a computer with a supervising teacher present).
All music must be school appropriate.
These websites include:
· Deezer.com
· Any other free music listening (not video) websites as okayed by the classroom teacher
Reasoning
a) Music is acceptable if the teacher deems it appropriate. It is up to the teacher’s discretion as to if it will be allowed in their classroom. Ask your classroom teacher before putting on music during class.
b) It is a respectful gesture to listen to music with headphones so it is not a distraction to others.
5. Any websites containing the following information listed below is forbidden. Any students caught on websites containing any of this information without direct teacher supervision will have their computer privileges removed. Items used in research for information in reports, essays, etc. are only acceptable if being viewed under direct teacher supervision, or with written consent from a teacher. If a student wishes to do research on their own time about these topics, they need to obtain written permission from a teacher.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
6. No computer use in the library and any other areas that are unsupervised during student spares. Spares are to be in held in the lunchroom or library (without using computers), from this point forward.
If a student needs to use a computer, it may only be used for educational purposes. No items containing the items listed below may be viewed at any time.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
Students may only use a computer if they are in a supervised classroom, and only with a present teacher’s permission
Consequences
Students caught violating these items will be facing consequences. They will include:
First Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended for one full school day and will remain off of all computers for the rest of the day.
Second Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer for the remainder of the day, have their computer privileges suspended for 2 full school days, will have an office referral and be placed on the discipline cycle.
Third Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended for 2 full school days, will have an office referral, will move up a step on the discipline cycle, parents will be contacted and a meeting between the parents and administration will be conducted.
*Computer use during student spares
Students must understand that although spares are unsupervised, these consequences will still be in effect for any student who is in violation of them. Any items that need direct teacher supervision (a teacher physically present) will not be allowed on spares unless there is a teacher directly monitoring your activities. Although spares are frames of time to be used to your discretion, computer use is not a requirement for those times, and therefore must be used accordingly or computer privileges will be removed during spares.
*Computer use in the morning before 9:00am or during noon hour (lunch)
Students who with to use computers in the morning before 9:00am or during noon hour, must follow the student internet use policy, or you will have your computer privileges suspended during these times for:
1st offence – For a period of one full school week
2nd offence – For a period of one full month
3rd offence – For the remainder of the year
If you have your computer privileges suspended and:
A) You are supposed to be using a computer for a class that you are currently in; you will still have your computer privileges suspended until the teacher whose class you are in can discuss the issue with you and give you appropriate discipline. You are to remain off the computer until the time that your teacher whose class you are currently in can attend to the issue.
B) You are on a student spare; then you will have your computer privileges suspended for the remainder of the day. Computer use during spares is a privilege and not a necessity so use it according to the school’s policy.
CD Cover Meme
CD COVER MEME
The rules are:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RandomThe first article title on the page is the name of your band.
2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.
3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
Here is my attempt:
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Issues arising from Draft #2 and beyond...
I hope those of you that are keeping tabs on the Student Internet Use Policy are going to let me know what you think of it all. By no means do I assume to have all the right answers or have it all worded correctly. I seek advice all the time and encourage you to give opinions. I want you all to know that this is just a beginning and is not the final word in terms of editing the policy. I know there are some issues.....such as the students who want to take their own initiative and do research or learn something on their own (weird! haha) but I would enjoy some help in those matters of wording or suggestions on how to modify it!!
I also know that some of you believe this policy to be restrictive and well I know it is not exactly what we (as tech supporters or "tech jocks") are trying to promote (not restriction), but please help me to find a more meaningful way to show the students how these things are inappropriate for school use (looking up or posting pictures from the weekend party on Facebook - which is what they are doing!). I am not sure that at this point in beginning to promote instead of restricting, that the students (at least in my school) fully understand and care about the responsibility of it all. I have had many of conversations with students in my school about these things, and every time I do, I hear the same things - "what's the big deal?", "ya so?", "I'm not doing anything wrong", "It's not that bad", and the list goes on. Of course when they say "It's not that bad", is when I am telling them to log out of computer at noon hour when they are playing a game where they are holding a gun in the middle of the screen and are shooting at another human being (character) on a computer game. My typical response in this situation is "Do what you do at home, but at school it is inappropriate". Once I say that to the student and give them a little explanation , I typically notice that student realizing the point of it all and they say "ya I get it" or "ya I know" and I have no more issues....but it took me taking action for them to realize it!
They are not "there" (meaning at the point of pre-understanding, before I have to tell them), yet. They are not quite understanding (or at least displaying any knowledge) as to why it is inappropriate looking up specific 'bad' items, playing violent games, etc. at school until they are given trouble from a teacher. This is my teachable moment and I have ones similar to this everyday! I take these opportunities to talk to that student about what, why and how things can be resolved, how it should be dealt with in the future, etc.
