| STUDENT USE OF THE INTERNET |
PROGRAM SERVICES 6 |
In order to promote the educational, safe and ethical use of Internet resources, schools will develop an Acceptable Use Policy that:
- conforms to the Guideline for Student Use of the Internet published by the Peel District School Board;
- provides for the distribution of a statement outlining student, parent and teacher responsibility for Internet use;
- provides a plan for supervision;
- communicates to parents and students the use of Internet resources as a learning tool;
- provides opportunities for parents to understand the educational use of Internet resources;
- ensures that the selection of Internet resources conforms to Peel criteria for the selection of instructional materials.
96 02 27
97 03 31 Revised
97 12 01 Revised
98 09 30 Revised
Guidelines for Student Use of the Internet and Remote Electronic Resources |
PHILOSOPHICAL STANCE:
HOW IS THE DELIVERY OF INFORMATION CHANGING IN OUR SOCIETY?
The amount and availability of information have grown, and continue to grow exponentially. In the past, information was an expensive commodity available only to select members of society. Although information is no less valuable today, the technical ease with which information is transmitted makes it accessible to a much broader spectrum of society. Unlike their parents, today’s students have the ability to utilize the assets of on-line libraries, databases, bulletin board services, and government agencies. Students can communicate almost effortlessly with millions of other Internet users throughout the world.
By providing students with Internet access, the Peel District School Board is linking its students to the vast and rapidly evolving repository of information that exists outside of the classroom and school resource centre. This enhances and facilitates the educational process and provides valuable life skills. The ability to access, analyse, evaluate, and manage information is, and will continue to be, an important survival tool for the literate citizen.
How Does Access To Information Relate To Citizenship In A Democratic Society?
Knowledge is power. The citizen who is able to competently access, analyze, and evaluate information will be in a better position to make appropriate moral decisions, to better evaluate the consequences of their own behaviour or that of others, and to broadly participate in the democratic process in an informed and confident manner. It is important to ensure that tomorrow’s citizens will use the ever more powerful information technologies in a manner that benefits society as a whole as well as the individual user.
WHAT RELATIONSHIPS SHOULD THE NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND RESOURCES HAVE TO THE BOARD'S AND THE MINISTRY'S CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES?
The new information technologies should be used to support, extend, and enhance Peel Curriculum and those initiatives that originate from the Ministry. The instructional strategies and goals presently valued by the Board as good practice should be applied when allowing students to access the Internet.
WHAT RELATIONSHIP SHOULD THE NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND RESOURCES HAVE TO THE BOARD'S SELECTION AND SCREENING OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS?
The material intended for use in school resource centres and in classrooms is carefully selected by teacher-librarians, teachers, or appointed committees. When material is selected for student use, it needs to meet the criteria outlined in existing Board policy memoranda. Even though it is difficult to screen material accessed or downloaded from the Internet, it should still meet the criteria outlined in the policy in order to be considered acceptable for student use.
SCHOOL/HOME RESPONSIBILITIES:
HOW MUCH SUPERVISION DO STUDENTS REQUIRE AT VARIOUS GRADE LEVELS?
In the teacher/student relationship it is a given that all students need some degree of supervision and guidance in order to ensure that the demands of the lesson or assignment are being met in a safe and secure environment. Where the student is a minor, the degree of supervision needs to be much higher in order to shield the pupil from racist, hateful, pornographic, or sexist material and in order to guarantee the student’s personal safety and security. Issues of system integrity and security also apply.
WHO SHOULD PROVIDE THE SUPERVISION? HOW?
When students are accessing remote electronic resources, Peel District School Board professional staff will provide appropriate supervision in accordance with the local school plan.
SHOULD PARENTAL PERMISSION BE REQUIRED FOR INDEPENDENT USE?
There will be occasions when a student needs to use Peel Board facilities to access remote electronic resources via the Internet. Appropriate use of information technology is an important part of the learning process. Parents or guardians who do not wish their children to access the Internet from school should inform in writing their child’s teacher or the school principal.
WHAT IF THE STUDENT ACCESSES FROM HOME IN ORDER TO COMPLETE A SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT?
When a minor acts from home, he or she is under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian. The Peel Board is not responsible for that student’s behaviour while accessing remote electronic resources. Nor can the Board be expected to monitor the material the child is accessing. Guidelines that discuss the nature of the Internet and telecommunications as well as providing suggestions regarding appropriate supervision could be included in the student handbook or be distributed to each student at the beginning of the school year.
