Digital Citizenship
Empowered Learning with Technology
By having students use technology, you open a world of new learning opportunities and reaffirm that learning can happen anytime, anywhere. When students use electronics during class time to access learning resources that they can also get at home or on the go, we see that learning doesn’t just happen within the four walls of a classroom. Plus, it literally puts learning power in our hands.
I can move the classroom & school in the direction towards empowered learning by keeping engagement and empowering at the forefront of learning.
When students are engaged, they begin to take ownership in their learning and become active participants in the learning process. Empowerment means that students own their learning. They have a meaningful voice in the process and must make critical choices along the way. Instead of following a recipe, they help create a path toward the learning destination. Empowered students are fully invested and control their own results. When students are empowered, they learn at a much higher level and gain the skills needed for future success.
Acceptable Usage Policy
Talawanda Acceptable Usage Policy: Each year parents and students are required to sign an Acceptable Use Agreement to maintain a current computer account district assigned Chromebook with the school. This form is included in the Returning Student Information Forms that are completed prior to each school year. Below is a copy of the Acceptable Use Policy.
Technology directly affects the ways in which information is accessed, communicated, and transferred in society. Educators are expected to continually adapt their means and methods of instruction and the way they approach student learning to incorporate the latest technologies. The Board of Education provides Information & Technology Resources (as defined in Bylaw 0100) (collectively, “District Information & Technology Resources”) to support the educational and professional needs of its students and staff. With respect to students, District Information & Technology Resources afford them the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge to learn effectively and live productively in a digital world. The Board provides students with access to the Internet for educational purposes only and online educational services to enhance the instruction delivered to its students. The district’s computer network and Internet system do not serve as a public access service, or a public forum and the Board imposes reasonable restrictions on its use consistent with its stated educational purpose.
The Board regulates the use of District Information & Technology Resources in a manner consistent with applicable local, State, and Federal laws, the district’s educational mission, and articulated expectations of student conduct as delineated in the Student Code of Conduct. This policy and its related administrative guidelines and the Student Code of Conduct govern students’ use of District Information & Technology Resources and students’ personal communication devices when they are connected to District Information & Technology Resources, including online educational services/apps, regardless of whether such use takes place on or off school property (see Policy 5136).
Students are prohibited from using District Information & Technology Resources to engage in illegal conduct (e.g., libel, slander, vandalism, harassment, theft, plagiarism, inappropriate access, etc.) or conduct that violates this Policy and its related administrative guidelines and the Student Code of Conduct (e.g., making personal attacks or injurious comments, invading a person’s privacy, etc.). Nothing herein, however, shall infringe on students’ First Amendment rights. Because its Information & Technology Resources are not unlimited, the Board may institute restrictions aimed at preserving these resources, such as placing limits on use of bandwidth, storage space, and printers.
Students have no right or expectation to privacy when using District Information & Technology Resources (including, but not limited to, privacy in the content of their personal files, messages/e-mails, and records of their online activity).
While the Board uses various technologies to limit students using its Information & Technology Resources to only use/access online educational services/apps and resources that have been pre-approved for the purpose of instruction, study, and research related to the curriculum, it is impossible to prevent students from accessing and/or coming in contact with online content that has not been pre-approved for use by students of certain ages. It is no longer possible for educators and community members to review and screen materials to assess their appropriateness for supporting and enriching the curriculum according to adopted guidelines and reasonable selection criteria (taking into account the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of the students who would be exposed to them) when significant portions of students’ education take place online or through the use of online educational services/apps.
Pursuant to Federal law, the Board implements technology protection measures that protect against (e.g., filter or block) access to visual displays/depictions/materials that are obscene, constitute child pornography, and/or are harmful to minors, as defined by the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). At the discretion of the Board or the Superintendent, the technology protection measures may be configured to protect against access to other material considered inappropriate for students to access. The Board also utilizes software and/or hardware to monitor the online activity of students to restrict access to child pornography and other material that is obscene, objectionable, inappropriate, and/or harmful to minors. The technology protection measures may not be disabled at any time that students may be using District Information & Technology Resources if such disabling will cease to protect against access to materials that are prohibited under CIPA. Any student who attempts to disable the technology protection measures will be disciplined.
The Superintendent may temporarily or permanently unblock access to websites or online educational services/apps containing appropriate material if access to such sites has been mistakenly, improperly, or inadvertently blocked by the technology protection measures. The determination of whether material is appropriate or inappropriate shall be based on the content of the material and the intended use of the material, not on the protection actions of the technology protection measures.
Parents are advised that a determined user may be able to gain access to online content and/or services/apps that the Board has not authorized for educational purposes. In fact, it is impossible to guarantee students will not gain access through the Internet to content that they and/or their parents may find inappropriate, offensive, objectionable, or controversial. Parents of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using the Internet.