In the last 2 school days I have caught 2 different students on Facebook. Facebook is one of the only websites that is actually blocked and they are on it. As many times as I have told them that it is blocked (oh they knew believe me), and why it is inappropriate to be on it at school (especially since it is blocked, but also in general), the students still seem to be on it - looking up pictures of them all drinking at a party on the weekend I might add. They instantly knew they were not supposed to be on there, and as soon as I walked in the room, they tried to exit out of the website - of course me being the savvy smart lady I am, I knew they were up to no good and happened to see the picture of them drinking as they were minimizing their Internet explorer. They knew it was wrong and I told them to log out of the computer (and following the policy, told them that they were to have their computer privileges removed for 1 full school day). No arguing came from this student. Surprised? I'm not. I should hope they know by now that if a website is blocked, and they are on it, that the consequences could be much much more severe.
I hate restrictions. In my own life, restrictions frustrate me to no end. I am a free-spirit, a creative mind, an easy-going individual. I do not want to impose restrictions, but the fact that the student I caught looking up pictures of them drinking on Facebook, had a student who was under the age of 10 sitting nearby, I am left with the understanding that the student looking up them drinking did not care if the younger student saw it. Is that an influence we need? Are they not exposed to it enough? Do they need to see that at school - where it is supposed to be a safe haven for them to learn and be themselves? Without some supervision while on computers (while on these websites), and without the guidance of the teacher, I have only seen students use this type of website for school inappropriate reasons.
UGH! Am I doing anything right? Am I on the right track? How can I help them to see the better side/responsible side of the Internet tools? How can I be less restrictive but still hold some ground? UGH!!
I also know that some of you believe this policy to be restrictive and well I know it is not exactly what we (as tech supporters or "tech jocks") are trying to promote (not restriction), but please help me to find a more meaningful way to show the students how these things are inappropriate for school use (looking up or posting pictures from the weekend party on Facebook - which is what they are doing!). I am not sure that at this point in beginning to promote instead of restricting, that the students (at least in my school) fully understand and care about the responsibility of it all. I have had many of conversations with students in my school about these things, and every time I do, I hear the same things - "what's the big deal?", "ya so?", "I'm not doing anything wrong", "It's not that bad", and the list goes on. Of course when they say "It's not that bad", is when I am telling them to log out of computer at noon hour when they are playing a game where they are holding a gun in the middle of the screen and are shooting at another human being (character) on a computer game. My typical response in this situation is "Do what you do at home, but at school it is inappropriate". Once I say that to the student and give them a little explanation , I typically notice that student realizing the point of it all and they say "ya I get it" or "ya I know" and I have no more issues....but it took me taking action for them to realize it!
They are not "there" (meaning at the point of pre-understanding, before I have to tell them), yet. They are not quite understanding (or at least displaying any knowledge) as to why it is inappropriate looking up specific 'bad' items, playing violent games, etc. at school until they are given trouble from a teacher. This is my teachable moment and I have ones similar to this everyday! I take these opportunities to talk to that student about what, why and how things can be resolved, how it should be dealt with in the future, etc.
In the last 2 school days I have caught 2 different students on Facebook. Facebook is one of the only websites that is actually blocked and they are on it. As many times as I have told them that it is blocked (oh they knew believe me), and why it is inappropriate to be on it at school (especially since it is blocked, but also in general), the students still seem to be on it - looking up pictures of them all drinking at a party on the weekend I might add. They instantly knew they were not supposed to be on there, and as soon as I walked in the room, they tried to exit out of the website - of course me being the savvy smart lady I am, I knew they were up to no good and happened to see the picture of them drinking as they were minimizing their Internet explorer. They knew it was wrong and I told them to log out of the computer (and following the policy, told them that they were to have their computer privileges removed for 1 full school day). No arguing came from this student. Surprised? I'm not. I should hope they know by now that if a website is blocked, and they are on it, that the consequences could be much much more severe.
I hate restrictions. In my own life, restrictions frustrate me to no end. I am a free-spirit, a creative mind, an easy-going individual. I do not want to impose restrictions, but the fact that the student I caught looking up pictures of them drinking on Facebook, had a student who was under the age of 10 sitting nearby, I am left with the understanding that the student looking up them drinking did not care if the younger student saw it. Is that an influence we need? Are they not exposed to it enough? Do they need to see that at school - where it is supposed to be a safe haven for them to learn and be themselves? Without some supervision while on computers (while on these websites), and without the guidance of the teacher, I have only seen students use this type of website for school inappropriate reasons.
UGH! Am I doing anything right? Am I on the right track? How can I help them to see the better side/responsible side of the Internet tools? How can I be less restrictive but still hold some ground? UGH!!
5 Easy Ways To Save The Planet....
Since today is Earth Day......check out this cute video from Youtube.com.....
Thursday, April 17, 2008
How do you feel technologically overwhelmed? Heard this story before?
