AUP
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
Acceptable and Responsible Use of Internet and Technological Devices
Safety: The internet is a powerful tool and can be used for
countless positive reasons, however, it is also a place where countless
dangerous people and programs reside. With the possible danger in mind,
the safety of our students, faculty, and computer systems is of the
upmost priority. Our network features a firewall which can help to
protect from some of the potential incoming threats or harmful content,
however, firewalls are not perfect. Students should always be cautious
when visiting websites, accessing material or downloading any files,
only do so from reputable and professional sources. If a student
purposefully accesses or downloads any malicious, lewd, obscene,
harmful or illicit material, they will be subject to discipline, up to
and including expulsion, depending on the severity of the infraction.
Goal: As noted, the internet can be a profound tool for educational
research, collaboration and creative projects, and our goal is to
facilitate a free and open forum for all students to access the full
breadth and width of its possibilities. But just as important as
safeguarding our students, faculty and computer network from malicious
content, is protecting the copyrights and intellectual integrity of the
publishing and academic worlds. With that in mind, all work, referenced
material, all quotes, all material borrowed from, copied from, used
from a website shall be properly cited. It is extremely important and a
frequent part of English Language Arts classrooms to quote and
reference outside work and as such it is of the upmost importance that
students in this classroom employ the practice of over-citing, rather
than under-citing. If there is any doubt in your mind whether or not
you have used a portion of someone else’s work and need to cite it,
then cite it, don’t leave it to chance that you are either plagiarizing
or stealing intellectual property. Penalties for either infraction can
be severe, resulting in a failing grade on an assignment or possible
suspension or expulsion depending on severity of incident.
Communications and Social Media: ALL COMMUNICATION DONE ON THE
INTERNET WHILE IN SCHOOL IS NOT PRIVATE! EVERY SINGLE WORD YOU TYPE ON
ANY DEVICE WHILE IN SCHOOL IS SUBJECT TO REVIEW, IT IS DIGITALLY
RECORDED AND IS TRACEABLE TO YOU! The standard of discourse and
behavior which you are held to in real life, in person, is the one you
are held to in the digital realm. If something is inappropriate to say
in real life in a professional and or academic setting than it is
certainly inappropriate to say digitally. Harassment, bullying, threats
or any other dangerous or violent behavior will be penalized up to a
suspension, expulsion or referral for legal prosecution if necessary.
General Practices: Protect your passwords. Do not leave your account
signed in on any device when you are not using it. Access responsible
and appropriate material only. Cite your sources. Act as if every
single thing you access on the internet is meant to be kept private
(unless properly sourced) and everything you say or send out onto the
internet is public for the world to see. If you access dangerous or
inappropriate material by accident while at school, close the material
as quickly as possible, turn off your device if needed, and immediately
alert a teacher or administrator. As a general rule, online
dictionaries and encyclopedias can be helpful but many of these sources
can contain errors especially when crowd sourced information is used,
be wary of your sources even when they seem appropriate or reputable.
Webquest Practices: When participating in a Webquest assignment, as
always, be certain that you cite your sources properly, as well as be
certain that you are referring to reputable resources. When uploading
material to class sites be certain that the content is both appropriate
for dissemination as well as digitally safe and contains no virus,
malware, etc.
References: “Legal and Ethical Issues,” power-point presentation by Dr. Janna Jackson Kellinger.