Tech policies... Helpful or Hindrance?

Technology can provide the means for anyone to use, change, remix, create, publish, and share all kinds of content.  As a result, many people of all ages are finding that technology can provide the means for which they can make a difference in the world.  Some examples include establishing online fundraisers for friends in need, writing on websites, blogs, or social networking platforms to share ideas, and showing off creative talents in hopes that a future employer will see them.  However, sometimes the policies that schools have in place can prevent students from using technology in these kinds of creative ways to make learning meaningful and relevant.

 My district is working on revising our acceptable use policy, and I think we are getting close.   It is hard to write policy that is broad enough to include new technological advancements that have not yet been discovered, and not so limiting so that teachers won’t want to use technology because it is so much extra work.   From what I’ve found in my research, many districts across the country need guidance on how to update existing technology policies.

 Some districts feel they need to block nearly every site that involves any aspect of social networking  in order to comply with CIPA legislation (Child Internet Protection Act).  In my opinion, this is not the answer, as our students will not learn how to interact and be safe on these types of sites in a supervised environment; instead they’ll be figuring it out on their own, sometimes with bad consequences.  Another law to consider when creating policy is the Protecting Children in the 21^st Century, which requires schools to educate students about appropriate online behavior.  We can tell students how to act appropriately online, or we can help them learn to be responsible online citizens in an online environment.  It's not hard to guess which will work better.

 CoSN created a document, Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 and Mobile Era, A Guide for School Districts, that was very helpful to me as I worked to understand all the implications of updating tech policy.  This document outlines the laws which must be followed, and provides tips and links to good examples.

Once we have our Acceptable Use Policy (which may be called a Responsible Use Policy) in place, we will work on providing recommended practices for staff as they use the Internet for personal reasons.  The purpose of this document will be to educate. 

I've been studying educational policy as part of my work as a Fellow in the Educational Policy Fellowship Program.  I have been doing a lot of work and study about all matters relating to educational policy.... politics, legislation, needed changes, funding, attitudes, stakeholders, and more.  I didn't know that policy could be so fascinating!   I feel fortunate to be able to apply what I'm learning to the real world, working to update our district tech policy!