AP 140 – District Technology Acceptable Use Guidelines

Background:

The District provides access to computers, tablets, communications equipment, software, email, internal and external portals, wireless networks, and the internet for the purposes of supporting the education of students and for conducting valid District business.

The following procedure outlines the expectations for use of District Technology

District Technology

Includes:

• All hardware (computers, tablets, printers, and other peripheral devices) as well as related software.

• All access to networks including school LANs (local area networks) and WLANS (wireless local area networks), administrative offices, the District WAN (wide area network) and District internal and external portal websites.

• All accounts which provide access to the District network, email and related resources, including the Internet.

• All cloud-based applications provided by the District for supporting teaching and learning, and district business.

Procedures:

1. General

1.1 Users must conduct themselves in a responsible, respectful, ethical and polite manner, as they would in any other environment where they represent their school or employer.

1.2 All electronic systems, including email records, are District property and may be inspected or monitored at any time.

1.3 District Technology shall only be used by authorized persons.

1.4 Users are responsible for all activity within their accounts.

1.5 Users shall ensure they have logged off before leaving a computer.

1.6 District Technology is a shared resource. From time to time, users may be asked to limit or relinquish access to high priority processes or to accommodate others

1.7 The District reserves the right to restrict the scope of access granted to individual users or classes of users. Any user identified as a security risk may be restricted in his or her access to District Technology.

1.8 The District reserves the right to set usage restrictions on technology resources including the District network.

1.9 It is the responsibility of all users who become aware of situations that may jeopardize the security of the District network to bring this to the attention of the appropriate person or authority.

1.10 All above rules apply whether District network access is gained from in or out of school/work settings and/or school/work time.

  1. Prohibited Use

2.1 Users may not use District Technology:

2.1.1 To transmit any materials in violation of Canadian laws;

2.1.2 To access, download, store, transmit or post inappropriate messages or material (e.g., defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening or racially offensive);

          2.1.3 To duplicate, download, store or transmit copyrighted material in violation of                  copyright law;

2.1.4 To violate, or attempt to violate the security of the District networks;

2.1.5 To disclose their passwords to any other person or permit others to use their accounts;

2.1.6 To distribute or use another individual’s account or password;

2.1.7 For business purposes unrelated to school operations;

2.1.8 For product and/or service advertisement or political lobbying;

2.1.9 To participate in pyramid schemes;

2.1.10 To distribute unwanted or unsolicited e-mail messages;

2.1.11 To send chain letters;

2.1.12 To play unauthorized network or online games;

2.1.13 For non-educational use of internet radio;

2.1.14 To participate in private or public chat forums save for those authorized by the District;

2.1.15 To harass other users.

  1. Consequences

3.1   Inappropriate use or prohibited use may lead to suspension or termination of user privileges, and possible other consequences, including disciplinary or legal action.

 

  1. Student Use

4.1 The purpose of student access to District Technology is to further the learning objectives of the educational program, including:

4.1.1 Providing access to a wide range of material with educational value to the student;

4.1.2 Providing training in the use of computer systems;

4.1.3 Facilitating communication with others around the District and the world in furtherance of the student’s education.

  1. Procedure

5.1 Each Principal or site supervisor will clearly communicate with students, parents and staff the purposes, benefits, and risks associated with the use of the District Technology. They will ensure that parents and students acknowledge and agree to abide by acceptable use practices annually through our on-line Policy and Procedure site.

5.2 Principals will ensure that teachers review the Guidelines for Student Access to District Technology (Appendix) prior to allowing access to the District Technology.

5.3 AII employees must sign an Acceptable Use form at the time of hiring.

Legal Reference: Sections 17, 20, 22, 65, 85 School Act

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