Appropriate+Use

=A Note=

Some teachers have legitimate concerns about our responsibilities as educators facilitating a Wikispaces site. While there is no specific policy for Wikispaces, it seems logical that use of Wikis (or blogs, moodles, etc.) would be covered by the umbrella of our district policy for technology usage along with the bullying/harassment policy.

If you decide to send a letter home to parents to introduce them to your Wikispaces site and/or ask for their signature to approve their student's use of your site, that is a great idea. We are interested in collecting some sample letters sent home by teachers to be signed by parents to get parental permission to use the site.

It is important to have a conversation with your class about appropriate use of the Internet and establish clear guidelines and consequences for misuse. A teacher should post this information on his or her page.

If you have concerns about your own liability, that's logical, but think of it like this: The district is providing the laptops and the means to access the website. The state is encouraging our use of the technology. You are no more liable for things written on the site than you are for things you overhear in the hallways. Just as you would discipline a student for harassment in school, you should document and discipline the student for the same behavior online. In fact it is easier to document it because the evidence is posted online. =Rules and etiquette= Sample rules, etiquette and guidelines - coming soon =District Policies= Harassment and Bullying (create link or post here)

Plagiarism (create link or post here)

Use of Technology and the Internet (create link or post here)