Do We Need Technology Policies?

I'm a Diverse Learning (Special Education) Teacher for Intermediate (3rd, 4th, and 5th) grades.  I find it hard to get everything necessary into my day because I am required to provide a certain amount of minutes to each individual student based on their IEP (Individual Education Plan).  My school would like for you to provide 20 minutes a day for each online program they provide.  It may be 4 or 5 programs.  You also must provide instruction via teacher.  I always have 3 grades of students with me at all times.  It's hard to monitor two groups of students while teaching one group.  My students are very creative when it comes to technology.  They know how to get around fire walls, use social media, play games and use other interesting sites.

Chicago Public Schools have their Staff and Student technology policy embedded in the Student Code of Conduct book and in the Internet Policy ( http://policy.cps.edu//Policies.aspx )   It was kind of hard for me to locate.  I went through quite a bit to find it.  Chicago Public Schools is very strict with the use of their equipment and services (internet and intranet).  They don't allow any social media use unless academic need (google classroom, google drive, or email etc.).    I do understand their strictness, although I think we could be a little more creative so the students will stay engaged in the assignments.  I'm constantly trying to find ways of engaging the students without putting them in harms way.  The is a technology era, student need equal access with relevant or current technology.  In other words they need to use computers that work faster than a snail crawls.  Also, they need programs that are academically engaging, therefore will spend less time monitoring and more time teaching.

Each Principal is allowed to apply/or modify the CPS Technology Policy in the manner that is best for their students or school.  Too often students use school technology for social media, texting, bullying, and accessing inappropriate sites.   No Principal or Teacher wants to restrict a student from using school technology.  Most of the assessments are on-line and it would make it difficult for students to participate. 

When I taught at Dyett High School in 2008-2012, we used a program that allowed the teacher to see exactly what the student had on their screen.  It allowed you to take over their screen.  It was fun because the students would try to continue on the inappropriate sites and their functions were frozen.  I would copy their screen and give them a warning.  This usually decreased most of their miss use of school technology.  I wish my current school would install it.  It would make monitoring students easier.

The Technology Policies are probably out of date because of the ever changing world of technology.  The Students Acceptable Use of the Network is over 10 years old.  March 26 it will be 15 years old.  How can we hold students accountable with policies that are really out dated when it comes to technology.  Students are by passing firewalls, downloading programs that teachers can't access, and bully students and others via school technology.

According to the IES > NCES:
 In 2013, 71 percent of the U.S. population age 3 and over used the Internet. Comparing the White, Black, and Hispanic populations age 3 and over, the percentage of internet users was highest among Whites (75 percent), followed by Blacks (64 percent), and then Hispanics (61 percent). The percentage of internet users in the population age 3 and over was generally higher for those with higher family income levels. For example, 72 percent of people with family incomes from $40,000 to $49,999 used the Internet, compared to 85 percent of people with family incomes of $100,000 or more. Among persons age 25 and over, the percentage of internet users tended to be higher for those with higher levels of educational attainment. For example, 54 percent of persons who had not completed high school used the Internet, compared with 64 percent of those who had completed only a high school diploma or equivalent and 89 percent of those with a bachelor's or higher degree.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Digest of Education Statistics, 2015 (NCES 2016-014), Chapter 7.

If I can trust this statement and I do, most of my students only get to use technology in school.  So, the first and best lesson about responsible use of technology should be in the school.  We should demonstrate positive and productive use of technology in school.