Dear all,
Here is the HIT for my question about having a signed Acceptable Use =
Policy. Thanks to everyone who responded. You have helped clarify my =
thinking!
Yes, you can hold them accountable. I am sure they gave some student =
handbook that they are given with other rules and regulations. The AUP =
can be in there, and they are then bound by it. Our students have to =
sign that they received theirs, so that is all we need.=20
*****************************
Just something to think about, do you sign an agreement that you have =
read the
traffic codes or state criminal codes or federal codes? No, but those =
laws must
still be obeyed. Ignorance is not an acceptable defense. Isn't part of =
what we
do is to instill in our students the need for being responsible and to =
know that
there are consequences if they are irresponsible?
Just my $0.02.
********************************
A couple of years ago our county decided the Internet and computers were
here to stay and just like books etc. every student is expected to use =
this
tool of our educational system. What used to be our AUP is now part of =
our
student handbook. Parents and students are supposed to read it together
(big laugh) and go over it. If a parent doesn't want their child on the
Internet they have to go through the same process as if they don't want
their child to read a required book or watch a movie (opt out).
Our school board attorney is very meticulous and I'm sure he considered
every ramification. So far so good.
*************************
I agree with you. You need a signed AUP by the student and parent if =
you want to hold them responsible. Yes, it's more paper work, but if =
ever sued, the district will be glad to have it.
************************
I have never been an advocate of having students sign AUPs in the first =
place. When the parents are given the option of allowing their children =
to use the Internet or not then we are treating the Internet like other =
instructional resources and in my opinion that is the way it should be =
handled. I also recommend that you put the rules or guidelines for =
acceptable use in the student handbook along with the other school =
rules. The students are still responsible for what they do online that =
does not change. =20
*************************
They are as accountable without signing it as they were signing it. The =
expectations are listed in the student handbook, teachers go over the=20
handbook with the students at the beginning of the year, they and their=20
parents sign a letter that they have read the handbook and plan to go=20
by the rules.
*******************
Our district has an AUP on file that does not require students or their =
parents to sign anything. When students have done things on the =
computers that isn't acceptable, they have lost computer privileges for =
a specific amount of time -- so far no problems.
****************************
I think it is a great idea. We hold students accountable for all kinds =
of=20
rules without requiring their agreement. If a kid fights he gets=20
suspended. We don't care if the student or parent agrees that fighting =
is=20
bad nor do we care if they have signed a contract about fighting. It is =
simply unacceptable behavior. I don't think computers should be any=20
different. We have computers in every class. We two full, open access=20
labs in the library. A student cannot graduate from our school without=20
doing research projects in junior and senior English and they cannot=20
complete those projects without using our (filtered) Internet resources=20
(using electronic resources is listed in the state content standards). =
In=20
addition, the paperwork and data entry for us in the library is =
burdensome=20
and unnecessary and the teachers allow kids on the computers without=20
checking.
I tried to have the Acceptable Use Contract put in the student handbook=20
with an opt-out form last year but the board rejected it. I will try =
again=20
this year.
**********************
Since I am new on this list -- but apparently my name and forwarded =
postings
have appeared before -- I thought I would introduce myself briefly. My
background includes both teaching and law. I have been addressing =
Internet use
policy issues since 1994. I testified before both the COPA Commission =
and the
NRC Committee that recently released a report on youth and pornography =
on the
Internet. The focus of my efforts have been on education and =
supervision-based
strategies that support the safe and responsible use of the Internet by =
young
people.
I have written two books addressing these issues. The first, Computer =
Ethics,
Etiquette, and Safety for the 21st Century Student, has been published =
by the
International Society for Technology in Education. The second, Safe and
Responsible Use of the Internet: A Guide for Educators, is self =
published
through the Responsible Netizen Institute. If you look on the page with
information about this book, http://responsiblenetizen.org/srui.html, =
you will
find a district checklist to guide the development of a comprehensive =
education
and supervision strategy as well as the policies and informational =
documents
that I discuss in the book. My objective is to help schools shift from =
placing
primary reliance on the use of commercial filtering software to more
comprehensive approach that is compliant with CIPA, but makes use of
technologies that allow for local control. Both the page for the book =
and my
online documents provide more background. I specifically recommend the =
Analysis
of the Constitutionality of the Use of Commercial Filtering in Public =
Schools.
The overview to this analysis was recently published by NSBA.
As for signing of Internet use agreements, prior to CIPA I was leaning =
towards
a position of suggesting that such policies do not need to be signed. I =
have
shifted from that perspective. My reasons are three:
1. I am concerned that CIPA has raised the possibility that parents =
believe
that their child is now fully protected when then use the Internet in =
school.
Obviously, based on the recent data from the Kaiser study, they are not. =
I do
not think that having students sign behavior policies is the issue. The =
most
important aspect of having a parent sign a policy or preferably an =
Internet
use agreement (see my materials) is that there is a disclaimer of =
liability
contained on this agreement. This is the easiest way to avoid possible
liability.
2. If you are going to post any material from or pertaining to students =
on your
web site -- pictures, student work -- you will need signed permission =
anyway.
So why not seek such permission in the context of the Internet use =
agreement,
with a disclaimer of liability. I recommend that the standards for what =
can be
posted with respect to privacy protection be developed in relation to =
different
school levels -- one standard for elementary students, another for =
middle
students, and yet another for high school students. Parents should be =
offered
the option of approving the standard for their child's school level or a =
lower
school level, or not at all.
3. If you are posting student work on the Internet, recognize that =
students
hold a copyright in that work. I do not believe that schools are at risk =
of
liability for violating student copyright by posting their work, but,
technically, such posting without permission would be an infringement. =
And
since most students are minors, their parents should sign any licensing
agreement. My reasons for introducing this issue are educational. I =
think it is
important to help young people understand copyright law and the best way =
to do
this is to help them understand how copyright law protects their own =
creative
efforts. Prior to putting work on the Internet, I recommend that =
students learn
how to put a copyright notice on their work. I also suggest that they =
also note
that they grant permission for any non-profit reproduction and =
distribution
along with their notice. Asking permission of the parents and students =
prior to
posting their work establishes a standard related to the need to ask =
permission
to use anyone else's work, if such use is beyond the fair use =
exceptions.
It should not be necessary to request the Internet use agreement to be =
signed
every year. This is overkill and far too much work. This agreement =
should be
included in the registration packet and signed when the child enrolls in =
a
school. The agreement should then hold for as long as that child is in =
that
school.
One of the concerns noted in the NRC report was that nobody pays any =
attention
to Internet use policies. I think this is very unfortunate. The policy =
document
should provide the foundation for educational activities related to =
developing
an understanding of the reasons for the rules.
*******************************
--In our district, the AUP is included in the student handbook that is
mailed home and parents are told to notify us in writing as to whether =
they
wish to not have their child use the Internet individually. It is
understood that students will use it in whole group activities. No =
parent
has opted out to my knowledge or challenged the policy.
--Every student in the middle and high school must attend a one-period
ethics class before being given network privileges. This is done in
September and then as needed for new students. Students then have no =
excuse
for not being knowledgeable. The class, by the way, is taught by the
library media specialists.
******************************
Lisa J. Smith
Librarian, Oak Harbor High School
Oak Harbor, WA 98277
lsmith@ohsd.net
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