Welcome to the Lara Secondary College iSucceed one to one learning program. We are committed to ensuring that your child achieves to the highest standards, through providing an environment which nurtures individual ability, independence and flexibility in learning. One to one initiatives have gained worldwide momentum and are increasingly seen as a key to transforming education and preparing students to succeed in the new digital world. One to one learning enables every student access to their own device in a wireless environment allowing them to learn at their own pace and ability level.
A 1 : 1 program means that technology is used more often and for a wide variety of purposes compared to situations where there is less access to computers. Technological literacy can be incorporated into the classroom and your child will be provided with individualised hands on learning differentiated to meet their specific learning style. This expanded anytime and anywhere learning through access to extended information and resources will open the world of learning for your child. Our iSucceed program promotes the use of iPads as the device of choice and we offer you the opportunity to purchase your iPad at a store of your choice, or bring one from home if it meets the minimum requirements of the college.
2
At Lara Secondary College, we understand that the need for up to date technology for learning is vital. Technology now forms an integral part of a high quality education in the 21st century. Today’s students think, connect and communicate differently even when compared to only a few years ago. We understand that students must be able to access digital information, tools and resources from anywhere, any time and in ways that lead to a deeper engagement and understanding. As technological trends continue to expand and grow, so does the need of our students. With the introduction of tablet computing and mobile device technology, we as a College need to ensure that our students are using rich and relevant technology to complement their learning. With the introduction of such technology there has been a shift in learning and education that focuses on the development of students as more independent and self-initiated learners.
All students in Year 7-10 are required to have an iPad. Students in Year 11 and 12 are welcome to ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD). This device may be an iPad or a laptop of your choice.
Why the iPad and not another device? Our eLearning Team completed extensive research throughout 2012, including visiting a number of schools in the Melbourne and Geelong area who have already implemented iPad programs. The result of this research is the understanding that the best device for 1:1 computing is a mobile, personal device. Of the available tablet devices the iPad is the current market leader, with thousands of educational apps available for little or no cost. The iPad is compact in size and lightweight, making it extremely portable. Its battery life of 10 hours will get through the whole school day without requiring charging. It’s an ‘instant on’ meaning that class time is saved by avoiding logging on time. The iPad is a simple and reliable device. It supports essential learning with no complications. Students will be able to take notes, plan, problem solve, collaborate, word process, produce spreadsheets and create presentations that combine many multimedia elements such as images, video, music and voice recordings. In addition to these, the iBook app on the iPad is an extremely effective way to get the most from digital books, while access to calculators, dictionaries and similar apps translate to savings on booklists. As previously mentioned, through the Apple App store students have access to an enormous quantity and quality of applications and educational games not available on a laptop device.
3
What options do I have for accessing an iPad? There are two options for accessing an iPad. These include: 1. Purchasing an iPad from a store of your choice. Please be sure to read carefully the minimum requirements for iPads to be used at school. Many stores offer interest free finance on request. 2. If the iPad you have at home meets our minimum requirements, this can be brought to school. For information about the minimum requirements please refer to ‘Which iPad model should I buy?’ below. Other compulsory items to be purchased: • iSucceed Access Levy (refer to page 4) • Protective Case (refer to page 6) If you are planning on purchasing your own device, here is some information to assist you. Which iPad model should I buy? If you are purchasing an iPad the minimum standard that will be suitable will be: 1. 2.
The 16GB Wi-Fi iPad with Retina Display OR The 16GB Wi-Fi iPad mini.
The iPad mini is the cheapest available iPad on the market at this time. Please note that the iPad 2nd and 3rd generation are no longer being manufactured by Apple. If your child has one of these devices, and it is in good working order, they are welcome to bring this to school. However, please be mindful that it is not known for how much longer these devices will be able to support important software and app updates. Should I get the Wi-Fi only or the Wi-Fi + 3G model? 1. Wi-Fi only This means the iPad must be in range of a wireless network to be able to access the internet. 2. Wi-Fi + 3G This means that not only can the iPad access the internet via wireless networks, but also via a 3G network from one of Australia’s mobile phone providers (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, 3 etc.). A micro-SIM from one of these providers is required for 3G access, with an additional ongoing cost. Our wireless network at Lara Secondary College will ensure that all iPads are connected to the internet at all times while students are at school (whether 3G or not). We recommend that for school purposes the Wi-Fi model is sufficient. Should I get the 16, 32 or 64GB? Gigabytes refers to the volume of data the device is capable of storing. For school use the 16GB model should provide ample capacity. The more apps, pictures, music and movies you want to store permanently on the device will determine the model you require.