Since the invention of the computer, life has become extremely fast-paced and technological. If you are one of the people who did not catch on to the computer, who waited until the last possible minute to learn its finicky ways, then it is likely that you did not ever really catch on! Sure you have probably been showed a few times how to turn it on, how to access the Internet, look up something on Google, or check your email. But likely you do not remember any of it, 10 minutes after doing it! It becomes a frustration, you do not know what to do, you stop trying and eventually give up on trying to understand it all, and say "I've tried it, but I am going to leave it up to you all that understand things like that. I am fine with your "snail" mail as you call it!" And it is left at that. You do not venture to the computer sitting in the corner of the office any more. It collects dust and goes out of date. You get older and your grandchildren come by and chuckle that the old computer is still around and collecting dust. You get asked why it never got used and your response is that it was too many things to learn at once.
Sound familiar? Can you relate to this story? Even I can! I want you to stop and imagine what your life would be like without computers....you would never have the opportunity to read this....you would never experience technology to its fullest extent.....you would not be able to communicate as much as you do today, with the likes of Facebook, Email, Blogs, Myspace, etc. it has become common place to be involved in every one's business (or at least keep on top of their items they post/email/blog), and to keep in close contact with people you know. I enjoy being able to talk to people I have not seen since high school or college, and see what they have been up to, and where they are now. Without the power of the all mighty Internet, this would never have been possible to keep in contact with the close to 400 friends I have on Facebook. Sure most are just acquaintances but nonetheless, it is great to be able to keep in touch and grow better friendships with people, and possibly meet some new friends as well!
The invention of the computer, no matter how many frustrations you can tell me about, has many many positives about it. There are always issues with technology and it is likely going to be like that forever, but knowing that computers are the tool of new-age communication, it is hard to undermine the importance of computers and how they have impacted our lives in the positive way. Do not think I have forgotten about all the Internet safety issues that are occurring (even in our school, let alone in the whole world), but I think we need to concentrate on the positive and not let the bad seeds who use the Internet for bad things (like pornography or to endanger others/children/etc.). The people who do those things give the Internet a bad rap, and people then tend to overlook the good things about the Internet.
Let it not affect us, and let us relish in the communication benefits and world-wide collaborative bonus' that the Internet has given us, and let us use it for the good of the world; to make the world a better place, not an unsafe place to hide.
Sound familiar? Can you relate to this story? Even I can! I want you to stop and imagine what your life would be like without computers....you would never have the opportunity to read this....you would never experience technology to its fullest extent.....you would not be able to communicate as much as you do today, with the likes of Facebook, Email, Blogs, Myspace, etc. it has become common place to be involved in every one's business (or at least keep on top of their items they post/email/blog), and to keep in close contact with people you know. I enjoy being able to talk to people I have not seen since high school or college, and see what they have been up to, and where they are now. Without the power of the all mighty Internet, this would never have been possible to keep in contact with the close to 400 friends I have on Facebook. Sure most are just acquaintances but nonetheless, it is great to be able to keep in touch and grow better friendships with people, and possibly meet some new friends as well!
The invention of the computer, no matter how many frustrations you can tell me about, has many many positives about it. There are always issues with technology and it is likely going to be like that forever, but knowing that computers are the tool of new-age communication, it is hard to undermine the importance of computers and how they have impacted our lives in the positive way. Do not think I have forgotten about all the Internet safety issues that are occurring (even in our school, let alone in the whole world), but I think we need to concentrate on the positive and not let the bad seeds who use the Internet for bad things (like pornography or to endanger others/children/etc.). The people who do those things give the Internet a bad rap, and people then tend to overlook the good things about the Internet.
Let it not affect us, and let us relish in the communication benefits and world-wide collaborative bonus' that the Internet has given us, and let us use it for the good of the world; to make the world a better place, not an unsafe place to hide.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Draft # 2 of policy...hopefully the last....please let me know what you think...
Here is Draft # 2 - Hopefully the last draft for now....I know it seems quite restrictive, but if we can start here, get the kids on board, then maybe re-visiting this next year will lead to giving students more freedom and keeping the policy more generalized so it does not have to get re-vamped every year.
Draft #2
Student Internet Use Policy
Luseland School
April 2008
Rationale
Internet safety and responsibility is the key. As a generation who is constantly using technology, we must be aware that there are items that are not school appropriate and are not safe to view on the internet. We can work together to become digital technology citizens and become responsible for what is viewed in our school. This is the first step to making and keeping our school a safe place for students of all ages. Always navigate away from the inappropriate websites and report it to a teacher to avoid consequences and misunderstandings.
These policy items will be in effect as of April 7, 2008:
1. There will be no unsupervised use of any video websites.* This includes websites such as:
· Google Video
· Youtube.com
o These above websites are not to be used unless under direct teacher supervision. This involves the teacher being physically present while they are being used.
· Any other video websites
The only exception to this rule is the Discovery Learning (Streaming Video) website, which is directly education based.
