Emily Fincher - Policies and Procedures

Emily Fincher FRIT 7132 February 21, 2011 Internet/Acceptable Use The purpose of an Internet/Acceptable Use Policy is to define who and how Internet service and content provided by the school system are used. Most school districts require students and faculty to sign a written form of this agreement. With an estimated sixty-five percent of Georgia classrooms containing computers and situations brought on by ever-evolving Web 2.0 technology, an Internet /Acceptable Use Policy is a necessity in every school district (Georgia K-12 Technology, 2008). Reasons may include:

letting parents know the schools expectations regarding Internet use. informing students about privileges and responsibilities regarding Internet use. to educate students on the vast amount of information available on the Internet and steps they should take to identify legitimate sites. to explain proper Internet etiquette. to warn students against disclosing personal identification on the Internet. to outline how rules of behavior are enforced. to give details about legal issues such as copyright infringement and plagiarism. to discourage any type of illegal behavior. to set rules for email use if email accounts are issued to students and faculty. to establish rules regarding social networking sites. (Scales 2009)

Emily Fincher - Policies and Procedures

While essential elements of an Internet/Acceptable Use Policy should include specific policies on content, access and privacy, other elements may need to be addressed depending on the school district (Cromwell, 2007). An Internet/Acceptable Use Policy may also include: Statement of Policy: a blanket mission statement regarding the goals of the school district in utilizing technology. Rights and Privileges: may include a statement of the school districts right to place responsibility and restrictions on users; a statement regarding e-mail accounts both school and private; consequences should the user fail to comply with policy guidelines and statement of students right to request that a specific site be unblocked for research purposes. Unacceptable Use: illegal activity, unauthorized downloading, gaining unauthorized access, using network for commercial or private advertising, accessing offensive sites, revealing personal identity. Network Etiquette: showing politeness to other users as you are representing that school district while their computers are in use. Security: protocol for identifying a security issue and what disciplinary action will be taken. Vandalism: a statement of disciplinary action concerning any attempt to harm or destroy data on the schools network. Viruses: a statement releasing the school from any responsibility brought forth by viruses that may have been acquired on school computers. Filters: statements regarding compliance with the Childrens Internet Protection Act (Scales 2009).

Emily Fincher - Policies and Procedures

Both pros and cons exist with utilizing internet resources in educational settings. While the internet is not designed exclusively for children, it does offer unlimited educational resources if appropriately used. At the same time, hidden dangers are lurking for students should the technology be abused. Internet/Acceptable Use Policies are in place to let students, parents, faculty and staff knows the expectations regarding Internet use. In the school district where I am employed, a strict Internet/Acceptable Use Policy has been in place since 2009. Even in two years, the Internet has turned out a wide selection of resources that may not be covered in our current policy. These agreements should be continually reviewed and updated (Endicott-Popovsky 2009). As Internet/Acceptable Use Policies are updated, student rights to access should be carefully examined. In my school district, our Internet Policy has restrictions banning most websites that include advertisements prohibiting students from research that may be crucial to their assignment. Often, a students rights are not taken into consideration as most of the filters are set in place by the Technology Department and not by a committee of librarians, parents, teachers and other various school officials. A thin line exists between keeping students and staff safe and infringing on their intellectual freedom and rights. Students and staff also know what is acceptable as they are required to sign and keep on file a copy of the Internet/Acceptable Use agreement set forth by the school district.

Emily Fincher - Policies and Procedures

References

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E n d i c o t t - P o po vs k y, B . ( 2 0 0 9 ) . S e e k i n g a b a l a n c e o n l i n e : o n l i n e s a f e t y fo r o u r c h i l d r e n. T e a c h e r L i b r a r i a n , 3 7 ( 2 ) , R e t r ie v e d f r o m G a l i l e o .

G e o r g i a k - 1 2 t e c h n o l o g y p l a n . ( 2 0 0 8 , M a r c h 3 1 ) . R e t r i e v e d fr o m h t t p : / / p u b l i c . d o e . k 1 2 . g a . u s / D M G e t D o c u m e nt . a s p x / 2 0 0 7 2 0 1 2 % 2 0 G e o r g i a % 2 0 S t a t e % 2 0 T e c h no l o g y% 2 0 P l a n . p d f ? p = 6 C C 6 7 9 9 F 8 C 1 3 7 1 F 6 6 C A AE 3 4 3 6 4 1 A 0 6 B 0 2 D D 1 B 7 2 6 6 C 4 E 1 E 2 0 5 F 8 E 8 4 A C F A 4 A 3 B A4 & T yp e = D

Sca le s, P. R. (2009). Prot ect ing int ell e ctual f re edo m in you r scho ol l i b r a r y . C h i c a g o : A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t io n.