Will my iPad be insured? You are encouraged to purchase insurance. You may wish to include your iPad in your household insurance. Lara Secondary College cannot be responsible for insurance or repairs of iPads.
Why is there an iSucceed Access levy? The iSucceed Access levy is a compulsory levy for every student at our school. This levy enables high speed connectivity to the internet and compulsory apps to be deployed through the Lara Secondary College mobile device management system. This will cover the required apps, and allow some left credit remaining for apps that may need to be purchased as they are released throughout the year. This fee appears on the booklist. Refer to the ‘Lara Secondary College iSucceed Program Applications Guide’ for more app information.
Can the iPad be used to create Word documents and other similar presentations? This is probably the most commonly quoted misconception when talking about using iPads in a school environment. With an app such as ‘Files: Document Reader’ installed on the iPad almost any file containing images and text can be viewed. This includes Microsoft Office files (Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc). The Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps can create, edit and save these types of documents. What apps should I purchase and download so I am ready for school in 2015? Please refer to the Lara Secondary College iSucceed Application list. If my child brings a new iPad to school, what do they have to do to get connected? For an iPad to connect to iTunes or the Apps Store, it has to have an iTunes account. This can be shared by any family member, and required an email address and password. These must have been set up at home before an iPad can be connected to the School Network. Note that children under 13 are required to have these accounts set up by a parent or guardian. Your child must take their iPad to the technicians who will connect it to or system. This process takes just a few minutes. They should ask their TLC or Pathways teachers about when to do this. How do I access my apps? A list of apps that the school requires students to have installed on their iPad is enclosed in the iSucceed Program Applications Guide (page 15). The majority of these apps are free of charge, with only a few apps incurring a small payment. Students do not need to install these apps on their iPad via their personal iTunes account. The school Mobile Device Management system will automatically ‘push’ apps to the student devices on the first day of term. The system will also push out new apps as teachers require them, and updates as they occur throughout the year. A major advantage of students accessing apps in this way, rather than through their own iTunes account is that they will benefit from Apple’s Volume Purchasing Program (VPP). Apple’s VPP is a program that is available to educational organizations only, and means that students will have access to the apps for half the price that they would normally pay. The school is asking that students make a payment for $50. This will cover the required apps, and allow some left over for apps that may need to be purchased as they are released/ discovered throughout the year.
What you pay? $50 What you get? $57 worth of apps for approximately $29 with the remaining money to be used on curriculum based apps throughout the year. Do I need wireless internet at home? As the iPad is a wireless device it is most effectively used when connected to the internet, however, you do not necessarily require wireless internet. A lot of the fantastic applications that the iPad runs do not require an internet connection, these include a lot of the digital creation applications your students will use at home and school to complete tasks. I have a PC at home, not a Mac. Will the iPad work with my PC? The iPad connects to either a Mac or a PC via iTunes. It doesn’t matter what you have at home. The iPad will sync, backup and talk to either PC or Mac desktops or laptops.
Will students get another iPad to use if theirs is broken or is somehow made unusable in the classroom? Yes, we will have a small supply of iPads on hand to loan to the students for short periods while theirs is being repaired.
Protective Case • Purchase a protective case. Packing away your iPad • Store your iPad in the case provided • The iPad is the only item to be placed in the case Operating conditions • Don’t place objects on top of your iPad • Avoid exposing your iPad to direct sunlight or sources of heat such as desk lamps • Avoid exposing your iPad to dirt, rain, liquids or moisture • Avoid exposing your iPad to magnetic sources such as microwave ovens, fridge magnets, etc • Avoid exposing your iPad to heavy shock or vibration To clean your LCD screen • Switch off your iPad • Lightly dampen a non-abrasive cloth and gently wipe screen in a circular motion • Do not directly apply water or cleaner to the screen AC adaptor • Connect your adaptor only to your iPad • Do not step on your power cord or place heavy objects on top of it. Keep your cord away from heavy traffic areas • When unplugging the power cord, pull on the plug itself rather than the cord • Do not wrap your cord tightly around the adaptor box Case cleaning • Use a non-abrasive cloth • Spray cleaner on to cloth to moisten, but do not spray the iPad directly. Rub gently.
