IGoogle

The topic of the week was exploring I Google for a repository of RSS feeds, web searches, e-mail access and widgets. I think it is a neat tool and one worth exploring. The use in my school would be limited due to their restrictions but those are opening up every day. You Tube which was blocked can now be accessed and it concerns me the door was open to all without expressing parameters or teacher training.

Citations

I have the students use a bibliography format guide for sighting their source and have the librarian support me in the introduction to plagiarism when we start their first research paper. Throughout the project I find they have to be reminded to record their sources especially when using the Internet. I like the on-line citation sites because they can save their work from home or at school and the forms are easy to use. Our school uses Noodletools and I found Citation Wizard which also is easy to use. I think having actual points in a rubric for the number of sources and the format of the citation helps teach kids the importance of giving credit where credit is due.

Acceptable Use Policy

In trying to find out the Acceptable Use Policy for West Hartford Public Schools I found that we don’t have it posted as such. I found Administrative Guidelines for Technology from 2002. In reading it I find it has to be very general to cover all the unknown areas people can explore. The main focus is that the Internet is a vast area of information and that individuals must use good judgment when accessing and avoid controversial sites.  As stated in the notice fro WHPS Administrative Guidelines for Technology, “The use of computers is a privilege, not a right,” The school has the authority to limit access and report to authorities if access is abused. The list of restrictions is not surprising and follows what I feel is common sense. I do feel that it is dangerous to assume all employees know what is sensible and feel that it should be mandatory to read the policy and share it with the students. Each age level would have to be considered for what is appropriate to share but as the new generations emerge the technical expertise and knowledge is going younger and younger. We can’t assume the innocence of any age group and never know what access the kids are given at home. In my classroom I ban blind searches and have told the students if you would x out the page if a teacher walked in that you are on the wrong site.

In a nut shell the policy is that we must follow all laws, that the access is not private and can’t be used for personal uses. We can’t add software or download programs without permission. We must follow copyright laws. As teachers we must monitor student use and not let the students publish without parent permission. I believe most teachers would find the policy straight forward and that is contains reasonable expectation. In order to avoid violations of the policy administrators should ask teachers to read the policy and sign that they are aware of the expectations and rules of computer use in our district.

Acceptable Use Policy for WHPS Called Administrative Guidlines

http://tinyurl.com/7zr96j6

Citation Wizard
http://citation.jsarkis.com/