engine of souls | forum 3

NBHS Computer Usage Policy: http://www.newbedford.k12.ma.us/aup.pdf

Please inform your students of the New Bedford Public Schools Computer Usage Policy located in the student handbook . Students should be disciplined for violating the policy. The following five items apply to the use of any computers in the school, not just the labs.

• Students are to be engaged in valid curriculum related assignments only. Students should be disciplined for visiting web sites not assigned by the teacher.

• Students are not to communicate with others online (Instant Messaging, e-mail, Weblogs, etc.) for safety reasons. An exception would be emailing an assignment under teacher supervision.

• Students are not to attempt to change settings on the computers, attempt to fix anything, open or remove anything, or attempt to circumvent system protection.

• Students should not attempt to access the files of others or use the equipment to harass, threaten, or abuse others.

• Plagiarism should not be tolerated and copyright laws should be enforced. This means students should document their sources of information, pictures, etc.

2. Allowing students to simply surf the Web is asking for trouble. Please have a valid curriculum related assignment, preferably with teacher selected Web sites, for the students to work on. Technology lessons are like any other. They require planning, objectives and assessment of student achievement.

3. You should escort students from your class to the lab. Do not ask them to report to the lab directly. Of course, as a matter of liability, you should not leave your students unattended in the labs. For security purposes, doors to the labs should remain locked and be closed when you leave the lab .

4. It is important to monitor the students throughout the period and assist them with the assignment that you have given them. You should not spend the period sitting at a desk or computer. Watch for attempts to damage the computers and steal mouse balls. A look at their task bar will alert you to other web sites they may be viewing.

5. Students should not be allowed to indiscriminately print pages from the Internet. Urge them to READ and THINK about the information they are collecting, and take notes. If they must use someone else's wording, have them copy and paste only the information they need into MS Word and document their sources. They can then print the Word document.

6. Substitutes may not supervise students in the computer labs. Send in an alternate lesson plan if you are absent on a day you are scheduled for the lab.

7. No food or drinks are allowed in the labs, and please ask the students to pick up after themselves and return chairs to their proper place at the end of the period. Make sure the doors are locked and closed when you leave.