9
Bundled Apps
What can you use it for? Mail is an email app that allows you to access and manage all of your email. It will allow you to manage multiple email accounts e.g. you can sync your new school email account to it, and also attach a Gmail or Yahoo account. Mail works closely with the Contacts and Calendar apps to make sure you are always organised. Safari is the iPad’s web browser. It allows you to view complete web pages as they would appear on a standard computer. You can zoom into text or images easily for a closer look. You can have multiple pages and/or sites open at once using “tabbed” browsing. Text and images can be copied for use in other apps. iBooks allow you to download eBooks from the App Store, it also allows you to upload PDF texts. You can turn on the text narrator, change to size and colour of the font. Keep all your books together and organised.
Photo Booth uses the front-facing camera on the iPad 2 to capture your image and then allows you to edit your picture is various wacky ways.
Reminders is an easy way to remember what you need to do. You can add a new reminder to quickly organise yourself by due date or priority. When your due date gets closer, Reminders will let you know and help you get on track. The Photos app organises all of the images on your iPad. You can create impressive looking slideshows from directly within the app. When an image is selected you can email it to someone, set it as wallpaper for your iPad, or ‘copy’ it for use in another app.
The iPad is also a fully featured digital media player. The iPod app allows you to play your music, download and listen to podcasts and audiobooks.
The Apps Store allows you to view and download over 140,000+ apps made for iPads, iPods and iPhones. Find My iPad can help you locate your missing iPad. So if you misplace your device, download the Find My iPhone app on a friend’s iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and sign in to find your iPad. (This is not a GPS app, it relies on a wireless network to connect to the apple service, which means that it won’t always find your iPad.) Simple word processing and note-taking can be done using the Notes app and the onscreen keyboard. Notes can be synced via iTunes to your computer, or emailed to yourself for further polishing in a word processor such as MS Word, or Apple Pages. The Calendar app has the look and feel of a traditional desktop calendar, with the added bonus of being able to view day, week or month to a page. Entries made on the calendar can be set to automatically sync to an email account (such as your Mooroolbark College student account). 10
Required Apps
What can you use it for?
Cost of apps Paid Apps
Comic Life, the award winning photo comic creation software, has been redesigned for the iPad. It’s the funnest, easiest and fastest way ever to create photo comics on a mobile device.
Approx. $5.49
Explain Everything is an easy-to-use design tool that lets you annotate, animate, and narrate explanations and presentations.
Approx. $2.99
GarageBand turns your iPad, into a collection of Touch Instruments and a fullfeatured recording studio.
Approx. $5.49
Writing Tips is a fantastic resource for both budding and experienced writers. The application provides inspiration, tips, and more than three hundred writing exercises.
Approx. $0.99
Book Creator is the simple way to create your own beautiful iBooks, right on the iPad. Read them in iBooks, send them to your friends, or submit them to the iBookstore.
Approx. $5.49
Free Apps Haiku Deck is the simple and fun new way to create stunning presentations – whether you’re pitching an idea, teaching a lesson, telling a story, or igniting a movement.
Free at date of printing
Pages is a fully featured word processor and page layout tool.
Free at date of printing
Keynote helps you to create stunning slideshow presentations.
Pixlr Express is a fun and powerful photo editor that lets you quickly crop, rotate, and fine-tune any picture.
iBrainstorm allows you to record brainstorming sessions using a combination of free hand drawings and sticky notes. You can share and collaborate with other users of iBrainstorm.
Google Drive is one safe place for all your stuff. Upload photos, videos, documents, and other files that are important to you, then access what you need wherever you go, on any device. Get going with up to 15GB of storage. Free.
Free at date of printing
Free at date of printing
Free at date of printing
Free at date of printing 11
MindMeister lets you create, edit and share mind maps.
