Acceptable Use Guidelines

Acceptable Use Guidelines

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND DATA MANAGEMENT - CQ

Posted at the Texas Education Agency are the following documents:

Appropriate Use of the Internet in K-12 - RRISD Statement
Modified with permission from Boulder Valley School District, Colorado, (10-98).

Appropriate Use of the Internet in K-12 - RRISD Matrix Guide
Modified with permission from Boulder Valley School District, Colorado, (10-98).

Appropriate Use of the Internet in K-12 - RRISD Statement
Modified with permission from Boulder Valley School District, Colorado, (10-98).

The Internet can be a powerful teaching and learning tool for all ages. The Round Rock Independent School District has developed the attached matrix of appropriate use for classrooms, libraries and labs. These procedures for student use of the Internet are designed to serve as guidelines for teachers who wish to use the Internet to support their curriculum. Following these guidelines will help minimize the possibility that students will be exposed to, or be producers of, inappropriate Internet material. As with any learning tool, students must have appropriate instruction on using the tool and teachers must use their professional judgement to make instructional decisions based on their own knowledge and the developmental level of the individual child.

There are four rules for Round Rock ISD Internet use that must be

followed in all cases:

Use of Round Rock ISD’s Electronic Communication System (ECS) must be to support the mission and goals of the Round Rock ISD.
All Internet use by students must be supervised by adults. (The student should have permission to use the Internet and be supervised by Round Rock ISD staff.)
No student should type their own or anyone else’s name, address, phone number or other personal information into anything on the Internet.
All students and staff must have a signed Acceptable Use permission form on file.

The Internet is neither a playground nor an amusement park and should not be used in that manner – at any grade level. We must instill in our students the proper use of this great resource and help them develop the responsible behavior with which they are charged as a user of the technology.

In the attached table, activities marked with "yes" are appropriate at the given grade level (always with teacher knowledge, supervision and prior instruction). Activities with "possible" may be something that teachers want to do with students provided there is close supervision and the activity supports the mission and goals of the Round Rock ISD. Activities that are marked with "no" and are darkly shaded indicate activities that generally are not deemed appropriate for that age level. Remember, as a staff member it is your responsibility to make sure that this tool (the ECS) is used in a safe and directed environment with students. We appreciate your careful consideration.

If you feel you do not have the knowledge necessary to supervise students on the Internet, please refrain from using it with them until you feel comfortable. We encourage attendance at all District and school-sponsored Internet classes.

Appropriate Use of the Internet in K-12 -
RRISD Matrix Guide
Modified with permission from Boulder Valley School District, Colorado, (10-98).

Grade Level	K - 2	3 - 5	6 - 8	9 - 12
Specific Use of the Internet
Teachers use the Internet for teacher professional development.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Teachers use the Internet for curriculum resources or classroom demonstration.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Teachers preview web sites before introducing them to class. (No searching with students present.)	Always	Always	Always	Always
Teachers use the Internet for class e-mail projects.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Substitute* teachers use the Internet with classes.	Never	Never	Never	Never
Students contribute to class or school web pages/publication.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Class participation in teacher-led, live electronic chat.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Students use bookmark lists built or approved by teachers.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Students use teacher-designed web pages.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Students browse* teacher-selected web pages with staff supervision.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Students search* children's subject directories (e.g. Yahooligans) thoroughly previewed by teacher.	Possible*	Yes	Yes	Yes
Students search on the Internet (e.g. Alta Vista, Excite).	No	No	Possible*	Yes
Students type teacher-approved URL's s directly into the Locator Bar.	Possible*	Possible*	Possible*	Yes
Students use their own individual electronic mail* accounts for research and in accordance with AUG.	No	Possible*	Possible*	Yes
Students build their own curriculum-related web pages under teacher supervision. (See AUG for permissions).	No	Possible*	Possible*	Yes
Students work independently to build web pages as a school sponsored curriculum-related project.	No	Possible*	Possible*	Yes
Students engage in individual live, real-time chatting.	No	No	No	No
Students must have an educational purpose for using the Internet.	Always	Always	Always	Always

*Substitutes--unless they have attended RRISD Acceptable Use Training and have signed the staff AU form.
*Browsing means clicking through the pages of a specific website to view the content of those pages.
*Searching means typing a key word into a search engine and conducting a search for information.
*Possible means with close staff supervision and campus approval.
*Electronic mail means web-based email (i.e. Yahoo or Hot mail).