Reasoning
a) Video websites slow down bandwidth of our school’s internet, making the computers’ internet slow for all users.
b) Some videos may contain school inappropriate content such as:
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
2. Any gaming websites are only to be used to view or play school appropriate items. Use of gaming websites during class time is under the discretion of that particular teacher. Students are not allowed on gaming websites unless the teacher gives permission.
Many games are school appropriate, so use your common judgment and know that any games that include the items listed below will not be tolerated and will result in loss of privileges.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
3. “Social networking” websites are allowed only for teacher directed learning, under direct teacher supervision. Wikipedia’s definition of a social network:
“A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
Most services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, etc.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service
This includes websites such as:
· Facebook.com
· Hi5.com
· Myspace.com
· Bebo.com
· Any other social networking websites
These items are to be used with discretion, on a student’s own personal time in a home setting, where they can be monitored by an adult such as a parent or guardian. School is a place where academic growth is the main focus. These types of websites are blocked at our school, as they do not need to be accessed and used by students.
Websites that are blocked from use are not allowed to be viewed. If a website is blocked by our school’s content filter and you have gone around the content filter to view that website, it is against school policy and is in direct violation of the computer use policy put in place by the division. Suspension of computer privileges will be immediate.
4. Websites used for music listening purposes are to be used with teacher permission during classes and only with headphones during student spares.
All music must be school appropriate.
These websites include:
· Deezer.com
· Any other free music listening (not video) websites as okayed by the classroom teacher
Reasoning
a) Music is acceptable if the teacher deems it appropriate. It is up to the teacher’s discretion as to if it will be allowed in their classroom. Ask your classroom teacher before putting on music during class.
b) Music listened to during spares is likely to be listened to in areas such as the library or in another classroom, and it is a respectful gesture to listen to music only with headphones in these areas during student spares.
5. Any websites containing the following information listed below is forbidden. Any students caught on websites containing any of this information without direct teacher supervision will be have their computer privileges removed. Items used in research for information in reports, essays, etc. are only acceptable if being viewed under direct teacher supervision.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
6. No computer use in the library and any other areas that are unsupervised during student spares. Spares are to be in held in the lunchroom or library (without using computers), from this point forward.
If a student needs to use a computer, it may only be used for educational purposes. No items containing the items listed below may be viewed at any time.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
Students may only use a computer if they are in a supervised classroom, and only with a present teacher’s permission
Consequences
Students caught violating these items will be facing consequences. They will include:
First Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended for one full school day and will remain off of all computers for the rest of the day.
Second Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer for the remainder of the day, have their computer privileges suspended for 2 full school days, will have an office referral and be placed on the discipline cycle.
Third Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended for 2 full school days, will have an office referral, will move up a step on the discipline cycle, parents will be contacted and a meeting between the parents and administration will be conducted.
*Computer use during student spares
Students must understand that although spares are unsupervised, these consequences will still be in effect for any student who is in violation of them. Any items that need direct teacher supervision (a teacher physically present) will not be allowed on spares unless there is a teacher directly monitoring your activities. Although spares are frames of time to be used to your discretion, computer use is not a requirement for those times, and therefore must be used accordingly or computer privileges will be removed during spares.
If you have your computer privileges suspended and:
A) You are supposed to be using a computer for a class that you are currently in; you will still have your computer privileges suspended until the teacher whose class you are in can discuss the issue with you and give you appropriate discipline. You are to remain off the computer until the time that your teacher whose class you are currently in can attend to the issue.
B) You are on a student spare; then you will have your computer privileges suspended for the remainder of the day. Computer use during spares is a privilege and not a necessity so use it according to the school’s policy.
Draft #2
Student Internet Use Policy
Luseland School
April 2008
Rationale
Internet safety and responsibility is the key. As a generation who is constantly using technology, we must be aware that there are items that are not school appropriate and are not safe to view on the internet. We can work together to become digital technology citizens and become responsible for what is viewed in our school. This is the first step to making and keeping our school a safe place for students of all ages. Always navigate away from the inappropriate websites and report it to a teacher to avoid consequences and misunderstandings.
These policy items will be in effect as of April 7, 2008:
1. There will be no unsupervised use of any video websites.* This includes websites such as:
· Google Video
· Youtube.com
o These above websites are not to be used unless under direct teacher supervision. This involves the teacher being physically present while they are being used.
· Any other video websites
The only exception to this rule is the Discovery Learning (Streaming Video) website, which is directly education based.
Reasoning
a) Video websites slow down bandwidth of our school’s internet, making the computers’ internet slow for all users.
b) Some videos may contain school inappropriate content such as:
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
2. Any gaming websites are only to be used to view or play school appropriate items. Use of gaming websites during class time is under the discretion of that particular teacher. Students are not allowed on gaming websites unless the teacher gives permission.