Free at date of printing
Please Touch The Exhibit app allows you to rediscover, explore and share some of Melbourne Museum’s most iconic stories and treasures.
Free at date of printing
Act Wild by Zoos Victoria is for school-age kids, teenagers, families, cool people, animal lovers and visitors to Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo.
Free at date of printing
The NASA app allows students to access NASA mission information, launch information and countdown clocks, and a wide variety of NASA images and videos.
3D Brain allows you to use your touch screen to rotate and zoom around 29 interactive brain structures. Discover how each brain region functions, what happens when it is injured, and how it is involved in mental illness.
Google Earth allows you to fly around the planet with a swipe of your finger. Students can aearch for cities, places, and businesses. Browse layers including roads, borders, places, photos and more.
World Customs and Cultures allows students to explore the differences in customs and cultures in over 165 countries.
SBS World News Australia for iPad features breaking news and video reports from the SBS.
The Age app updates daily with the latest news stories, including accompanying photos and videos.
Free at date of printing
Free at date of printing
Free at date of printing
Free at date of printing
Free at date of printing
Free at date of printing
iMathematics is a reference for the study of mathematics.
Free at date of printing
MathTerms by Andy Felong MathTerms is an illustrated glossary of mathematics terms.
Free at date of printing
Convert Units for Free allows you to convert various units.
Free at date of printing 12
Calculator for iPad
Free at date of printing
Math (Your Teacher) contains 46 course for high school Maths. Each course contains over 100 lessons, and each lesson features video examples, interactive practice, multiple-choice self-tests, a worksheet of extra problems, and more!
Free at date of printing
Maths trainer lets you select the area you would like to improve on from Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction. There is also an option for you to choose any combination of them you want.
Free at date of printing
Number Line is an educational game app to help students learn about fractions, decimals, and percents by ordering equivalent fractions, decimals, and percents on a number line.
Free at date of printing
Math pentagon is a structured math learning program that engages students by letting them practice math worksheets, complete exercises & assignments on iPad. Teachers/Parents can capture student performance data, review and understand student progress.
Free at date of printing
Mathletics Student is the world’s leading educational resource for mathematics. The app features a range of curriculum activities including Mathletics Live, where students can play other students from countries all across the world.
Free at date of printing
Storykit is used to create electronic storybooks.
Free at date of printing
Words With Friends Free allows students to improve their vocabulary.
Free at date of printing
Writing Prompts provides students with ideas for creative writing.
Free at date of printing
Imagine, create and share stories with Scribble Press. Write your own story or use one of over 50 story templates. All books can be instantly downloaded to iBooks.
A Novel Idea is the premier tool for plotting stories and recording bursts of inspiration. The simple interface allows students to create characters, locations, scenes, and novels and then link them together to create the story's plot.
Free at date of printing
Free at date of printing
13
Read virtually anything, anywhere on your iPad with GoodReader. Books, movies, maps, pictures and PDF files can all be opened by this app.
Free at date of printing
Use Pocket when you discover an interesting article, video or web page, but don’t have time to go through it. Once it’s in Pocket, you can read an article at a later time, even without internet connection.
Free at date of printing
Award-winning Edmodo makes it easy for teachers and students to stay connected and share information. Students can use their iPad to send notes, submit assignments, post replies, and check messages and upcoming events while they are away from the classroom.
Free at date of printing
ShowMe allows you to record voice-over whiteboard tutorials and share them online.
Free at date of printing
eBook Creator allows users to Create an eBook with images, text on images, audio and voice recordings in four easy steps.
Free at date of printing
Posterous is an easy way to share photos, video and ideas safely with family, friends and groups.
Free at date of printing
Paper allows you to capture your ideas as sketches, diagrams, illustrations, notes or drawings.
Free at date of printing
Tracing Paper Lite allows you to create one trace at a time of a picture of your choice.
Free at date of printing
SketchBook Express for iPad is a fun and intuitive drawing application.
Free at date of printing
PhotoPad is an easy to use, premium photo editing app.
Free at date of printing
Concepts is an app that allows users to create beautful sketches. Multiple pen types and sizes are offered as well as a variety of ink colours.
