Week 4

As an educator, it is crucial and incumbent upon me to ensure the safety of my pupils and myself by preventing any detrimental use of technology. In order to guarantee the security and confidentiality of my kids, I have implemented Go Guardian, a monitoring and instructional tool that promotes safe learning, enhances concentration, and fosters student engagement. GoGuardian offers a range of features such as tab control, attention mode, screenshots, integration with Google Classroom, link sharing, content screening, and many other features.This application provides me with peace of mind by ensuring that I am effectively safeguarding my children and preventing them from accessing programs that are inappropriate and potentially harmful inside a school setting.

GoGuardian | Engaging Digital Learning for Schools. (n.d.). https://www.goguardian.com/

I have chosen to investigate the acceptable use policy for technology in Chicago Public Schools. It is an understatement to say that this website encompasses a wide range of entities. However, CPS thoroughly breaks down all the information and strives to address all possible questions from their audience. Nevertheless, the extensive breakdowns may potentially confuse some individuals. One aspect that caught my attention was the definitions provided on this page, since it acknowledges the concept of "You don't know what you don't know" and also recognizes that CPS Jargon is distinct. 

Socrates Quote. (n.d.). A-Z Quotes. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/929533

CPS has separate acceptable usage policies for students and staff. However, it is evident that the staff policy is more comprehensive and lengthy compared to the student policy, which is reasonable given that staff members are adults. Neither of the policies have been revised since August 28, 2019, which is about 5 years ago. Consequently, there is no specific part that pertains to artificial intelligence (AI).

Chicago public schools enforce uniform principles and rules that all staff members are required to adhere to. There is no variation in what is considered acceptable amongst different schools. I examined my school's website in search of any information pertaining to the guidelines for staff and student usage of technology. However, I found no such information as we are obligated to adhere to the regulations and provisions set forth by the Chicago Public Schools. 

This policy should be updated on an annual basis because it does not address the advancements that have been made in technology or the utilization of various social media platforms. This is one of the modifications that I would want to see made. It is unacceptable, in my opinion, that this policy has not been revised to meet the challenges that are occurring in the present day, despite the fact that I believe the policy to be comprehensive.

During the process of analyzing various policies about the acceptable use of technology, I came to the realization that rather than an employer telling me what is acceptable and what is not, we should instead concentrate on ways in which we can build safe and receptive learning environments that are friendly to technology by ensuring the safety of our students, staff, and technology. This is not to suggest that Chicago Public Schools does not offer guidance on how to make use of technology and what is vulnerable and what is not, but because this has not been a policy in place thus far, it is not possible to say for certain. Important resources that could be of assistance are not present. In the article, Securing your digital life they offered a plethora of ways in which we can have a safe and effective life with technology. One way I find that can be beneficial and something that can be implemented in my classroom is a privacy browser plugin like the EFF's Privacy Badger and restricting tracking cookie use to specific sites. The threat of harmful advertisements will decrease. Students who may come across or browse high-risk websites, endpoint security software that blocks known harmful websites is also suggested (Gallahger, 2021). Advertising may expose children to unhealthy or harmful products. Advertising that promotes unhealthy beauty or behavior standards can also affect children's self-esteem and body image so if there is a way to reduce or get rid of something that results in initially keeping students and myself safe I am all for it!

Throughout this week, our exploration of technology safety has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of acceptable usage policies and their impact on both myself and my pupils.


Baumgartner, H. (2012, December 20). SID – 2013. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/182255116144336090/

Resources

Staff Acceptable Use | Chicago Public Schools. (n.d.). https://www.cps.edu/sites/cps-policy-rules/policies/600/604/604-1/#:~:text=All%20Users%20must%20use%20the,Users%20perform%20their%20job%20responsibilities.

Student Policy | Chicago Public Schools. (n.d.). https://www.cps.edu/about/policies/acceptable-use-policy/student-policy/

Gallagher, S. (2021, October 27). Securing your digital life, part one: The basics. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/features/2021/10/securing-your-digital-life-part-1/

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