HelmsM Policy

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Mitzi Helms

FRIT 7132

February 20, 2012

Internet/Acceptable Use Policy and Issues

The internet can be defined as a vast, diverse collection of unique resources including:

access to data from other school systems in the United States, NASA, discussion groups, ERIC,

and libraries including the Library of Congress. With over 15 million people accessing the

electronic highway daily, comes the availability of material that may not be considered to be of

educational value in the context of the school setting. All school systems have a responsibility to

filter information that is available from the internet, providing access only to information

applicable to the educational goalsthus the acceptable use policy.

The purpose of an acceptable use policy is to prevent harm to students or abuse of the

districts computer network (Acceptable, 2011). Kari Rhame Murphy said, We are all charged

with educating and protecting students, and I think an AUP protects your students and staff from

things they dont know that can hurt them (Esposito, 2009). An acceptable use policys first

priority should be to protect vulnerable children from inappropriate approaches. The other roles of

an AUP would be to encourage integrity and honesty and encourage respect for others and their

private property. An AUP holds staff members accountable to how they use the internet on a daily

basis.

The Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA) of 2000 is the key federal law affecting

technology use in schools. The law requires any school district that receives E-Rate funding to

filter or block visual depictions that are obscene, contain child pornography, or material harmful to

minors. The law also requires districts to have in place a policy of internet safety that includes the


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use of a filter or blocking procedure for district computers used by minors (Acceptable, 2011). A

key issue brought up in the court decisions surrounding CIPA and internet filtering in libraries is

the idea of selection versus censorship (Houghton-Jan, 2010). Some courts argue that installing

filters is equal to library selection of materials, and that each individual library has the right to

make those selection decisions without violating First Amendment rights as a result (Houghton-

Jan, 2010).

Simply stated, an acceptable use policy is a legally binding agreement between parents,

students, and staff members of a school. At the start of each new school year, students and staff

members are asked to sign the document where they agree to use the school districts computer

network responsibly according to the acceptable use policy adopted by the school district. This

type of policy can provide important legal protection and should be seen as a benefit to technology

services rather than a barrier against their use (Kooy, 2010). An AUP should acknowledge that the

school has attempted to limit access to inappropriate material, but should state that it is inevitable

that some will fall through the cracks. The usefulness of the internet and all the valuable

information contained therein outweighs the possibility that children may be exposed to material

that is not consistent with the educational goals of your school (Kooy, 2010).

What are the essential elements which should be included in the policy? First and

foremost, be sure that the language of your AUP is simple and clear so that students can easily

understand it. It is helpful to tie the AUP to the Code of Student Conduct to help enforce the rules

(Caramanico, 2011). In its onlineAcceptable Use Policies Handbook, the Virginia Department of

Education (2003) states that most AUPs include the following components:

A description of the instructional philosophies and strategies to be supported by internet

access in schools.


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A statement on the educational uses and advantages of the internet in your school or

division.

A list of the responsibilities of educators, parents, and students for using the internet.

A code of conduct governing behavior on the internet.

A description of the consequences of violating the AUP.

A description of what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable use of the internet.

A disclaimer absolving the school division, under specific circumstances, from

responsibility.

A statement reminding users that internet access and the use of computer networks is a

privilege.

A statement that the AUP is in compliance with state and national telecommunication rules

and regulations.

A signature form for teachers, parents, and students indicating their intent to abide by the

AUP (Miller, 2004).

In 2007, the National School Board Association published a study that revealed 9-17 year

olds spend an average of nine hours a week on social networking including updating personal

websites or profiles, posting messages and photos, blogging, and related activities (NSBA).

Therefore, it may be time for districts to update AUPs to address use of Web 2.0 tools that support

learning in an educational setting while also ensuring safe and responsible use (Adams, 2008).

Current issues affecting AUPs include, but are not limited to, social networking sites and

cyberbullying.

School districts should include language about the use of social networking sites and blogs

in order to protect themselves against the possible violation of a student's First Amendment rights


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(Adams, 2008). For example, if an AUP states that the use of social networking sites is prohibited

during school hours, a student who posts something offensive on Facebook while at school can be

punished for violating the AUP, not because of the content of his speech. On the other hand, some

school districts view social networking sites and blogs as potential learning tools for their students

(Adams, 2008). In these cases, the AUP should state that these sites and Web 2.0 tools will only

be used at school under the permission of the supervising teacher (Adams, 2008).

With the growing use of social networking sites, the amount of cyberbullying has risen, and

districts should make sure that students and staff are educated about its negative effects. The

revised AUP should state that cyberbullying will not be tolerated when using the district's network

(Adams, 2008). Erin Harvey, policy consultant for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards,

recommends that, "since the internet is constantly evolving, an AUP cannot anticipate every

possible situation. I advise districts to make sure their AUPs can be easily revised as new issues

arise and to review them every year" (Adams, 2008).

The strength of any acceptable use policy is not measured by the words printed on the

page. The strength comes from how the policy is used as a guide for decisions regarding

technology usage. If an organization puts forward the effort to enforce its policy, then that effort

will be rewarded through the establishment of a new culture of open-minded, responsible

technology use (Miller, 2004).


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References

Acceptable use policies in a web 2.0 & mobile era: A guide for school districts. (2011, Feb 18).

Targeted News Service,pp. n/a. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/853916613?accountid=10661

Adams, H. R. (2008). Dusting off the acceptable use policy (AUP). School Library Monthly, 25(4),

56-56. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/237137801?accountid=10661

Caramanico, N. (2011). Brush up your AUP. Tech & Learning, 31(11), 52-52,54. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/878681769?accountid=10661

Esposito, J. (2009). Developing Acceptable Use Policies.District Administration, 45(10/11), 19.

Houghton-Jan, S. (2010). Chapter 4: Internet Filtering.Library Technology Reports, 46(8), 25-33.

Kooy, B. and Steiner, S. (2010). Protection, Not Barriers: Using Social Software Policies to Guide

and Safeguard Students and Employees.Reference & User Services Quarterly, 50(1), 59-

71.

Miller, J. (2004). Intellectual Freedom and the Internet: Developing Acceptable Use Policies.

School Libraries in Canada, 23(3), 24-33. Retrieved from

http://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=lih&AN=14939385&site=ehost-live&scope=site

National School Board Association. (NSBA)http://www.nsba.org/
http://search.proquest.com/docview/853916613?accountid=10661http://search.proquest.com/docview/237137801?accountid=10661http://search.proquest.com/docview/878681769?accountid=10661http://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=14939385&site=ehost-live&scope=sitehttp://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=14939385&site=ehost-live&scope=sitehttp://www.nsba.org/http://www.nsba.org/http://search.proquest.com/docview/853916613?accountid=10661http://search.proquest.com/docview/237137801?accountid=10661http://search.proquest.com/docview/878681769?accountid=10661http://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=14939385&site=ehost-live&scope=sitehttp://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=14939385&site=ehost-live&scope=sitehttp://www.nsba.org/

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