Many games are school appropriate, so use your common judgment and know that any games that include the items listed below will not be tolerated and will result in loss of privileges.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
3. “Social networking” websites are allowed only for teacher directed learning, under direct teacher supervision. Wikipedia’s definition of a social network:
“A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
Most services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, etc.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service
This includes websites such as:
· Facebook.com
· Hi5.com
· Myspace.com
· Bebo.com
· Any other social networking websites
These items are to be used with discretion, on a student’s own personal time in a home setting, where they can be monitored by an adult such as a parent or guardian. School is a place where academic growth is the main focus. These types of websites are blocked at our school, as they do not need to be accessed and used by students.
Websites that are blocked from use are not allowed to be viewed. If a website is blocked by our school’s content filter and you have gone around the content filter to view that website, it is against school policy and is in direct violation of the computer use policy put in place by the division. Suspension of computer privileges will be immediate.
4. Websites used for music listening purposes are to be used with teacher permission during classes and only with headphones during student spares.
All music must be school appropriate.
These websites include:
· Deezer.com
· Any other free music listening (not video) websites as okayed by the classroom teacher
Reasoning
a) Music is acceptable if the teacher deems it appropriate. It is up to the teacher’s discretion as to if it will be allowed in their classroom. Ask your classroom teacher before putting on music during class.
b) Music listened to during spares is likely to be listened to in areas such as the library or in another classroom, and it is a respectful gesture to listen to music only with headphones in these areas during student spares.
5. Any websites containing the following information listed below is forbidden. Any students caught on websites containing any of this information without direct teacher supervision will be have their computer privileges removed. Items used in research for information in reports, essays, etc. are only acceptable if being viewed under direct teacher supervision.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
6. No computer use in the library and any other areas that are unsupervised during student spares. Spares are to be in held in the lunchroom or library (without using computers), from this point forward.
If a student needs to use a computer, it may only be used for educational purposes. No items containing the items listed below may be viewed at any time.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
Students may only use a computer if they are in a supervised classroom, and only with a present teacher’s permission
Consequences
Students caught violating these items will be facing consequences. They will include:
First Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended for one full school day and will remain off of all computers for the rest of the day.
Second Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer for the remainder of the day, have their computer privileges suspended for 2 full school days, will have an office referral and be placed on the discipline cycle.
Third Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended for 2 full school days, will have an office referral, will move up a step on the discipline cycle, parents will be contacted and a meeting between the parents and administration will be conducted.
*Computer use during student spares
Students must understand that although spares are unsupervised, these consequences will still be in effect for any student who is in violation of them. Any items that need direct teacher supervision (a teacher physically present) will not be allowed on spares unless there is a teacher directly monitoring your activities. Although spares are frames of time to be used to your discretion, computer use is not a requirement for those times, and therefore must be used accordingly or computer privileges will be removed during spares.
If you have your computer privileges suspended and:
A) You are supposed to be using a computer for a class that you are currently in; you will still have your computer privileges suspended until the teacher whose class you are in can discuss the issue with you and give you appropriate discipline. You are to remain off the computer until the time that your teacher whose class you are currently in can attend to the issue.
B) You are on a student spare; then you will have your computer privileges suspended for the remainder of the day. Computer use during spares is a privilege and not a necessity so use it according to the school’s policy.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Internet Use Policy - questions and items arising from draft #1
I think I may have been a bit pre-mature about using that definition of social networking. I do not think it was the best definition to use - maybe there could have been a better one than the one I used (anyone know of one?). Gary was right when he said that banning social networking sites also bans blogging - which is no good.
I know that a lot of these items in this policy came about as a result of issues that directly effected our school. We have had some issues and this is step one in making our school a more safe environment for students of all ages. This is going to be a trial run - until the end of this school year, and will be re-visited again at the end of this school year or at the beginning of the next school year. Of course there will be issues, and I never expected there to be a policy that is loop-hole and error-free. I appreciate your comment(s) and will use them to help modify as we go along.
We had a staff meeting today and I presented this draft to them. We came up with a few suggestions. One was actually similar to what Gary had said in his comment - Needing a different beginning to the social networking point. We had made the suggestion to fix it to read something like -"Social networking websites are allowed only for teacher directed learning, and are not to be accessed without direct teacher supervision." I believe this will clear up some of the technicalities of the wording - not 'dis-allowing' these websites to be used, but rather to have them used for specific purposes. As I have had talks with Allison, and others, we have come to the reality that these websites are not "bad" but just used in 'bad fashion' during school time. We can see the validity in using things like Facebook (or whatever) as a means of communication - such as fundraising, spreading the word about a specific event (ex - 30 hr famine), but that most times students are using it as a means to post or view pictures of themselves or others and see what happened at the party on the weekend (which is obviously NOT school appropriate!) or cyber-bullying. Therefore, the wording has been changed. Just like I said before, it is not to TRY and place restrictions but to try to combat some issues that have arisen in our school.
