A New Year

If I were a resolution-making sort of person, I suppose keeping current with this blog would be high on my list. New Year or not, it's a goal of mine.

So, let's start 2011 by talking about how we use technology in education. Our AUP (Acceptable Use Policy--otherwise known as "the computer form thingie") needs serious revamping. It was accepted by the school board way before I joined the district in 2001, and, by being a 21st century teacher, technology coach, and learner, I violate it nearly every day.

I will only use the Crescent School e-mail program to communicate and interact

with others inside and outside our system. Outside e-mail programs (Hot Mail,

etc.) are not allowed.

Oops...e-mail is so...so...20th century...but I use Yahoo! mail to access various educator groups and the Teacher Leadership Project listserv. Tsk...tsk.. I use g-mail for subscribing to all sorts of educational sites--and to monitor Web 2.0 (uh oh...) sites that my students use. I check my home e-mail to access info sent from the ESD, since our school mail isn't always reliable. And, I have all of my middle school students signed up for Gaggle mail. Hmmm...this isn't looking good.

I will not engage in chat rooms, Internet conferencing, Internet TV, or other similar

communication means using the Crescent School network.

Oh no...I blew it again. My students and I have been using Skype in the classroom to communicate within our school and across the country. We've used the school network to conference via cell phone. I attend interactive webinars and use GoToMeeting to connect with other tech leaders in our ESD. I have my students chatting with each other through Moodle and posting on digital word walls.

I will get approval from the staff network administrator before subscribing to

mailing lists.

Um...not exactly sure who this is. {-: And mailing lists are kind of passe, aren't they? But, I'll admit to subscribing to ones in the past for Everyday Math, TLP, etc., and, well, I didn't ask anybody.

I will not install software on any computer at Crescent School without the

approval of the staff network administrator.

Here we go again...the elusive network administrator. DeepFreeze on the student machines pretty much saves me from myself...but...am I really supposed to contact someone every time I find a great flipchart to download for my Promethean Board?

So, I have to wonder...when this AUP was drafted back in 1995, did they not pay any attention to the AT&T ads? As we draft a new policy this spring, we really need to be forward thinking and look at how the role of technology will be expanded in our real and virtual classrooms. And, we need to create a flexible document that grows and changes as new technologies emerge.