A Critique of MCPS Acceptable Use Policies Document

For the Superintendent of MCPS

and
Office of Chief Technology Officer
By Lilit Bayburtian
EDTC 630

Dear Mr. Starr and Mr. Collette,

The spread of technology and social media has altered the way educators teach, how
students learn, and the way teachers, parents, and students interconnect. Technology is one of the
major forces in todays classrooms around the world. Children everywhere are exposed to a vast
amount of information that technology can offer. At the same time, the children are exposed to
many uninhabited or dangerous fields that they might stumble upon. Montgomery County Public
School system tries its best to protect the children from any harmful side effects that are
byproduct of technology. MCPS created and put in use Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) document
to protect children and educators alike. The purpose of this letter is to suggest few improvement
points to the current MCPS AUP Document. It would be beneficial for students and teachers to
have an AUP that is written in a more clear and concise language, to have two separate AUPs
one for educators and one for students, and to promote the importance of AUPs to all staff and
students.
The current MCPS AUP document covers many different areas that range from signature,
to viruses, to cyber bulling. The MCPS AUP is a tumultuous expedition of what you can and
cannot do. In order to understand ones limitations and bounds, one must spend extensive amount
of time reading and deciphering the information provided. My suggestion is to use clear and
concise language in describing the dos and donts of proper technology use. The document will
seem more feasible and attainable to educators and students if the language that its written in
makes sense and there is no need to reread and second guess the meaning of each paragraph.
Moreover, the document would be more legible if the limitations and recommendations are

separated from each other and are written as two separate lists one that commends appropriate
behavior and second one that informs about prohibited actions.
The current MCPS AUP document is written in a very capacious and wide policy that
covers both staff and students. The points are intertwined which makes it confusing to
understand what is expected of teachers and what is expected of students. It would be very
constructive if the current AUP can be divided into two separate AUPs one for the staff of
MCPS and the other one for the students. Additionally, the AUP for students can be divided
furthermore into one for elementary students, with appropriate material and kid-friendly
language (table 1), and another one for middle/high school students, with more details and clear
language (table 2).

AUP for Elementary Students

1. Do not share your password
2. Do not copy other peoples' words
3. Do not bring to school personal
electronics
4. Use the computer only for school
work
5. Log off your computer when done

table 1.

AUP for Middle/High School Students

1. Do not share your password
2. Do not use technology to intimidate or
harass others
3. Do not access inappropriate materials
4. Use the computer only for school work
5. Log off your computer when done
6. Site all the material that has been
copied/borrowed
7. Use the computers for educational
purposes only
table 2.

After altering the existent AUP and making it more attainable both for students and staff,
we have to make sure to promote the awareness of this important document. After surveying

many teachers, both veteran and new, I realized that the vast majority of my school staff has no
idea what Acceptable Use Policy is and what is the importance of it. Only few people at my
school vaguely knew of its existence and hinted that it could be found on line. One suggestion I
would like to make is to promote the importance of the AUPs and to educate the staff of its
existence. As the technology evolves and expands, it would be valuable to review the updated
AUP with the staff at the beginning of each school year. Moreover, all MCPS educators should
be required to sign a waiver that theyve read and understood the AUP plan and that they will
follow its regulations. The educators should also be required to share with their students the
student AUP and to have it posted around the classroom to promote awareness. Once the staff is
aware of the importance of AUPs and the consequences of not obeying its rules and regulations,
it will make the AUP more tangible for everyone involved.
I hope you will consider making the above suggested changes to the existent AUP
document and you will find this constructive criticism helpful in improving rules and regulations
that have already been put forth to protect our students and educators.
Sincerely,
Lilit Bayburtian
Second Grade Teacher
Rachel Carson Elementary School