WHO DECIDES WHICH INFORMATION SOURCES ARE ACCEPTABLE? THE SCHOOL? PARENTS?
Generally the school decides which information resources are acceptable, using established policy and community standards as indices. Occasionally a parent or community member might object to the use of a certain resource or resources. In a case such as this, the same procedure (Program Services 4 & 5) would be followed as occurs when a parent has concerns about a book or piece of media in the school. If consultations with teachers, or with the principal do not resolve the difficulty, the parent may complete a Request for the Reconsideration of School Learning Resources.
STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES:
WHAT ARE THE APPROPRIATE ROLES OF TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHER-LIBRARIANS, AND ";INFORMATION, TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES." SHOULD THEY BE PRE-SCREENING MATERIALS AND SITES? SHOULD ACCESS TO SOME SITES BE PROHIBITED?
Acting as a service provider, "Information and Technology Services" would provide the infrastructure to enable all school sites to access the Internet. Schools may wish to employ Internet filtering software on Internet enabled computers. Electronic filtering software does not provide a complete solution to the filtering of Internet resources. Therefore, the importance of local supervision in the school cannot be overstated. It would be the responsibility of the school administrators and teaching staff to determine the level and scope of access to the Internet that would be provided to students.
Teacher-librarians and other resource personnel would continue to provide guidance as to the appropriate and proper use of traditional and electronic resources. They would integrate instruction into programs that teach the student to properly use information. Teachers and teacher-librarians would work to blend and teach the research skills associated with electronic media into all aspects of the curriculum.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT STAFF LEARN TO CONDUCT RESEARCH USING THE INTERNET AND TO SHOW STUDENTS HOW TO RESEARCH WITH SUCH NEW TOOL?
Peel teaching staff would provide instruction and guidance in the wise use of Internet resources. A prime use of the Internet in most schools would probably be as a tool to teach research skills and information management. The skills needed for intellectual access to information (whether accessing or disseminating information) must be part of each student’s instructional program. These skills include the ability to evaluate information: that is to detect bias, to differentiate between fact and opinion, to identify perspectives, to weigh conflicting opinions, and to evaluate the worth of sources.
If students are to use remote electronic resources capably and wisely and to gain full benefit from the ability to communicate with other users on the Internet, they must have capable and computer literate teachers. Orientation programs should be provided for those teachers who plan to use the Internet as an instructional tool or educational resources. Such a program might cover topics such as:
- Using the Internet as a research tool;
- Student safety on the Internet;
- Communicating with parents about the Internet;
- Policy regarding appropriate and acceptable educational resources;
- On line code of conduct/manners (netiquette);
- Peel policy regarding Internet usage;
- Educational resources on the Internet;
- Skills for information literacy;
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
WHAT CONSTITUTES REASONABLE BEHAVIOUR AND COMMUNICATION?
Network access is provided to students to conduct research and to facilitate communication with others. It is a privilege and not a right. Like all privileges, it entails responsibility. The following general guidelines for network use apply:
- the purposes of student communication and research. Other uses of Board resources are inappropriate.
- General school rules of conduct and communication apply to students using electronic resources.
- Students must make efficient use of network resources.
- Students should practice high standards of "netiquette" in order to facilitate communication, to husband resources, and to enhance the electronic environment for other users.
- The responsible and ethical use of intellectual property (resources, entities, data) of others must be practiced.
- Rules for personal on-line safety must be stringently followed.
- The following behaviours are not permitted:
 Sending or displaying offensive messages or pictures.
- Using obscene or racist language in public or private messages.
- Harassing, insulting, or attacking others.
- Damaging computers, computer systems, computer networks, peripherals, or software.
- Violating copyright laws.
- Using another's password.
- Trespassing in another's folders, work, or files.
- Intentionally wasting limited resources.
- Employing the network for commercial purposes.
- Using the network to access or distribute illegal or illicit material.
WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO EXISTING CODES AND PROCEDURES?
The rules and guidelines specified above complement most, if not all, of the codes of behaviour extent in Peel schools. Indeed, the considerate behaviour expected on the Internet, and the need to respect the rights and property of others are a prerequisite in most forms of human communication, electronic or otherwise.
HOW MUCH PRIVACY CAN STUDENTS EXPECT?
Network administrators may view student files and communication in order to maintain system integrity and to ensure that users are using the system responsibly.
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