The consequences section was found to be good but we made it a bit more specific - for example we changed the wording to say 'one full school day' - instead of 'for the rest of the day', and so on. You can check out Draft #2 when I post it.
The last thing - which may not have to be implemented in your schools - but needs to be in our school, at least until the end of June - was a #6. This is something the staff wanted to try until the end of June because of the issues we have had. It included no unsupervised use of computers during student spares. If they need a computer they must get permission to go into a classroom where there is a teacher present to use a computer and only if it is for school related work. This just comes from students abusing the computers in the library and being unsupervised (minus our librarian) during spares. We are doing this as a trial run - thus it must go in the policy but it is likely that it will be taken out of the policy at the end of this school year.
Ultimately I believe the staff response to be very, very positive. They had made good comments and had valid points. It was good to get them all involved and present it so that we could all be on the same page. Students will not be able to play us off of each other if we are consistent, and this is the key to successfully implementing this new policy. I believe that this could work; it may need 'tweaking' but that is to be expected of any new policy. So a trial run, then possibly an amended policy for the new school year.
We want to keep it positive, but in some ways the issues we had dealt with makes it harder to make it a positive resolution. For the most part I wanted to focus on putting ownership on the student and put the responsibility into their hands. We need to teach them, help them and show them how to use the Internet as a proper tool, not a thing to abuse. We will hold a short assembly to introduce this new policy to the students and hold a short dialogue session about these things. Hopefully this can be a step in the right direction. Time will tell.
I know that a lot of these items in this policy came about as a result of issues that directly effected our school. We have had some issues and this is step one in making our school a more safe environment for students of all ages. This is going to be a trial run - until the end of this school year, and will be re-visited again at the end of this school year or at the beginning of the next school year. Of course there will be issues, and I never expected there to be a policy that is loop-hole and error-free. I appreciate your comment(s) and will use them to help modify as we go along.
We had a staff meeting today and I presented this draft to them. We came up with a few suggestions. One was actually similar to what Gary had said in his comment - Needing a different beginning to the social networking point. We had made the suggestion to fix it to read something like -"Social networking websites are allowed only for teacher directed learning, and are not to be accessed without direct teacher supervision." I believe this will clear up some of the technicalities of the wording - not 'dis-allowing' these websites to be used, but rather to have them used for specific purposes. As I have had talks with Allison, and others, we have come to the reality that these websites are not "bad" but just used in 'bad fashion' during school time. We can see the validity in using things like Facebook (or whatever) as a means of communication - such as fundraising, spreading the word about a specific event (ex - 30 hr famine), but that most times students are using it as a means to post or view pictures of themselves or others and see what happened at the party on the weekend (which is obviously NOT school appropriate!) or cyber-bullying. Therefore, the wording has been changed. Just like I said before, it is not to TRY and place restrictions but to try to combat some issues that have arisen in our school.
The consequences section was found to be good but we made it a bit more specific - for example we changed the wording to say 'one full school day' - instead of 'for the rest of the day', and so on. You can check out Draft #2 when I post it.
The last thing - which may not have to be implemented in your schools - but needs to be in our school, at least until the end of June - was a #6. This is something the staff wanted to try until the end of June because of the issues we have had. It included no unsupervised use of computers during student spares. If they need a computer they must get permission to go into a classroom where there is a teacher present to use a computer and only if it is for school related work. This just comes from students abusing the computers in the library and being unsupervised (minus our librarian) during spares. We are doing this as a trial run - thus it must go in the policy but it is likely that it will be taken out of the policy at the end of this school year.
Ultimately I believe the staff response to be very, very positive. They had made good comments and had valid points. It was good to get them all involved and present it so that we could all be on the same page. Students will not be able to play us off of each other if we are consistent, and this is the key to successfully implementing this new policy. I believe that this could work; it may need 'tweaking' but that is to be expected of any new policy. So a trial run, then possibly an amended policy for the new school year.
We want to keep it positive, but in some ways the issues we had dealt with makes it harder to make it a positive resolution. For the most part I wanted to focus on putting ownership on the student and put the responsibility into their hands. We need to teach them, help them and show them how to use the Internet as a proper tool, not a thing to abuse. We will hold a short assembly to introduce this new policy to the students and hold a short dialogue session about these things. Hopefully this can be a step in the right direction. Time will tell.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Internet Use Policy - Draft One is now complete....
Internet Use Policy - Draft One is now complete.
I will be presenting this to my staff at the staff meeting tomorrow. Once I present this we as a staff can discuss if there are any modifications that need to be done. By no means do I want to be, or claim to be known as the know-it-all of the Internet and Internet use, but this policy has come about as after much discussion, idea throwing and issue resolutions that have occur ed in our school. The like-minded group of teachers (including myself) have met and come up with this policy.
