PAGE 1 - IJNDB-R - USE OF TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES IN INSTRUCTION

Policy

USE OF TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

IN INSTRUCTION

CodeIJNDBRevised6/16

Purpose:To establish the board's vision and the basic structure for the use of technology resources in instruction.

Electronic information resources (Internet)

The Internet, a global electronic information infrastructure, is a network of networks used by educators, businesses, the government and numerous organizations. The board of education believes that the Internet should be used in the schools to educate and to inform. The Internet is considered primarily as a learning resource, similar to books, magazines, videos, CD-ROMs and other information services.

Students should use the Internet to participate in distance learning activities, to ask questions of and consult with experts, to communicate with other students and to locate material to meet their educational and personal information needs. The board believes that library media specialists and teachers have a professional responsibility to work together to help students develop the intellectual skills needed to discriminate among information sources, to identify information appropriate to their age and developmental levels, and to evaluate and use information to meet their educational goals.

The Internet can provide a vast collection of education resources for students and employees. It is a global network that makes it impossible to control all available information. Because information appears, disappears and changes constantly, it is not possible to predict or control what students may locate. The school district makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of information received on the Internet. Although students will be under teacher supervision while on the network, it is not possible to constantly monitor individual students and what they are accessing on the network. Some students might encounter information that is not of educational value.

The board requires the superintendent to define regulations for student exploration and use of electronic information resources. Such guidelines should address issues of privacy, ethical use of information with respect to intellectual property, illegal uses of network and conditions of usage. The guideline should strive to preserve students’ rights to examine and use information to meet the educational goals and objectives of the district.

COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) allows Union County Schools to provide personal identifying information for students, with consent, consisting of the following information; first name, last name, USCD email and UCSD username to the operators of District approved web-based educational programs and services.

Accessing Inappropriate Sites

Studentand Staff Internet activities will be monitored, in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), by the district to ensure studentsor staff are not accessing inappropriate sites that have visual depictions that include obscenity, child pornography or are harmful to minors. The school district will use technology protection measures to protect students from inappropriate access. This protection would extend to any device owned by the District or brought onto District property.

The district will provide reasonable notice of and at least one public hearing or meeting to address and communicate its Internet safety measures.

Reporting

District and school computer technicians who are working with a computer and come across sexually explicit images of children must report this to the superintendent and local law enforcement. The report must include the name and address of the owner or person in possession of the computer.

Online behavior

The district will educate minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response. The superintendent or his/her designee will develop a program to educate students on these issues. All staff and students must abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette, including the following:

  • Vandalism is prohibited. Vandalism includes any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data and/or property of others. This would include uploading or creation of viruses, deletion or alteration of user or system files and removing protection from restricted areas. Vandalism would also include the willful destruction of physical property that is not in your direct ownership.
  • All communications and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be private property. Always cite all quotes, references and sources. Users may not reproduce copyrighted material without permission.
  • No user of the system may use the system to make unauthorized disclosure of personal identification information regarding staff and or students. This would include but is not limited to Medicaid/Medicare information, Social Security Information, Information protected under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and any information protected by Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
  • Users may not use the system for financial or commercial gain, only for educational purposes.
  • No user of the system may violate the confidentiality rights of others.
  • Students should only be allowed to use digital devices owned by themselves or by Union County Schools.
  • Students should only use digital devices in the instructional setting when approved by the instructor and for educational purposes only. Staff should only use personally owned digital devices, during instructional times, when appropriately documented in a lesson plan or approved by an administrator.
  • Failure to report abuses or violations will result in disciplinary actions.

Off-campus conduct

Students, parents/legal guardians, teachers and staff members should be aware that the district may take disciplinary actions for conduct initiated and/or created off-campus involving the
inappropriate use of the Internet or web-based resources if such conduct poses a threat or
substantially interferes with or disrupts the work and discipline of the schools, including discipline for student harassment and bullying.

Email, Digital Devices and Internet usage

The District has the right and will monitor email, digital devices and Internet activity when appropriate and reserves the right to disclose the content and/or details when there is a business need to do so. Employees and any students granted email accounts by Union County Schools should not expect that email messages/digital communications are private even those marked as personal, confidential or accessed by a personal ID.

Email, Digital Devices and Internet usage should be used only for business/educational purposes. Union County Schools reserves the right to monitor personal use to the same extent that it monitors business use. Use by employees of the district’s communication system and use of devices/systems during paid working hours on the District’s property constitute consent to monitoring, search and adherence to this policy. Use by students of the district’s communications system and use of the device/systems during the school day constitute consent to monitoring, seizure and/or search. Failure to adhere to policy requirements may result in discipline or dismissal.

Digital Devices would include any device that has the ability to access the internet in any way. This would include digital cell phones, tablets and laptops.

Adopted 3/00; Revised 6/16

Legal references:

A.Federal law:

  1. 47 USC Section 254(h) - Children’s Internet Protection Act.
  2. 20 USC Section 1232(g) 34 CFR Part 99 – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
  3. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, Section 512 - Limitations on liability relating to material online.
  4. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or 1996 Public Law 104-191
  5. 15 USC Sections 6501-6505 16 CFR Part 312 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA)
  1. S.C. Code of Laws, 1976, as amended:
  1. Section 10-1-205 - Computers in public libraries; regulation of Internet access.
  2. Section 16-3-850 - Encountering child pornography while processing film or working on a computer.
  3. Section 16-15-305 - Disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity unlawful; definitions; penalties; obscene material designated contraband.
  4. Section 16-16 – Computer Crime Act
  5. Section 59-19-90 - General powers and duties of school trustees.

C. Court cases:

1. Purdham v. Fairfax Co. Sch. Bd., 637 F.3d 421, 427 (4th Cir. 2011).

Administrative Rule

Exhibits