Free at date of printing
Learn Indonesian Vocabulary – Free Gengo WordPower allows users to master the pronunciation of one word a day. This app comes with audio recordings of a native Indonesian speaker and a voice recorder so students can master pronunication.
Free at date of printing 14
Translate between Indonesian and Engliush easliy with the Indonesian Dictionary Box Kamus.
Free at date of printing
Voice Thread allows users to create and share dynamic conversations around documents, snapshots, diagrams and videos -- basically anything there is to talk about. You can talk, type, and draw right on the screen.
Free at date of printing
iTalk Recorder is a fully featured recording app. Students can make podcasts, record ideas and reflections verbally. iTalk recorder allows you to add notes to recordings, edit previous recordings and email the final product.
Free at date of printing
Create and publish podcasts directly from your iPad with Caster Free.
Free at date of printing
Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere. Any file you save to your Dropbox is accessible from all your computers, iPhone, iPad and even the Dropbox website!
Free at date of printing
Box makes it easy to access and edit your files, share content and stay connected with your team from anywhere on any device. You can share important files with your classmates and teachers, have your presentation at your fingertips, and comment on documents on the go.
Free at date of printing
Polldaddy allows you to create surveys and receive immediate feedback.
Free at date of printing
Fancy Pages brings together four types of graphics: photos, clipart, text and freehand drawing. This App is a very powerful tool for the creation of a variety of the document types: presentations, flyers, booklets, notes, sketches, charts, etc.
Free at date of printing
Brain Pop is an Educational free movie app for the iPad.
Free at date of printing
Screen Chomp is a simple doodling board, to make spreading your ideas and know-how easy and fun!
Free at date of printing
Videolicious turns raw video clips and photos into tightly edited masterpieces in just three simple steps.
Free at date of printing
Quizlet allows you to study anything, anywhere. Flashcards familiarise you with new vocabulary (with fullscreen images and audio). Learn mode tests what you know and don't know. Match makes studying into a fun and competitive game. Take all of your sets and your classes on the go with offline support (even for audio).
Free at date of printing 15
Please consider this important document with your child, sign it with him or her and return it to your child’s TLC or Pathways teacher.
Lara Secondary College acknowledges the significant role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the lives of students, both in their school learning and in their home life. As with all technologies, the use of ICT can be either beneficial or detrimental to the learning and development of students. Therefore we, like every ICTusing organisation, have conditions that define the acceptable use of ICT. These conditions are collectively known as the AUP. This AUP covers all ICT technologies including i-devices such as iPads, iPods and smart phones.
Our aim is to provide the best learning environment we can and support students in learning to use ICT as a significant part of this environment. ICT has far reaching potential to improve the opportunities and methods of learning, and we aim to unlock this potential.
Please read and explain the agreement details below to your child, then sign and get your child to sign the attached Acceptable Use Agreement form at the end of this document.
When I use technology, both at school and at home, I have responsibilities and rules to follow. I agree to: • •
• •
be a safe user whenever and wherever I use that technology be responsible whenever and wherever I use technology and support others by being respectful in how I talk to and work or socialise with them, and never participate in online bullying (this includes creating or forwarding messages or images, and supporting others in harmful, inappropriate or hurtful online behaviour) report to an adult if I feel uncomfortable or unsafe online or see others participating in unsafe, inappropriate or hurtful online behaviour
When at school I agree to: • • • • • • • •
behave according to Lara Secondary College’s values protect my privacy rights and those of others by not giving out personal details including full names, telephone numbers, addresses and images use appropriate language when talking to and working with others online and never participate in hate mail or acts of harassment use the Internet at school for educational purposes and not attempt to use blocked sites use equipment properly and not interfere with, or deliberately or carelessly cause damage to any equipment use the ICT resources appropriately and not wastefully (e.g. printing & Internet downloads) use social networking sites for educational purposes and only as directed by teachers not deliberately enter or remain in any site that has obscene language or offensive content (including racist material or violent images) 16
• • • • •
abide by copyright procedures when using content on websites (ask permission to use images, text, audio and video and cite references where content is used) think about how I use content posted on the Internet and not simply copy and paste information from websites not interfere with network security, the data of another user or attempt to log into the network with a user name or password of another user not reveal my password to anyone except the system administrator or classroom teachers not download unauthorised programs, including games, or run them on computers at school
talk to my teacher or another adult if: • • • •
I need help online I feel that the welfare of other students at the school is being threatened I come across sites which are not suitable for our school someone writes something I don’t like, or makes me and my friends feel uncomfortable or asks me to provide information that I know is private.