I had first off , sent out another note to my staff - as I normally do with updates, etc. - and had given the beginning of the policy, as far as it was made at the time, for their use until a more concrete policy could be decided upon. This actually settled a lot of confusions and issues that we did have in the school but was only the beginning. Now that we met and discussed a more specific plan of attack on this issue, there is a better worded policy that can be read to the students and staff and can be used as a new school policy.
Here is draft #1:
Internet Use Policy
Luseland School
April 2008
Rationale
Internet safety and responsibility is the key. As a generation who is constantly using technology, we must be aware that there are items that are not school appropriate and are not safe to view on the internet. We can work together to become digital technology citizens and become responsible for what is viewed in our school. This is the first step to making and keeping our school a safe place for students of all ages. Always navigate away from the inappropriate websites and report it to a teacher to avoid consequences and misunderstandings.
These policy items will be in effect as of April 7, 2008:
1. There will be no unsupervised use of any video websites.* This includes websites such as:
· Google Video
· Youtube.com
o These above websites are not to be used unless under direct teacher supervision. This involves the teacher being physically present while they are being used.
· Any other video websites
The only exception to this rule is the Discovery Learning (Streaming Video) website, which is directly education based.
Reasoning
a) Video websites slow down bandwidth of our school’s internet, making the computers’ internet slow for all users.
b) Some videos may contain school inappropriate content such as:
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
2. Any gaming websites are only to be used to view or play school appropriate items. Use of gaming websites during class time is under the discretion of that particular teacher. Students are not allowed on gaming websites unless the teacher gives permission.
Many games are school appropriate, so use your common judgment and know that any games that include the items listed below will not be tolerated and will result in loss of privileges.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
3. No “social networking” websites are allowed to be used in the school. Wikipedia’s definition of a social network:
“A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
Most services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, etc.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service
This includes websites such as:
· Facebook.com
· Hi5.com
· Myspace.com
· Bebo.com
· Any other social networking websites
These items are to be used with discretion, on a student’s own personal time in a home setting, where they can be monitored by an adult such as a parent or guardian. School is a place where academic growth is the main focus. These types of websites are blocked at our school, as they do not need to be accessed and used by students.
Websites that are blocked from use are not allowed to be viewed. If a website is blocked by our school’s content filter and you have gone around the content filter to view that website, it is against school policy and is in direct violation of the computer use policy put in place by the division. Suspension of computer privileges will be immediate.
4. Websites used for music listening purposes are to be used with teacher permission during classes and only with headphones during student spares.
All music must be school appropriate.
These websites include:
· Deezer.com
· Any other free music listening (not video) websites as okayed by the classroom teacher
Reasoning
a) Music is acceptable if the teacher deems it appropriate. It is up to the teacher’s discretion as to if it will be allowed in their classroom. Ask your classroom teacher before putting on music during class.
b) Music listened to during spares is likely to be listened to in areas such as the library or in another classroom, and it is a respectful gesture to listen to music only with headphones in these areas during student spares.
5. Any websites containing the following information listed below is forbidden. Any students caught on websites containing any of this information without direct teacher supervision will be have their computer privileges removed. Items used in research for information in reports, essays, etc. are only acceptable if being viewed under direct teacher supervision.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
Consequences
Students caught violating these items will be facing consequences. They will include:
First Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended and will remain off of all computers for the rest of the day.
Second Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer for the remainder of the day, have their computer privileges suspended, will have an office referral and be placed on the discipline cycle.
Third Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended, will have an office referral, will move up a step on the discipline cycle, parents will be contacted and a meeting between the parents and administration will be conducted.
*Computer use during student spares
Students must understand that although spares are unsupervised, these consequences will still be in effect for any student who is in violation of them. Any items that need direct teacher supervision (a teacher physically present) will not be allowed on spares unless there is a teacher directly monitoring your activities. Although spares are frames of time to be used to your discretion, computer use is not a requirement for those times, and therefore must be used accordingly or computer privileges will be removed during spares.
If you have your computer privileges suspended and:
A) You are supposed to be using a computer for a class that you are currently in; you will still have your computer privileges suspended until the teacher whose class you are in can discuss the issue with you and give you appropriate discipline. You are to remain off the computer until the time that your teacher whose class you are currently in can attend to the issue.
B) You are on a student spare; then you will have your computer privileges suspended for the remainder of the day. Computer use during spares is a privilege and not a necessity so use it according to the school’s policy.
There you go! Please do not pay attention to the formatting - it was done in MS Word and then copy/pasted into my blog and remember that this is only the first draft. Let me know what you think - your experiences and ideas can help shape this to be the best policy available!
I will be presenting this to my staff at the staff meeting tomorrow. Once I present this we as a staff can discuss if there are any modifications that need to be done. By no means do I want to be, or claim to be known as the know-it-all of the Internet and Internet use, but this policy has come about as after much discussion, idea throwing and issue resolutions that have occur ed in our school. The like-minded group of teachers (including myself) have met and come up with this policy.