Principals are responsible for providing training so that students under their supervision are knowledgeable about this policy and its accompanying guidelines.
Pursuant to Federal law, students shall receive education about the following:
- safety and security while using e-mail, chat rooms, social media, and other forms of direct electronic communications;
- the dangers inherent with the online disclosure of personally identifiable information;
- the consequences of unauthorized access (e.g., “hacking”, “harvesting”, “digital piracy”, “data mining”, etc.), cyberbullying, and other unlawful or inappropriate activities by students online; and
- unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personally-identifiable information regarding minors.
Staff members shall provide guidance and instruction to their students regarding the appropriate use of District Information & Technology Resources and online safety and security as specified above. Additionally, such training shall include, but not be limited to, education concerning appropriate online behavior including interacting with others on social media, including in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response. Furthermore, staff members will monitor the online activities of students while they are at school.
Monitoring may include, but is not necessarily limited to, visual observations of online activities during class sessions or use of specific monitoring tools to review browser history and network, server, and computer logs.
All students who use District Information & Technology Resources (and their parents if they are minors) are required to sign a written agreement to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy and its accompanying guidelines. See Form 7540.03 F1.
To keep District Information & Technology Resources operating in a safe, secure, efficient, effective, and beneficial manner to all users, students are required to comply with all District-established cybersecurity procedures including, but not limited to, the use of multi-factored authentication for which they have been trained. Principals are responsible for providing such training on a regular basis and measuring the effectiveness of the training.
Students will be assigned a District-provided school email account that they are required to utilize for all school-related electronic communications, including those to staff members, peers, individuals, and/or organizations outside the district with whom they are communicating for school-related projects and assignments. Further, as directed and authorized by their teachers, they shall use their school-assigned e-mail account when signing-up/registering for access to various online educational services/apps.
Students are responsible for good behavior when using District Information & Technology Resources – i.e., behavior comparable to that expected of students when they are in physical classrooms and school buildings and at school-sponsored events. Because communications on the Internet are often public in nature, general school rules for behavior and communication apply. The Board does not approve any use of its Information & Technology Resources that is not authorized by or conducted strictly in compliance with this policy and its accompanying guidelines.
Use of Artificial Intelligence/Natural Language Processing Tools for School Work
Students are required to rely on their own knowledge, skills, and resources when completing schoolwork. To ensure the integrity of the educational process and to promote fair and equal opportunities for all students, except as outlined below, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools (collectively, “AI/NLP tools”) is strictly prohibited for the completion of schoolwork. The use of AI/NLP tools, without the express permission/consent of a teacher, undermines the learning and problem-solving skills that are essential to academic success and that the staff is tasked to develop in each student. Students are encouraged to develop their own knowledge, skills, and understanding of course material rather than relying solely on AI/NLP tools and they should ask their teachers when they have questions and/or need assistance. Unauthorized use of AI/NLP tools is considered a form of plagiarism and any student found using these tools without permission or in a prohibited manner will be disciplined in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.
Notwithstanding the preceding, students can use AI/NLP tools in the school setting if they receive prior permission/consent from their teacher, so long as they use the AI/NLP tools in an ethical and responsible manner. Teachers have the discretion to authorize students to use AI/NLP tools for the following uses:
- Research assistance: AI/NLP tools can be used to help students quickly and efficiently search for and find relevant information for their school projects and assignments.
- Data Analysis: AI/NLP tools can be used to help students to analyze, understand, and interpret large amounts of data, such as text documents or social media posts. This can be particularly useful for research projects or data analysis assignments – e.g., scientific experiments and marketing research.
- Language translation: AI/NLP tools can be used to translate texts or documents into different languages, which can be helpful for students who are learning a new language or for students who are studying texts written in a different language.
- Writing assistance: AI/NLP tools can provide grammar and spelling corrections, as well as suggest alternative word choices and sentence structure, to help students improve their writing skills.
- Accessibility: AI/NLP tools can be used to help students with disabilities access and understand written materials. For example, text-to-speech software can help students with specific learning disabilities or visual impairments to read texts and AI-powered translation tools can help students with hearing impairments understand spoken language.
As outlined above, under appropriate circumstances, AI/NLP tools can be effectively used as a supplement to and not a replacement for traditional learning methods. Consequently, with prior teacher permission/consent, students can use such resources to help them better understand and analyze information and/or access course materials. If a student has any questions about whether they are permitted to use AI/NLP tools for a specific class assignment, they should ask their teacher.
Users who disregard this policy and its accompanying guidelines may have their use privileges suspended or revoked and disciplinary action taken against them. Users are personally responsible and liable, both civilly and criminally, for uses of District Information & Technology Resources that are not authorized by this policy and its accompanying guidelines.
The Board designates the Superintendent as the administrator(s) responsible for initiating, implementing, and enforcing this policy and its accompanying guidelines as they apply to students’ use of District Information & Technology Resources.
