The Media Center will also be purchasing a DVD copy for checkout as soon as it becomes available.
]]>Applying information and technology skills is an integral part of teaching and learning at Athens Academy.
The purpose of the Technology Acceptable Use Policy is to maintain the safety and security of the school and all of its students, faculty, staff, and administration. The following provides guidelines for the expected use of all Athens Academy technologies. These technologies include, but are not limited to:
All audio, visual, and networked equipment or devices owned or maintained by Athens Academy.
All computers (including laptop computers used off campus), telephones, and telecommunication devices owned or maintained by Athens Academy.
Any electronic equipment or device that makes use of or accesses any Athens Academy resource, such as the Athens Academy network or phone system.
Any personal electronic device accessible and used on the Athens Academy campus to capture, send or receive information.
Section One: Conduct
1. Students are expected to follow the requirements of the Honor Code and the Code of Conduct with regard to technology use. The ethical questions surrounding the access and use of technology are the same as the values the Athens Academy community is expected to uphold. Those who are unsure of what constitutes appropriate use should ask themselves, “Will my actions reflect well on the Athens Academy community?”
2. In classes and study halls, students may use only the technologies designated by their instructors for a particular activity. At all other times, students are expected to follow the rules of behavior established by each division with regard to technologies. This includes but is not limited to rules regarding cell phone use, gaming, social networking, IM-ing, blogging, and chatting. The Guiding Rule: Anything you feel you need to hide from a parent or teacher should not be created, accessed, or reproduced.
3. School rules and disciplinary procedures regarding behavior such as hazing and harassment are applicable to Athens Academy technology users.
4. Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administrators using the Academy’s technologies are representatives of the Academy and are expected to behave accordingly.
Section Two: On- and Off-Campus Technology Use
5. Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administrators using technology are expected to act respectfully and responsibly at all times, both on- and off-campus.
6. Students and parents bear full responsibility for a student’s conduct when not under the supervision of the school. Because a student’s behavior off campus may negatively affect the atmosphere of the school, the school may deem it necessary to take disciplinary action for such behavior. In particular, illegal activity off campus may result in expulsion, suspension, or the loss of the privilege to represent the school or to fulfill a student leadership role.
Section Three: Improper use or distribution of information
7. Athens Academy technologies are only to be used for academic, school-related, and responsible personal purposes.
8. Use of Athens Academy technologies for personal political and/or personal commercial purposes or in the support of illegal activities is prohibited.
9. Use of Athens Academy technologies to create, access, or reproduce inappropriate, objectionable, or illegal material is prohibited.
10. Improper use or reproduction of copyrighted material is prohibited. In regards to research, all materials used in academic work are to be properly documented. As defined by the U.S. government’s copyright website: “Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.”
11. Unauthorized distribution or aiding in distribution of personal or contact information of any member of the Athens Academy community is prohibited.
Section Four: Network
12. Athens Academy technology users must employ a network password with the following requirements:
Must contain at least six characters.
Must contain 3 of the following: upper case letter, lower case letter, symbol, number.
Must not contain the users name.
Must be changed every 120 days.
13. Network users, unless expressly directed to do so for classroom or maintenance reasons by faculty, staff, or administrators, are not to share passwords with others.
14. Network users do not intentionally subvert the network by using someone else's account or accessing information of others on any Athens Academy server without authorization.
15. Any attempt to impair the function of or bypass restrictions on any Athens Academy technology is prohibited.
16. Accessing any blocked sites or services is prohibited.
17. Use of Athens Academy technologies and resources may be tracked for activities that may harm or degrade them. Individuals whose use is excessive may be required to decrease usage.
18. Transmission of inappropriate or unauthorized data via any Athens Academy technology is prohibited.
Section Five: Care, Repair, and Replacement
19. As with all personal items, Athens Academy technology users are responsible for securing their laptops. Users are responsible for the cost of repair or replacement for laptop loss, damage, and/or theft.
20. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators using technology equipment owned by or leased through Athens Academy are expected to treat this equipment properly. Users are required to keep their school laptops in good working order. Any problems or issues that hinder the use of the laptop as an instructional tool or as a means of school communication should immediately be reported to the Athens Academy Help Desk. Users should take their laptops to the Help Desk for timely repair, transport them properly in designated cases or bags, and respect the equipment of others. Any physical damage to the laptop must be reported to the Help Desk immediately. Students with laptops should charge batteries overnight, reply daily to email from faculty and staff, and check their teachers’ web pages as directed for assignment information.
21. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators are expected to backup their files regularly either at home or on campus, saving files to their Home Folders and/or to other storage devices, such as flash drives or CDs.
Section Six: Consequences
22. Consequences for the misuse of technologies may include restriction of one’s network account, loss of one’s privileges to use technologies, and/or disciplinary action. Electronic information and technologies that are accessible and used on campus are subject to confiscation and review. State and federal laws also apply to certain activities involving technologies.
***
I have read the Athens Academy Technology Acceptable Use Policy, and I have signed below, signifying that I have read and understood the content of the policy.
I understand that the telecommunications resources are designed to support the educational processes and business of Athens Academy. I understand that the purpose of this document is to clarify the Academy’s expectations for use of its technologies.
Name (please print) ___________________________
Signature ___________________________ Date: ________________
Parent/Guardian Name (please print) ___________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature ___________________________ Date: ________________
(For your reference, a copy of the Technology Acceptable Use Policy is printed in the Policies and Directory handbook. Users who are unsure of what constitutes appropriate behavior should consult the conduct section of the Policies and Directory handbook or consult with the appropriate division director.)
