Does your school have an academic integrity code? Do students and teachers at your school sign an AUP (acceptable usage policy)? As I read through some resources related to ethical technology dilemmas it triggered some thoughts about my own school's academic integrity code and the AUP form students are expected to sign before being issued their Chromebooks at the beginning of each school year.
What kinds of measures are put in place by other schools and districts to ensure a safe social learning environment for all while also teaching students and teachers how to properly use information found on the web? It seems few students and teachers realize what "borrowing" information entails and the potential legal consequences it could bring to the district, the school, and the individual.
Our school's academic integrity code describes copyright infringement as "unauthorized use of any work fixed in tangible media such as books, articles, websites, art, music, photography and video" and plagiarism as "presenting the distinctive ideas, facts, or words of another (in part or in whole), or imagery without appropriate acknowledgement of the source as one's own."
Students and teachers need to engage in training courses to review acceptable expectations in regards to plagiarism and copyright infringement. A regular routine review is essential to promote and support learning. This is something my school lacks but clearly needs.
What kind of training modules are out there? Well, I came across some information provided by Common Sense Education. On their website, they succinctly organize training modules that are leveled by grade. The modules can be taught by teachers and serve to develop digital citizenship skills in all students. What impressed was how easy and intuitive the lessons were. The lessons were easy to understand and aligned by topic:
- Self-image and Identify
- Relationships and Communication
- Digital Footprint and Reputation
- Cyberbullying and Digital Drama
- Information Literacy
- Internet Safety
- Privacy and Security
- Creative Credit and Copyright
Common Sense Education is my starting point. I hope I can convince administrators in my building that training modules similar to what Common Sense Education provides are necessary to educate, support, and protect students and teachers in the Age of the Internet.
What kinds of measures are put in place by your school/district to ensure a safe social learning environment for all while also teaching students and teachers how to properly use information found on the web? I welcome any comments about your experiences below.
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