I had first off , sent out another note to my staff - as I normally do with updates, etc. - and had given the beginning of the policy, as far as it was made at the time, for their use until a more concrete policy could be decided upon. This actually settled a lot of confusions and issues that we did have in the school but was only the beginning. Now that we met and discussed a more specific plan of attack on this issue, there is a better worded policy that can be read to the students and staff and can be used as a new school policy.
Here is draft #1:
Internet Use Policy
Luseland School
April 2008
Rationale
Internet safety and responsibility is the key. As a generation who is constantly using technology, we must be aware that there are items that are not school appropriate and are not safe to view on the internet. We can work together to become digital technology citizens and become responsible for what is viewed in our school. This is the first step to making and keeping our school a safe place for students of all ages. Always navigate away from the inappropriate websites and report it to a teacher to avoid consequences and misunderstandings.
These policy items will be in effect as of April 7, 2008:
1. There will be no unsupervised use of any video websites.* This includes websites such as:
· Google Video
· Youtube.com
o These above websites are not to be used unless under direct teacher supervision. This involves the teacher being physically present while they are being used.
· Any other video websites
The only exception to this rule is the Discovery Learning (Streaming Video) website, which is directly education based.
Reasoning
a) Video websites slow down bandwidth of our school’s internet, making the computers’ internet slow for all users.
b) Some videos may contain school inappropriate content such as:
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
2. Any gaming websites are only to be used to view or play school appropriate items. Use of gaming websites during class time is under the discretion of that particular teacher. Students are not allowed on gaming websites unless the teacher gives permission.
Many games are school appropriate, so use your common judgment and know that any games that include the items listed below will not be tolerated and will result in loss of privileges.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
3. No “social networking” websites are allowed to be used in the school. Wikipedia’s definition of a social network:
“A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
Most services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, etc.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service
This includes websites such as:
· Facebook.com
· Hi5.com
· Myspace.com
· Bebo.com
· Any other social networking websites
These items are to be used with discretion, on a student’s own personal time in a home setting, where they can be monitored by an adult such as a parent or guardian. School is a place where academic growth is the main focus. These types of websites are blocked at our school, as they do not need to be accessed and used by students.
Websites that are blocked from use are not allowed to be viewed. If a website is blocked by our school’s content filter and you have gone around the content filter to view that website, it is against school policy and is in direct violation of the computer use policy put in place by the division. Suspension of computer privileges will be immediate.
4. Websites used for music listening purposes are to be used with teacher permission during classes and only with headphones during student spares.
All music must be school appropriate.
These websites include:
· Deezer.com
· Any other free music listening (not video) websites as okayed by the classroom teacher
Reasoning
a) Music is acceptable if the teacher deems it appropriate. It is up to the teacher’s discretion as to if it will be allowed in their classroom. Ask your classroom teacher before putting on music during class.
b) Music listened to during spares is likely to be listened to in areas such as the library or in another classroom, and it is a respectful gesture to listen to music only with headphones in these areas during student spares.
5. Any websites containing the following information listed below is forbidden. Any students caught on websites containing any of this information without direct teacher supervision will be have their computer privileges removed. Items used in research for information in reports, essays, etc. are only acceptable if being viewed under direct teacher supervision.
i. Violence (guns, killing, injuring, punching, kicking, etc.)
ii. Alcohol abuse
iii. Sexual content
iv. Drug abuse
v. Manipulation
vi. Profanity (swearing)
vii. Harming of others/themselves
Consequences
Students caught violating these items will be facing consequences. They will include:
First Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended and will remain off of all computers for the rest of the day.
Second Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer for the remainder of the day, have their computer privileges suspended, will have an office referral and be placed on the discipline cycle.
Third Offence:
Ø The student will be removed from the computer, have their computer privileges suspended, will have an office referral, will move up a step on the discipline cycle, parents will be contacted and a meeting between the parents and administration will be conducted.
*Computer use during student spares
Students must understand that although spares are unsupervised, these consequences will still be in effect for any student who is in violation of them. Any items that need direct teacher supervision (a teacher physically present) will not be allowed on spares unless there is a teacher directly monitoring your activities. Although spares are frames of time to be used to your discretion, computer use is not a requirement for those times, and therefore must be used accordingly or computer privileges will be removed during spares.
If you have your computer privileges suspended and:
A) You are supposed to be using a computer for a class that you are currently in; you will still have your computer privileges suspended until the teacher whose class you are in can discuss the issue with you and give you appropriate discipline. You are to remain off the computer until the time that your teacher whose class you are currently in can attend to the issue.
B) You are on a student spare; then you will have your computer privileges suspended for the remainder of the day. Computer use during spares is a privilege and not a necessity so use it according to the school’s policy.
There you go! Please do not pay attention to the formatting - it was done in MS Word and then copy/pasted into my blog and remember that this is only the first draft. Let me know what you think - your experiences and ideas can help shape this to be the best policy available!
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