August+2010+-+Activity+1+-+LPISD+Acceptable+Use+Guidelines

August 2010 - Activity 1 - La Porte ISD Acceptable Use Guidelines

In April and May of 2010, I participated on a committee charged with a complete revision of the district's acceptable use policy. The AUG that was in place at the time was woefully inadequate. This was not necessarily due to any negligence on the part of the district, but rather the speed at which technology, and educational technology in particular, has evolved. The committee consisted of the individual campus Instructional Technology Specialists and the Director of Instructional Technology, with input from the Executive Director of Technology. (Note: Our district Instructional Technology Department changed drastically at the end of the last school year. In place of an ITS at each of our twelve campuses, the department consists of two district-level ITS and the Director of Instructional Technology.) The completed document is, in my opinion, reasonable, enforceable, and flexible enough to adapt to emerging technologies. We also reworked the accompanying forms that are distributed to district staff, students and parents at the beginning of each school year. Because of the changes and the renewed commitment to enforcing the AUG, a district-wide training will take place the week of teacher pre-service (August 17-18). In preparation for this training, I reviewed the AUG for the critical points to be covered and prepared an agenda and a PowerPoint slideshow to guide the discussion. I reviewed the information for clarity, accuracy, and thoroughness, and shared it with the other ITS and the Director for their review. I am experiencing some anxiety about certain issues that are likely to surface. I am aware of the expectations of the Executive Director of Technology and we have discussed the intention to actively monitor the use of network resources by staff as well as students. There is not an established precedence in our district for accountability, so I am certain there will be some habits to break before some staff begin to take the AUG seriously. One concern I have is in presenting the information in a way that helps district staff understand the impact of their technology use on our network resources. I recall that, when the district began blocking access to personal email two years ago, there was some murmuring of "Big Brother" being in charge. It surfaced again when we began using a remote access software that has an eye as its icon. It gives the impression of always being watched and some staff were unsettled by this. It is critical that staff understand the importance of preserving our network security and integrity, and that monitoring network use is a necessary activity. How best, then, to communicate that it is not "us" against "them" but, rather, we need to work together to maintain network performance? The potential for confrontation is much higher than if I were simply training them on a software product! Another concern is that I will be speaking to two or three campuses at a time. I am accustomed to training much smaller groups where it is easier to answer questions and give feedback. It is much harder to read a larger audience and, given the subject matter, much easier to assume a certain negativity. I am also afraid that this exposure will set the tone for when I visit the campuses for other professional development events. Additionally, how can I be certain that the audience will even take the information (or me!) seriously? The position of District ITS is a new one and the individual campuses will have to adjust to the fact that they no longer house an ITS at the campus level. The Director of Instructional Technology will be in attendance in the next room facilitating a concurrent session, but not present to give my presentation any sort of clout. All I can state is that, as professionals, they will have to make the choice to listen carefully and follow through on the expectations. My experience revising the district AUG and preparing the information for presentation has given me a deeper understanding of the need for such a document.I have been able to engage in discussions about legal and ethical issues, both in committee and as I prepare the presentation, with the district leaders responsible for interpretation and enforcement. The last portion of this training consists of technology updates for the new school year. The district migrated to a different domain and some teacher laptops are being moved to the new domain. We have also implemented a new work order system, another change to which staff will have to adjust. Other topics to be covered include web filtering (a hot topic), email (a serious source of spam and viruses), the district-wide distribution of new MimioTeach Interactive hardware, and the introduction of the Instructional Technology training resources web page. __ISTE Technology Facilitator Standards__ V.A.- Use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning. V.B. - Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning. V.D. - Use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community in order to nurture student learning. VI.A. - Model and teach legal and ethical practice related to technology use. VI.D. - Promote safe and healthy use of technology resources. VI.E - Facilitate equitable access to technology resources for all students. __References__ La Porte Independent School District Computer/Network/Internet Acceptable Use Guidelines. Retrieved from [] Williamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009), ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Eugene: International Society for Technology in Education.