TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM
Students will expand on skills they already possess as well as acquire new knowledge and skills. Some of the areas of concentration include: the use of web search engines; data gathering from a variety of web sources; proper citation of web sources in documents; use of Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
All students will utilize programs and software that encourage proper manipulation of the mouse, cognitive thought and reasoning (following on screen prompts), and basic computer and technology terminology.
St. Luke School Technology/Internet
Acceptable Use Policy
St. Luke School offers worldwide Internet access to your child. We believe that the Internet is a research tool that needs to be respected and used for the enrichment of learning. With this in mind, it is important that we remember that our school is founded for Faith development and all tools that we use in the education process keep this fact in the forefront. At St. Luke School, we further believe that the parent, student and school form a partnership which embraces the ideals of the Catholic faith in word and action.
Internet access offers vast, diverse, and unique resources. It is provided to the students and school personnel to promote educational excellence. The purpose of this document is to inform parents, guardians, and students of the availability of the Internet resources and the rules governing its use, as well as the use of the school’s technology in general, and to obtain express parental or guardian permission for an individual student to use the Internet while at school. Please be aware that all Internet services outlined in this document may not now be available to the staff and/or student body.
Purpose
St. Luke School provides computer technology and Internet access in the classroom for the sole purpose of enhancing each child’s education. The computers can offer the students an opportunity to build and sharpen many basic skills through software. They also afford staff and students alike, tools to help organize, communicate, and store their work efficiently. In order to maintain the integrity of the hardware and software provided by the school, care must be taken to handle them responsibly.
The Internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands of computers all over the world. This can give students and teachers access to a variety of rich educational resources that are traditionally difficult to obtain in a classroom environment. The World Wide Web contains a wealth of up-to-the-minute information, in hundreds of fields, including science, history, math, language, social sciences, art, and music. Some of this information is specifically designed for children and an educational environment. The information is richly presented in text, pictures, sound and video.
St. Luke School considers the information gathered from the Internet and obtained from all other software in the same manner as all other reference materials, in that such resources must enhance the learning environment. The educational value of appropriate information on the Internet is substantial. The World Wide Web is composed of information provided by institutions and people all over the world, and thus, also includes information that is not of educational value in the context of the school setting. There is information that may be judged as inaccurate, abusive, profane, sexually oriented, or illegal. St. Luke School does not condone or permit the use of such material. It is the joint responsibility of school personnel and the parent or guardian to educate the student about his or her responsibility when using the Internet.
It is our goal to support students in the responsible use of this vast reservoir of information. Internet access is available to students on computers in the classrooms, library and computer lab. However, parents and guardians must be aware that, while at school, direct supervision of each student using the computers is not always possible. Students are expected to use the resources in a manner consistent with this contract and will be held responsible for any misuse. Additionally, parents should discuss with their children their own expectations for their child’s Technology/Internet use.
Student Responsibility
In order for students to utilize school provided Internet access, he/she must obtain the written permission of his/her parent or guardian. The parent or guardian has the option of denying their child Internet access. Students utilizing the Internet are responsible for their behavior on-line in accordance with the school’s disciplinary policy. Students violating policy outlined in this document, governing standards of conduct and use of technology and the Internet, shall be subject to revocation of privileges and potential disciplinary and/or appropriate legal action.
Parental Responsibility
Given the dynamic nature of technological advancements and the volatile nature of resources available on the Internet, the school acknowledges its inability to completely monitor the information received or sent by students. As such, the school cannot assure parents that students will be denied access to every and all inappropriate materials or sending or receiving communications contrary to the school’s philosophy, goals, and educational mission.
Parents and guardians of students should be aware that some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or potentially offensive to some people. In addition, it is possible to purchase certain goods and services via the Internet which could result in unwanted financial obligations for which a student’s parent or guardian would be held responsible.
Although the school recognizes its obligations in these matters, parents and guardians of students are equally responsible for establishing and communicating the standards that their son/daughter should follow when using media and information resources.
Staff Responsibility
All school staff members and volunteers whose duties include supervising students and/or staff using school computers, networks, Internet access, or electronic mail are obligated to read, understand, and adhere to this policy. They should enforce the rules concerning acceptable use of school technology. Whenever a staff member or volunteer, in the course of their duties, becomes aware of a violation of the Technology/Internet Acceptable Use Policy, he/she is required to advise the user and address the matter in accordance with the school’s disciplinary policies.
Terms
The educational value of the school’s use of technology, including student access to the Internet, is the responsibility of the school staff, as well as the students and their parents or guardians. In exchange for the access and use of the school’s technology, students and their parents/guardians agree to use these resources judiciously in accordance with the following guidelines.
Students Shall Not:
Deliberately use school computers, networks, electronic mail, or access to the Internet to create or transmit text, images, or audio which could be considered as damaging to another’s reputation, abusive, obscene, sexually oriented, offensive, threatening, inflammatory, discriminatory, harassing, or otherwise illegal and contrary to school policy.
Intentionally damage, misuse, or tamper with any hardware or software, network system, or information belonging to others, or allow others to do the same.
Access another person’s materials, information, or files without the direct permission of that person. Deliberately interfere with the ability of other persons to send/receive electronic mail.
Remove technology hardware or software from the school without permission of the teacher or administrator.
Use or attempt to obtain another users password.
Use computers, networks, electronic mail, or the Internet for reasons of personal profit or any other non-instructional or non-administrative purposes.
Use the school’s technology to access established individual Internet and/or e-mail accounts.
Use the school’s Internet access to make any financial transactions, without the expressed permission of the school administrator.
Install, download, or otherwise add any software without the expressed permission of the school administrator.
Use school computers, networks, or access to the Internet for unlawful purposes, such as the illegal copying or installation of software, or violation of copyright laws.
Copy, change, or transfer any software or documentation provided by the school or teachers, or that of another student without permission from the school administrator.
Write, produce, generate, copy, propagate, or attempt to introduce any computer code designed to self replicate, damage, or otherwise hinder the performance of any computer’s memory, file system, or software.
Gain unauthorized access to resources or entities (such as chat rooms) or invade the privacy of others.
Use the school network or Internet access for private or commercial advertising.
Use the school network or electronic mail in a fashion inconsistent with the directions from teachers and other staff, or generally accepted etiquette.
Use electronic mail for any illegal activity, including, but not limited to, violation of copyright laws.
Forge electronic mail messages or web pages.
Post anonymous messages or any material created by another user without his/her consent.
Subscribe to or use fee based on-line services without prior written approval of the school administrator.
Transmit personal information about students, including but not limited to, names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, or credit card numbers without the written permission of the student’s parent or guardian.
Shall not respond to any unsolicited electronic messages from any source that consists of obscene, suggestive, illegal, offensive, pornographic or objectionable content.
Consequences
Violation of the above will result in one or more of the following consequences:
Loss of network privileges
Loss of Internet privileges
Further disciplinary action