Digital Citizenship
My social media and online footprints are very vague. I only had a Facebook and Instagram until recently. My social media accounts are mainly used as an online family guide to keep track of photos within family that live out of state. My social media accounts will be perceived as she loves pictures of her children and family. There are a LOT of photos of my children!
Digital App
The digital app my CT used in student teaching is called SeeSaw. My CT showed me how to use it in so many ways for learning. I was granted access to her class, and she allowed me to keep up on the posting pictures/videos for families. The app empowers students to learn because it allows students to move at their own pace and its user friendly. Students can participate in their learning experience by using the app by exploring through the assignments, games, and learning opportunities that are assigned by the teacher.
Student Privacy
Common Sense Privacy Evaluation Rating: 85%
This product received a Pass rating based on the following details:
- Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
- Personal information is not shared for third-party marketing.
- Personalized advertising is not displayed.
- Data are not collected by third parties for their own purposes.
- User’s information is not used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Data profiles are not created and used for personalized advertisements.
I can promote management of personal data and digital identity by creating experiences for learners to make positive, socially responsible contributions and show empathetic behavior online that build relationships and community.
Digital Literacy
Student Checklist
What is the URL? | ||
Is it a personal page or site? Look for names in the URL, or words such as ‘users’ or ‘members’ | If it is a personal page, remember to do further investigation on the author. Personal pages may be opinion pieces, not necessarily based on reliable evidence. | |
What kind of website is it? | .com .net .gov .org .edu .au other ________ | Is the type of website appropriate for your research? This may help you determine if the site is for profit, educational, commercial etc. Which type is most suitable for your research? |
Authority and Currency | ||
Who is the author? Is it an individual or an organisation/association? Look for sections on the website called ‘About us’ or ‘Background’. This can sometimes be found at the top of the page, in the side menu or at the bottom of the page. | individual _______________________ (Name) organisation/association _______________________ (Name) | Is there enough information about the author or the organisation? If not, you may need to do some extra research about them. Just an email is not usually sufficient to determine reliability. |
What are the author’s credentials? Look in the ‘About us’ or ‘Background’ sections. Is the author an ‘expert’ in this area? If it is an organisation or association, are they well known? | Remember, anyone can post to the Internet without necessarily having a reliable background in the subject. Not being able to find this information on the website may lead you to question its reliability. | |
Which other sites discuss the author/organisation? Do a web search for the author/organisation. What do people say about them? What kinds of sites mention them? | Often you can find out about someone’s background or organisation’s information from doing a quick web search. However, you always need to be aware of the reliability of the source of the information. | |
Which other sites use the website? Use link:URL in a search engine to discover what other pages link to the page you are evaluating. Copy and paste the URL of your website after link: (without spaces). | not many links many links unreliable links mainly academic links | Some websites are not linked by/to any other websites. Others are linked to sites which are obviously personal or commercial. This may lead you to question the reliability of the page you are evaluating. |
Is it current? What’s the date on the website? When was the article written? Look at the top or bottom of the article to find this information. It can sometimes also be found connected to the copyright information of the article or in the URL. | Yes No Date: __________________ | If you cannot find the date, you need to be suspicious of when the information was put on the website. This may also lead you to question whether the website is still being maintained. |
Accuracy | ||
Is the information accurate? Can the information in the article be checked? Is there proof? Look for in-text references or a Reference List/Bibliography. | Yes No in-text references Reference List/Bibliography Other | Most academic or scholarly work that you will use for your research will include referencing of other sources. This is to provide reliable evidence of their claims. If referencing is not evident, or if the references are out-of-date or not reliable, you may need to question your source. |
Are there links to other sources on the same topic? Check the links. Do they work? What types of sources do they link to? | Yes No Do the links work? Yes No Do they link to reliable sources? Yes No | |
Objectivity | ||
Is the information balanced? Are all sides of an issue presented? Read the information carefully and identify the different arguments presented. Does the author explain all sides or only their opinion? | Yes No If no, what is the bias? | Often, pages give links to other sites that have similar views to their own. However, a webpage that is trying to present an un-biased opinion will often also give links to sites that offer differing views. If there is no objectivity, it may lead you to question the evidence the author is presenting. |
If there are links to other sources, do they illustrate other opinions? Check the links. What are the main ideas? Are they the same as the author’s or are they different? | Yes No If no, what is the bias? | |
Evaluation | ||
Based on the above analysis: | ||
What is the purpose of the website? | inform sell explain share argue persuade other _________________ | You need to consider the purpose of a website and whether it is appropriate for how you are using it. |
Should I use it as part of my research or investigation? | Yes No | Remember, using sources that are not reliable or overly biased will have a negative effect on your work. If you are still unsure about your source after completing this checklist, it may be safer not to use it. |