Lock and Key

Our Digital World

Growing up, there were few times in my life where I don't remember some sort of technology being present. One of my earliest memories of using technology was probably around 4 or 5 years old; when I would get my "technology time" on our old Dell computer, my mom would sit next to me, help boot up the CD-ROM for "Disney Princess Magical Dress Up", and watch as I created different dress designs to print and hang up in my room. When I was older, I was allowed to explore different age-appropriate websites after a lengthy talk about how I needed to ask permission to visit the websites before doing so. Such websites included the Disney Channel games website, as well as Webkinz and Club Penguin. By the time I was in my early teens, I was itching to get my own Facebook like all of the other "cool" kids who were in my class. Imagine my frustration when I was told no, over and over again! My mom didn't like the idea of me being able to post anything and everything for people to see and I was too naive to understand why. Now that I'm much older, I fully understand her concerns-- the internet is a scary and unpredictable place that can be dangerous if you're not careful.

Image Source: Internet Society

Internet Safety

Have you ever heard the phrase "the only constant is change"? This statement holds true for the state of the internet. From the early 2000s until now, the internet has exploded with different technologies that have changed the way we interact with the world around us. As the platform evolves, so should security. However, it seems as though hackers always seem to be one step ahead. Especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime seems to be on the rise, particularly in schools. This interactive map visualizes the number of cybersecurity incidents in schools across the United States since 2016. While I expected the number of incidents to be higher than the 1,331 reported problems, I suppose that a number that "low" in comparison to the number of schools across the United States should give me some hope. When looking at the reported cases in the areas around my school district, I was surprised to see that there were two attacks that occurred in a neighboring district in 2020, involving ransomware that exposed student and teacher information. There were also incidents in other Illinois districts that were E-learning in 2020 and 2021 where hackers were targeting Zoom meetings in a variety of ways. 

I suppose it can happen to anyone if you're not paying attention! Earlier this year, my school also experienced a data breach because a student somehow got access to the master list of student usernames and passwords; every student in grades 2 through 5 had to change their passwords because of this situation. 

Image Source: Elmhurst University

Acceptable Use Policies in Schools

Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) are documents that outline rules for how members of a particular organization should use technology; members must agree to the AUP in order to have access to the organization's systems and technology. AUPs are created with the safety of the organization in mind, so it is important that they are read and understood to protect everyone involved. In schools, AUPs are agreements that all staff and students must follow to safely use school technology and safely access the internet. 

If the goal is for an AUP to be followed by both staff and students, it needs to be written in a way that is easy to understand and follow. I'm sure that this is a challenge that most districts face- what does our AUP actually mean and require us to do? In this article, authors outline that there are six essential components to a successful AUP:

• Introduction: Why the policy is needed, goals, and an explanation of the process for creating this AUP.
• Definitions: Key words used in the AUP.
• Policy Statement: Explains which computer services are covered by the AUP and the circumstances students can use those services (i.e. students must complete a “computer responsibility” course before accessing these services).
• Acceptable Uses: Define appropriate student use of the computer, such as “educational purposes”.
• Unacceptable Uses: Gives clear, specific examples of what constitutes unacceptable use.
• Violations/Sanctions: Tells students how to report AUP violations and defines how violations will be handled (typically the same as the school’s general student disciplinary code).

Yet, the question still remains: even if staff understand the complex language of an AUP, how can we expect students to follow the policy if they don't understand what it means? Boston Public Schools saw this as such an issue that they created their own student-friendly version of their Acceptable Use Policy. In it, there are 10 standards that students must meet when using school technology and when using the internet. The policy is focused around student responsibility, with an equal focus on what students should and should not do. This is powerful because students must see that they are the ones responsible for their actions and the potential consequences of their actions when online.

My District's AUP

When reviewing my district's AUP, I found myself spending a lot of energy trying to comprehend all of the jargon present in the policy. The AUP itself was organized nicely into sections, with the purpose of each section explained in detail. The AUP also included definitions of key terms, such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) or Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) programs. When discussing both teacher and student conduct when using technology and internet access, I feel that it focused primarily on what should not be done, rather than behaviors or examples that should be followed. To improve my district's AUP, I feel that it would be important to draft a version that is more student-friendly; since we are one-to-one with devices from Grade K-8, the rules students and families agree to have to be written in a way that is easy to understand; this would also be beneficial to our families that are English Language Learners. In addition to making the language more student-friendly, I feel that the document should be restructured to reflect the policies of a Responsible Use Policy, following in the footsteps of the Boston Public School District. Teaching students from the beginning that they are responsible for their actions in the real world and the virtual world is imperative; technology will only continue to increase in importance in students lives, so we must teach them how to use it in a responsible and safe manner.