Bbms Comp Usage Agreement

Bonnie Branch Middle School Computer Usage Agreement Use these questions to help you take care of your PEEPS when you use the computer. Am I using Personal responsibility? Does my workspace look the same or better than I found it? Did I cite my sources, including pictures found online? Did I remember to back up my files and remove my key drive?

Is this appropriate for Everyone? Have I included information that may offend a person or group of people? Could someone interpret my work as bullying? Would this hurt someone’s feelings? Could this cause a disruption in the classroom?

Is it Educational? Am I using the computer for something related to school? Would a teacher approve of what is on my screen during class? Have I considered the 5 W’s of this website?

Do I have Permission? Are the applications I have open approved by the teacher? Am I using approved databases to find information? Is it an appropriate time to use Google? Is a teacher in the room?

Is it Safe? Is my full name, address, phone number, and email kept private? Could what I am doing online cause me to get into trouble? Would my parents approve? I pledge to take care of my PEEPS every time I use the computer. If I fail to consider these questions and make a poor choice I understand that my COMPUTER PRIVILEGES WILL BE REVOKED. This means I cannot use the computer at school.

Student Signature_____________________________

Date___________

Parent Signature______________________________

Date___________

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Memo To: Carolyn Jameson From: Megan McGolrick Date: April 12, 2009 Re: Acceptable Use Policy for Bonnie Branch Middle School Each year students must sign the acceptable use policy at Bonnie Branch in order to access the computer at school. The acceptable use policy that students sign is the policy set forth by the HCPSS school system, but is not tailored to a middle school population. Earlier this year, I created websites with students. The first step was to go over the acceptable use policy and have students re-read it to point out areas that would be particularly tricky with building a website. Adam, our media specialist, and I realized that students had a very difficult time reading the acceptable use policy that they signed. Adam and I concluded that the county’s policy is not appropriate for middle school aged students after realizing that they could not use it as a tool for decision making when online. I would like to propose an alternative to the county’s acceptable use policy. I used the acronym PEEPS to help students focus on asking a few important questions when making decisions during computer use time. Ideally, the concept of acceptable use on the computer is a form of stewardship, and goes along with our other goals for students when they are in the building. The four R’s of Respect, Responsibility, Reflection, and Readiness, also align with the questions that are answered when taking care of students’ PEEPS. The PEEPS questions would be posted next to each computer in the computer lab and taped to the top of each mobile lab laptop. In addition, PEEPS questions would be printed in student agenda books. Students and parents still have to sign the computer use agreement and agree to abide by the questions in order to maintain

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computer privileges. Please review the PEEPS questions and let me know if you have any additions or corrections to this modified acceptable use policy.

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