When I use my iPad, iPod, or smart phone (“i-device”) at school, I agree to: • • • • •
use it for learning purposes only as directed by my teacher act responsibly and not use the device to find, create or send information or images that might be harmful, inappropriate or hurtful to me or anyone else. bring my device fully charged to school each day and to each class have a school iTunes account and Gmail account as directed follow school procedures including downloading the required apps and using my device for the learning intention of each session
Please note: Persons under the age of 13 are legally not permitted to obtain their own iTunes or Gmail accounts. Students who are not yet 13 years of age must have their iTunes or Gmail accounts created by their parent or guardian. Students who fall into this category must have their parents sign and return the attached form at the end of this document to acknowledge this requirement for iTunes and Gmail. Legal Compliance Bullying or other offensive use of ICT is not only against the school Acceptable Use Policy; it is also breaking Commonwealth law. Under the Commonwealth of Australia’s Crimes Act: A person shall not knowingly or recklessly use a telecommunications service supplied by a carrier to menace or harass another person. A person shall not knowingly or recklessly use a telecommunications service supplied by a carrier in such a way as would be regarded by reasonable persons as being, in all circumstances, offensive. The Commonwealth Crimes Act Applies to Lara Secondary College’s computer network and its Internet access.
17
Lara Secondary College uses the Internet as a teaching and learning tool. We see the Internet and mobile technology as valuable resources, but acknowledge they must be used responsibly. Your child has been asked to agree to use the Internet and other technologies responsibly at school. Parents should be aware that the nature of the Internet is such that full protection from inappropriate content can never be guaranteed. At Lara Secondary College we: have a cybersafe and responsible use program across the school and reinforce the values of respect, excellence, commitment and teamwork when students use technology and the Internet. provide supervision and direction in Internet activities and when using i-devices for learning use i-devices for educational purposes (e.g. podcasts or photos from excursions) work towards setting tasks that ask your child open questions, so they can’t copy and paste all answers from the Internet
• • • •
Lara Secondary College believes the teaching of cybersafe and ethical online behaviour is essential in the lives of students and is best taught in partnership between home and school. 21st Century students spend increasing amounts of time online learning and socialising. These online communities need cybercitizens who do the right thing by themselves and others online, particularly when no one is watching. Safe and ethical behaviour online is explicitly taught at our school and support at home is requested.
It is important to note that some online activities are illegal and as such will be reported to police. This includes harassment of others and publishing of inappropriate images. Bridging the gap between home and school At school the Internet is mostly used to support teaching and learning. At home, however, it is often used differently. Not only is it a study resource for students, but it is increasingly being used as a social space to meet and chat. If you have the Internet at home, encourage your child to show you what they are doing online. At home we recommend you: • • • • • • • •
Find out how your child uses the Internet and who else is involved in any online activities Have the computer with Internet access in a shared place in the house – not your child’s bedroom Ask questions when your child shows you what they are doing, such as: How does it work and how do you set it up? Who is else is sharing this space or game? (do you know them or did you ‘meet’ them online?) Can you see any risks or dangers in the activity - what would you say to warn/inform a younger child? What are you doing to protect yourself or your friends from these potential dangers? When would you inform an adult about an incident that has happened online that concerns you? (Discuss why your child might keep it to themselves.)
18
Statistics show that students will not approach an adult for help because: •
• •
they might get the blame for any incident they don’t think adults “get” their online stuff they might put at risk their own access to technology by either: o Admitting to a mistake or o Highlighting a situation that might lead a parent to ban their access.
