This week, I spent some time exploring Acceptable Use Policies from schools around the country and found that an alarming number of them were somewhere between excessively prohibitive and just plain silly. In a world where technology has become a part of virtually every thing we do, it seems almost absurd to still think of technology use policies as separate from the everyday policies that govern behavior and learning activities. If something is wrong; it’s wrong regardless of the tool we use to carry out the act.
So, it got me to thinking…what if we carried the theme of creating a separate set of rules for other essential learning tools…
This acceptable use policy sets forth the policies that govern the use of PAPER by students in the Imaginary School District. Imaginary School District’s PAPER resources, including copy, lined, and construction PAPER are provided for educational purposes. Compliance with the following policies is required in order for users to have continued access to the school’s PAPER resources.
1. Users shall not use PAPER to share or access confidential information. This includes:
- using PAPER to knowingly distribute passwords;
- opening or accessing PAPER owned by others which may be stored in binders, folders or files even when these files are not protected by filing cabinets or diary locks;
- knowingly allowing others to access private PAPER files without reporting it to a teacher or administrator.
2. Users shall respect the intellectual property of others.
- Using PAPER to copy or plagiarize the works of others is considered a serious violation of this PAPER policy and may result in penalties, restrictions or fines.
- While PAPER copiers are made available for instructional purposes, they may not be used as a tool to violate copyright law.
3. Users shall not use PAPER in ways that show disregard for common conventions of behavior.
- PAPER shall only be used to communicate messages that show respect for the recipient.
- Using PAPER to access or distribute material that may be considered profane, threatening or discriminatory is not allowed.
- In the event that PAPER materials are used to inadvertently access materials that are obscene, pornographic or otherwise inappropriate, the user must immediately inform a teacher of the incident to avoid possible consequences.
Violation of these provisions will result in penalties which may include restriction or removal of a user’s right to use PAPER for a period of up to 9 weeks. It should be noted that both administrators and teachers have the right to monitor and review students’ use of PAPER resources during the instructional day in order to ensure their proper use and may be required to share their findings with law enforcement officials if evidence of criminal PAPER use is found.
So, what are your thoughts? Are AUPs necessary or can we begin to see technology as just another instructional tool that carries the same rights and consequences as every other tool we use in the classroom?
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May 23rd, 2008 at 12:05 am
You hit the nail on the head! I think AUPs were started because of the fear of the unknown and it was the only way to appease BOEs and parents that appropriate use would be followed. Then the government got involved to provide money to help bring technology and the internet in our classrooms as a tool and now AUPs are required so we can get our money! What a bummer! I also believe that the level of technology use dictates the need for an AUP, and it is backwards from what the average person would perceive. I think the higher the use and integration of technology creates less need for an AUP. As you state, it becomes just another tool, like paper and pencil and the AUP should reflect that idea. Great read and some awesome thoughts!
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May 23rd, 2008 at 6:57 am
A great post! I have a similar post, more on the serious side but with the same idea in mind, titled “A Different Way of Handling AUPs” http://tinyurl.com/6528bg
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May 24th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I think you are ABSOLUTELY right!!!
I’m not sure if it was the lawyers or the prudes who came up with AUPs, but they are enrenched now and I think it’s too bad.
Thanks for writing this post.
-Skip
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June 4th, 2008 at 10:28 am
That’s hilarious! Also, far too similar to my district’s actual AUP – it seems people have been sharing notes regardless of the rules.
On point, I think you’re absolutely right. The students are seeing less and less of a divide between electronic tools and traditional tools. Our policies ought to reflect this new reality and not get in the way of learning that could be taking place.
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November 6th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
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