Scenario 3: Acceptable Use Policies in the classroom

Task:

  • Read the following scenario, the guiding questions and the provided website resources carefully. The guiding questions are designed to help you marshal materials and ideas that will inform your overall final products.
  • Using the resources provided, clearly answer the guiding questions (providing examples when appropriate).
  • Write up your responses in a Microsoft Word document (you should include the scenario and questions).
  • In completing each question you should clearly have identified important concerns and issues related to acceptable use of technology in the classroom, as well as identified key strategies and procedures that you can utilize to prevent such issues within your own classrooms.

    • Scenario:

    Jason is teaching 9th grade English. This year, his classroom has 6 computers against one wall for students to use. They are to use the computers for homework, typing papers, research and collaboration with other students. After the first week of class, one computer's CD ROM has chewing gum in it. One computer has had file-sharing software installed on it. Jason receives a message from a parent that is concerned her child is going to be exposed to pornography on the Internet. A student comes to Jason after class and says her homework files have been deleted from the computer she was working on. Another student says he received a harassing e-mail that looks like it came from Jason himself!

    Questions:

    1. What kind of issues does Jason need to be aware of regarding acceptable use of technology in the classroom?
    2. What would Jason's responsibility be if there were no rules governing students' use of classroom computers?
    3. How can Jason address the parent's fear of pornography? What should he tell his students to do if they accidentally encounter it?
    4. What would need to be included in a classroom Acceptable Use Policy to prevent such things from happening?
    5. What kind of penalties should students face for misuse of equipment?

    Jason needs to be aware that...

    • some students are not familiar with certain technologies and might damage equipment unintentionally
    • some students are not well-educated at home on how to care for fragile equipment.
    • some students may damage equipment out of emotional unrest, or out of defiance.
    • students' attention needs to be drawn to specific areas of trouble BEFORE the trouble happens, in order to prevent accidents. For example all students should be instructed on how to open and close the CD drive.
    • students may view "internet time" as not really being part of "school" so they might revert to "outside" behaviors that are not acceptable at school.
    • person-to-person software is easy to come by and has a high potential for copyright violation, security violation (viruses) and pornography.
    • well-formed and clearly communicated rules regarding acceptable use BEFORE using the machines can prevent a lot of problems.

    Jason is responsible for the machines, with or without acceptable use policies. He is also responsible for the coveted privilege of having computer assistance in the classroom. World-wide, computer-assisted classrooms are rare, especially in developing nations. Jason should take every step possible to secure the integrity and maintenance of the computers he has been given.

    The parents' fear of pornography is a valid one. Jason should probably address the parents directly in the form of email and/or letters sent home, informing parents of the consequences for violations of the acceptable use policy in his classroom, which states explicitly that viewing pornography will not be tolerated. Jason could ask the school administration to set up a firewall, if one is not already set up, that would block certain keywords and sites. If he were a bold teacher (I would do this) he would communicate to the parents that pornography falls in the realm of family values and child-rearing. His classroom is only one of the many, many, opportunities his students will have to surf the internet. The parents need to corroborate with their children and come to terms, and set guidelines about the issue, instead of passing the buck to the (foreign language) teacher, simply because he uses the internet in some of his lessons.

    In order to prevent needless problems the class should co-construct a policy based on collective brainstorming about what could go wrong with the machines and firmly rooted in the understanding that machines are fragile, they are extremely privileged to have them, and that they are only as good as the care give them. The policy should include mechanical care, what constitutes "being on-task", what constitutes "being off-task" (email, visiting sites not in the activity…), and should include a list of consequences (co-constructed) for the violation of these policies. Also a good teacher will have students conduct thought experiments where they envision critical moments where bad decisions are made; for example the allure of writing a quick email, or checking the football scores. These will familiarize students the critical moments and prepare them to deal with them better.

    Penalties for misuse of fragile equipment should be severe. Broke is broke and can be repaired (maybe) but can't be reversed. Depending on the severity of the breach of policy, penalties can include: loss of use of computers for a time, loss of credit for assignment, communication with parents, meeting with student and parents, and if very severe, legal action.