Zanotto,+Jessica

My districts plan was last ‍‍‍updated in March of 1996. I ‍‍‍am shocked by how long it has been since the last update. It does not explicitdly state anything about cyber bullying. It is very general. It does not going into the specifics of cybbullying or child safety. The plan reads like a legal document aimed at covering the distritc, but not fully protecting the child. The AUP does not discuss plagerism. However, there is a seperate form that goes out about academic integrity. It encompasses copying, plagerism, cheating on tests etc. It is not part of the AUP. I found it very student consequence driven, relieving the district of any responsibility. It states that it is,"Improssible to restrct access to all controversial materials." Furthermore, it discusses the consequences for misuse, "May result in dispilinary action the termination of user account and/or legal action. I agree to report misuse...Misuse comes in many forms; inluding messages sent or reseived indiacting pornography, unethical or illegal solitation, racisim, sexism, inappropriate language and other issues described above." I find it a bit unfair to have such a vague, yet reactive policy.

A parent, student, and teacher signature is required before the student can use the internet. I like that 3 signatures are required. However, the paper does go home with a stack of other papers on the first day of school. I think if the district truly believes the AUP plan is important, they should send it seperately a day or two after the other papers.Allowing it to get the time and understanding it needs.Elementary students cannot possibly understand the language in the plan. Words like idemnify, illegal solicitaion, and provisions are too advanced for an elementary student. The meaning behind them is also above their level of comprehension. Unfortunately, I do not know if teachers, students and parents are involved in creating the technology plan. Ido know the board last modified and approved it in 1996.

Analyze your districts’ AUP/RUP. Compare it to the examples provided in this module. What changes would you make if you were involved in revising it? How might you assure that it is read and understood by all constituents (parents, teachers, administrators, and students)? Note that as you continue through this course, your thoughts and ideas may change. USE THE WIKISPACES NOTES PAGE SET UP FOR YOU TO KEEP YOUR NOTES. THE BLUE FONT QUESTIONS SHOULD BE USED AS A GUIDELINE FOR YOUR NOTES.

As you view them add to your notes (in your Wikispace) why we need AUP/RUPs and why it is important for all concerned parties (parents, teachers, administrators, and students) to fully understand their provisions.

Students, teachers, parents, and administrators all need to know their rights and expectations.Technology has become a daily part of many students education. The more it is used the more it should be discussed. 90% of my students are leaning English as a second language. Many of the families I work with do not own their own computer. The internet is foreign to them. They trust the school and sign necessisary papers without knowing about the dangers of cyberbulling and other internet safety issues. Students need to know that it may seem easy to say and do things online, but the consequences of their actions transfer into the real world and can get them into real trouble.

Reflection Questions: 1. How does this information on copyright correspond with what you already know and use in your classroom Good reminder. Grey areas. Must create own material unless using a bit for critique parody 2. How are you teaching your students about copyright? ‍‍‍3rd grade. Mostly teaching character. However, did have 2 students turn in same pape r. ‍‍‍ 3. How do you model correct use of copyrighted materials in your classroom and in your daily life? Hard in their developmental stage. Must keep it simple. 4. Do you observe violations of copyright law in your school or among your associates? If so, what violations have your noticed (perhaps now as a result of reading the above materials), and how might you help people to better understand copyright? In my school I we often create our own material. However, I have seen fluency passages taken from previous curriculums and used to create a fluency binder. It's a grey area, but I know we no longer have the rights to the material. 5. Why do you think some people violate copyright law? They think it helps students and does not hurt the person they are stealing from. Robin Hood threory. 6. Why do we have copyright laws? People who write or create works deserve to have rights over them. They deserve credit. If they choose to make money off their work, they deserve to. To what extent will you change your approach to copyright and fair use as a result of what you have learned in this module? Did you encounter any surprises in this module? If so what were they? || What types of cyberbullying have you seen at your school? Has your staff discussed cyberbulling and how to deal with it? If so, how cyberbullying being addressed? Does your school or district’s tech plan or AUP/RUP contain information on cyberbullying and how it is to be handled? What can you do to prevent cyberbullying?
 * Assignment for Module 2 ||
 * How will you teach your students to follow the rules and laws pertaining to copyright and fair use? How will you model this in your classroom?

