Acceptable Use Policies

Acceptable Use Policies in Schools

From: Digital Media.Org (1)

Why is an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) necessary in schools? It's important for schools to have a set of guidelines that will lead students toward safe, responsible use of technology. Students are surrounded with technology, and many of them, without any guidance or limitations set for it's use at home.  A properly written policy, an Acceptable Use Policy, will help students to understand that there are rules, that when followed, will help them to safely and responsibly utilize technology, at home and at school.

According to Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) (2),  

• ”Schools and libraries subject to CIPA may not receive the discounts offered by the E-rate program unless they certify that they have an Internet safety policy that includes technology protection measures. The protection measures must block or filter Internet access to pictures that are: (a) obscene; (b) child pornography; or (c) harmful to minors (for computers that are accessed by minors).”
• "Schools subject to CIPA have two additional certification requirements: 1) their Internet safety policies must include monitoring the online activities of minors; and 2) as required by the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, they must provide for educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response."

Writing an effective AUP requires both an understanding of what the school's goals are and what aspects of technology should to be addressed in the policy. An effective policy alone is not enough though. In order for an AUP to be a useful tool, all involved have to understand, support, and abide by the rules outlined in the document. Staff needs to be receive enough professional development so that they are comfortable meeting the academic goals stated as stated in the AUP. An article titled "1-to-1 Essentials - Acceptable Use Policies" (2), defines an AUP as follows.

An effective AUP needs to be written in a manner that is clear, easy to understand, and age appropriate. In a school housing a huge range of grade levels, such as the K-8 school where I teach, there should be policies for the various age groups. Ideally, different AUPs would be written for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8, each addressing the various developmental levels and technological usage of the children. In a K-8 school, K-2 students have totally different needs than do the middle school students. An AUP should always be written and presented in an age appropriate manner. 

Acceptable Use Policies should be composed of certain key elements. (3) Policies should address Internet safety, appropriate and inappropriate conduct, plagiarism, and ownership/copyrighted material. Most Acceptable Use Policies include, but are not limited to, the following components:

(From: Scholastic: Why Have a Technology Policy in Your School or Library?) (4) 

• Instructional philosophies and strategies to be supported by Internet access in schools
• Educational uses and advantages of the Internet in your school or division 
• Responsibilities of educators, parents, and students for using the Internet
• Code of conduct governing behavior on the Internet
• Consequences of violating the AUP
• Acceptable and unacceptable use of the Internet
• Disclaimer absolving your school division, under specific circumstances, from responsibility
• Internet access and the use of computer networks is a privilege
• AUP is in compliance with state and national telecommunication rules and regulations
• The need to maintain personal safety and privacy while accessing the Internet
• Compliance with Fair Use Laws and other copyright regulations while accessing the Internet
• Signature form for teachers, parents, and students indicating their intent to abide by the AUP

AUPs can be written in many different formats, and choosing the format most appropriate to each age group will be helpful in reaching the students. Younger students would do well with fewer words, possibly accompanied by images. Hall Elementary School uses a brochure style for their elementary students. It is broken down into sections and would be easy for parents to read to their children.  Accompanying the form is parent permission form, which must be signed and returned to school. I would envision a similar format being used with 3rd-5th grade students.

Another format that I found interesting was one developed by The Nueva School, in which the AUP is set up in a "frequently asked questions" format. This format could easily be adjusted to suite various age levels and be customized to address the technologies used at each level. Question/Answer formats lend themselves to great discussions, brainstorming sessions, and to an introduction of Internet safety and usage concepts using more creative methods, such as a Jeopardy style game. 

Campbell Hall has their AUP set up in a form based on values and the responsibilities of the students, based on those values. Forms and charts are very organized and easy to read and understand. This style of AUP  could be adjusted in many ways, based on the needs of the school. Instead of "values" the first column could be goals, types of equipment, or various areas of technology, such as email, Internet, equipment, etc. This style of presentation, through a chart, could be used with all age levels.

Podcasts can also be used to engage students. This BPS Cybersafety video, developed by the Boston Public Schools, would be a great way to introduce the concepts of an AUP to K-2 students. (5) Creating a short video to introduce the students to concepts that may otherwise be difficult to grasp, bringing those concepts to life through images and animation, would increase student engagement and understanding. Creating a short video or podcast and playing it to the students at school, followed by posting it on the school's webpage and supplying the link to parents, would be a great way to involve parents in the school's Internet policies. An accompanying form with the rules outlined would then be sent home for parents to sign. Success of an AUP requires the understanding and involvement of everyone, in school and at home.

Although AUPs are a required official document, it's important that they are written in common language so that they are easily understood by all. Creating policies that are age appropriate, and not trying to use the "one size fits all" technique, will help to ensure that the developmental needs of the various age groups are met. In order for AUPs to be effective, everyone, parents, students and staff alike, has to understand and be a part of the rules set forth in the policy. Unless all involved are on the same page, the meaning and rules of the AUP will be lost.

Work Cited:

1.  (2015). 1.1 Week 1 Introduction | Designing Digital Media for ... Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://digitalmediaeducation.org/week-one/.

2. (2015). Children's Internet Protection Act | Federal Communications ... Retrieved February 22, 2016, from https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act.

3. (2014). 1-to-1 Essentials - Acceptable Use Policies | Common ... Retrieved February 21, 2016, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/1to1/aups.

4. (2006). Why Have a Technology Policy in Your School or Library ... Retrieved February 22, 2016, from http://www.scholastic.com/librarians/tech/techpolicy.htm.

5. (2015). Student-Centered Acceptable Use Policy | Office of ... Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://tech.ed.gov/stories/student-centered-acceptable-use-policy/.