Protecting personal privacy rights and those of other students Students like to publish information about themselves and their friends in spaces like Myspace, Facebook and blogs, but in doing so they can make themselves more vulnerable to being approached, groomed or bullied online. To avoid this we recommend they: • don’t use their own name, but develop an online name and use avatars. • don’t share personal details including images of themselves or their friends online • password protect any spaces or accounts they have. • don’t allow anyone they don’t know to join their chat or collaborative space. • are reminded that any image or comment they put on the Internet is now public (anyone can see, change or use it) so no full names should appear in reference to individuals in any image, movie or sound recording • ALWAYS make the space private so that they can control who sees their space and can communicate with them. Using the Internet in line with school’s values - Using appropriate language when talking to and working with others online and never write or participate in hate mail. Being online can make students feel that they are anonymous and sometimes students may say things online that they would never say to someone’s face. Often very few adults visit this online environment. The web space or online chat environment that they use in leisure time might also have explicit language and they may feel they have to be part of it. Students need to be reminded that their behaviour online must fall in line with the school’s values of respect, excellence, commitment and teamwork. Using equipment and resources properly for educational purposes as directed by teachers It is important to realise that there is a time for fun and a time for work even on the Internet. Students may often see the Internet as “free” but just looking at a page on the Internet incurs a download cost. By just taking care with the equipment, and thinking carefully about printing and downloading from the Internet students can save time, money and the environment. Using social networking sites for educational purposes and only as directed by teachers Web2 tools and social networking spaces allow students to be contributors to the web and allow them to work collaboratively online with other students. Creating or contributing to blogs, wikis, digital stories and podcasts can all be legitimate educational activities which allow students to publish, share and inform others and be active contributors to the web. The task, online space and responsibilities should be clearly outlined by the school and reinforced throughout the task. The educational purpose should be clearly understood by the student and the online space defined by the school. When publishing, students should be aware that they are posting to the web and should follow safe practices which protect both their privacy and other members of the school community and post/ create in an appropriate way for the school project. 19
Keeping away from rude or offensive sites In school settings, Internet service providers set up filters to block out a lot of inappropriate content, but these filters are not always foolproof. Students who deliberately seek out inappropriate content or use technology that bypasses filters, will have their Internet access reviewed and their parents will be immediately informed. Following copyright procedures All music, information, images and games on the Internet are owned by someone. The term ‘copyright’ is a legal one and has laws to enforce it. By downloading a freebee you can risk bringing a virus or spyware to the computer or system. These can destroy a computer system or provide hackers with details such as passwords and bank accounts. Remember if an offer is too good to be true, the chances are it is. Evaluating and using content on the Internet carefully Not everything on the Internet is true, accurate or unbiased. The school is working to teach information literacy skills, which enable students to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively on the Internet. Copying and pasting information can help organise arguments, ideas, and information, but it is important that your child uses their own thoughts and language to express what they have learnt. Not interfering with network security, the data of another user or attempting to log into the network with a user name or password of another student Computer facilities are for the use of all students so due care should be taken at all times when using these resources. Students are responsible for everything done using their accounts, and everything in their home directories. To this end students need to keep their password secret and not gain access to other students’ login details. Seeking teacher assistance The Internet has some flashy and tricky ways to lead users into some websites they never meant to visit. It is easy for us all to get distracted. We want students to ask for help in locating the information they need, and clarifying the task they have been set. Unfocused clicking through websites can lead to inappropriate content. We also want the whole school community to keep their Internet environment as safe as possible so we ask your child if they see a site they think should be blocked to turn off their screen and let a teacher know. Open communication between parents, teachers and students is the best way to keep students safe. If you have any concerns about this agreement or Internet Safety in general. Contact either the school or NetAlert Australia’s Internet safety advisory body on 1800 880 176. or visit http://www.netalert.gov.au/
20
I have read the Lara Secondary College Acceptable Use Policy carefully, understand the significance of the conditions and agree to abide by these conditions. I acknowledge my responsibilities and agree to follow these rules. I understand that my access to the Internet and mobile technology at school will be renegotiated if I do not act responsibly. I understand that any breach of these conditions will result in Internet access privileges being suspended or revoked and consequences to take place as per the Lara Secondary College Values of respect, excellence, commitment and teamwork.
Student Name:
TLC/Pathways Class:
Student Signature:
Parent Signature:
Date:
/
/
If as a parent or student you have any concerns about this agreement or Internet safety in general, contact Lara Secondary College or NetAlert - Australia’s Internet safety advisory body on 1800 880 176 or visit http:// www.netalert.gov.au
21