Incredibly limited needs revision bad. Very vague and very discipline oriented as opposed to supportive., In other words, covering the school not advocating child safety.

Cyber Bullying: Worse Than Traditional BullyingBy Scott Meech //from Educators' eZine// To most teachers, the general stereotype of a bully is an over-sized male student who uses verbal and/or physical abuse to torment the smaller or weaker child. This stereotype is perpetuated throughout pop culture. But the Internet has changed that, as it has changed so much else. Now there is "Cyber Bullying," and although it is less physical than traditional forms of bullying, it can have more devastating and longer-lasting effects. It is rapidly becoming a major problem. Now, a small physically weak child can be as much of a bully as the big brute but with more impact. Educators definitely need to understand how powerful and dangerous this new type of bullying has become as it has greatly impacted the classroom. Paris and Robert Strom define cyber bullying as harassment using an electronic medium (E-mail, chat rooms, cell phones, instant messaging, and online voting booths) to threaten or harm others (Strom & Strom, 2005). This author believes that the definition should also include any form of information posted on the Internet, as in blogs, forums, etc. This latter form of cyber bullying involves gossip, humiliation, and threats (Sparling, 2005). The statistics are shocking. In the year 2000 a University of New Hampshire study found that one out of every 17, or six percent of kids in the United States, had been threatened or harassed online. But in March of 2006, statistics showed that 75 to 80 percent of 12 to 14 year olds had been cyber bullied. Furthermore, 20 percent of kids under 18 have received a sexual solicitation. So cyber bullying is clearly on the rise, and it affects both genders. An American Educational Research Association study shows that female bullies preferred the use of text messaging harassment versus face-to-face bullying by 2 to 1 (Toppo, 2006). Cyber bullying is a very difficult form of bullying to prevent and to police. A major difference between cyber bullying and traditional bullying is the ability to bully without a face-to-face confrontation. Kids become emboldened by the false feeling of being anonymous and they say things they might not have said in person (Beckerman & Nocero, 2003). Unfortunately, identifying a cyber bully isn't as easy as identifying the traditional big bad bully. Authorities have greater difficulty in tracking down the bully because of problems in identification (Beckerman & Nocero, 2003). Students are too often lax in their security with usernames and passwords so messages can be falsely written by individuals and misrepresented.(Beckerman & Nocero, 2003). The long-term impact of cyber bullying is greater than with traditional bullying. Digital images, cell phones, and other electronic means can greatly increase the speed in which the bully's messages can spread. Strom and Strom write, "Harmful messages intended to undermine the reputation of a victim can be far more damaging than face-to-face altercations. Instead of remaining a private matter or event known by only a small group, text or photographs can be communicated to a large audience in a short time" (Strom & Strom, 2005). Perhaps the greatest long-term effect is the loss of the home as a safe-zone. Traditional bullying usually ended when a person was home, safe with their family. Cyber bullying enters into the home and is with the students at all times (Strom & Strom, 2005). As Greg Toppo writes, "Vulnerable children have virtually no refuge from harassment. It's a non-stop type of harassment and it crates a sense of helplessness." (Toppo, 2006) Bullies use this additional terror to traumatize their victims even more. Our youth have grown up with technology; to them it is commonplace and part of their everyday life. Taking technology away from kids to protect them is not the answer, as they have integrated its use to such an extent that it would now begin to isolate them within their peer circles (Strom & Strom, 2005). Besides, the technology in itself is not bad; it is the manner in which it is used. Students need to be educated on how to deal with cyber bullying as much as learning the traditional issues of drugs, sex, and nutrition. There are additional strategies that should be employed when dealing with cyber bullying. Never respond to a cyber bully. This just provides fodder and they now know that have actually made official contact. Protect your personal information with technology and change your online information including password and screen names on a regular basis. Technology is changing the world in many ways. However, new negative uses of it have increased as well. Cyber bullying is on the rise and it is very serious. //**Email:** Scott Meech //