Revised: 5/07
The library just purchased one episode of the TV series: Selling Children: How Media Affects Kids - Understanding the Power of Media & Its Effect on Kids.
List of other programs/DVDs you might be interested in.
]]>NetSmartz
NetSmartz is an easy-to-navigate and extremely helpful site offers safety tips for parents and kids, safety pledges for children and teens, activity cards to prompt discussion at home, internet definitions, an exploration of online risks, statistics related to online victimization, related news articles, and videos of real-life cases (that can jumpstart family discussions).
Media Awareness Network
1. Safe Passage: Teaching Kids to Be Safe and Responsible Online
You can email the group with questions. The "websites" section addresses the following topics: Tracking Where Kids Have Been Online, Managing the Internet at Home, Family Online Agreements, and Online Predators.
2. Practical Tips for Protecting Online Privacy
3. Joe Cool or Joe Fool? is a CyberTour through websites, with questions to prompt discussions about Internet decision making. After taking the CyberTour, you can work through the CyberQuiz ("twenty questions about the Net and how kids use it") to test your Internet "smarts."
GetNetWise
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GetNetWise is another site that offers practical advice to parents.
Media Awareness Network's "Internet Checklists for Children, Teens, and Parents: Are you web aware?"
Internet Safety Pledges from NetSmartz (grades K-2, 3-6, middle and high school)
“My Rules for Online Safety” from the Eugene, Oregon School District
Often articles focus on the potentially hurtful effects of instant messaging and other online chatting, but a recent piece uncovered a positive twist. Take a look at “Pupils Texting to Stop Bullies."
]]>Athens Academy began the Media Across the Curriculum Project (MACP) in 1990, and in the ensuing years, has pursued the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning, utilizing evaluation to inform these developments. MACP has three primary goals:
expanding the innovative practices with the integration of personal technologies (laptop computers)
enhancing and developing models for faculty development
developing and implementing an evaluation study to document the impact and the effectiveness of the personal technologies on teaching and learning
21st Century Skills
Information Access
Communication
Visualization and Interaction
Creating Quality Products
Student-Centered, Project-Centered Learning and Authentic Assessment
The original rationale for the infusion of laptop computers focused on creating a “toolset” that could be effectively used in almost every curriculum area and could be used anywhere, anytime to facilitate writing, communication, and resource use. The laptop initiative at the Academy is predicated on the belief that computing has become an essential tool for thinking, problem-solving, and learning in the 21st century.
Students enter the laptop program in 7th grade and keep the same unit for three years. In 10th grade, they are issued new laptops to use through the senior year.
To support teachers as they develop authentic, project-centered learning and assessment, staff development sessions are now focused on individual teacher projects that focus on using technology to improve student performance and attain curricular objectives.
Your best resource for exploring issues related to video games is the Media Awareness Network.
Their Managing Video Games section offers a comprehensive overview of the good, the bad, and the confusing.
Here's the list of issues the site covers:
The Good Things About Video Games
The Concerns
Special Issues for Girls
Special Issues for Young Children
Special Issues for Teens
GETTING INVOLVED
Understanding the Rating System
Managing Video Game Playing in the Home
Choosing Good Video Games for Your Kids
Taking Action
Voice Your Opinion
Another area of the Media Awareness Network's site covers Talking to Your Kids About Media Violence, an issue often connected to gaming.
]]>Transport the laptop in its bag for safekeeping.
You are responsible for the laptop at all times.
Recharge the battery in the evening.
Bring your laptop every day, and keep it in good working order—just as you would carry pen, paper, and books.
When prompted, UPDATE!
Backup current projects daily and all work weekly.
Organize files into folders (Outlook files and documents).
Reply to email from faculty and staff.
Check your teachers’ web pages daily.
Think of the Laptop as a Car
You don’t smash into your mailbox carelessly.
You change the oil regularly, right?
When it gets messy, you need to clean it.
If it conks out, you find an alternate mode of transportation. It could break down, so you have to have a Plan B!
When you take it to the service station, you carefully explain, in detail, the problems you’ve had with it. You might “test drive” it to demonstrate the trouble.
Sometimes the mechanic has to order new parts to fix it.
Be Kind, Safe, and Tech Savvy
Do not give out personal information online.
Never agree to meet in person someone you’ve met online.
Notify an adult if you receive threatening or offensive messages. Do not respond to the sender.
If you encounter something that offends you, confuses you, or makes you uncomfortable, notify an adult.
Respect Intellectual Property
Remember the Honor Code.
If you didn’t create it, you must get permission to use it, copy it…
Anything created after 1922 is copyright protected.
What is Copyright?
Exhaustive list of terms (Teen Angels)
This site even lets you download a “Chat Translator” to make sense of teen text.
‘ru online’: the evolving lexicon of wired teens
"Generation Text": Teens' IM lingo evolving into a hybrid language
]]>Read "The IM Life of Middle-Schoolers."
We've located some terrific resources to answer your questions and assist you as you encourage your children to develop good tech habits and stay safe online. Follow the links above to learn about Athens Academy's program and to access resources that range from online safety pledges to rules for online citizenship.
Join other parents in discussions related to these and other topics by participating in the Parent Book Club.
Can't find answers to your questions on these pages? Have suggestions for additional topics? Contact:
1. the Middle/Upper School Guidance Department
2. the Media and Technology Department
Search the Internet Glossary on NetSmartz.org.
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