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Very important document!! The NASSP Position Statement is the cornerstone for all of our work in cybersafety education at CTAP4. Click on "expand" to see their recommendations.

NASSP recommendations for school leaders 1. Familiarize themselves about all aspects of computer technology, including the mechanics of the Internet, blogs, social networking Web sites, and the liability issues associated with the use of these technologies 2.Form a technology team that comprises staff members, parents and students to act in an advisory capacity to the larger school community 3.Educate staff members and students on using technology within the boundaries of the law 4.Guide teachers and students on how the Internet can serve as effective educational tools 5.Formulate clear guidelines to protect students and teachers against cyber bullying and other criminal activities 6.Conduct orientation sessions for parents regarding student use of the Internet 7.Reinforce these guidelines with parents and encourage vigilance of Internet use at home, including the elimination of derogatory statements against other students or staff.

The AASA website is rich with resources specifically developed to assist school system leaders.

A court case from May 2007. It was a sophomoric online video criticizing the hygiene of a teacher. Is suspension a violation of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech?

UPDATE: In a federal court session on May 23, 2007, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman turned down the request of Gregory Requa, 18, to grant a temporary restraining order ending the 40-day suspension. "The court has no difficulty in concluding that one student filming another student standing behind a teacher making 'rabbit ears' and pelvic thrusts in her direction, or a student filming the buttocks of a teacher as she bends over in the classroom, constitutes a material and substantial disruption to the work and discipline of the school. "The 'work and discipline of the school' includes the maintenance of a civil and respectful atmosphere toward teachers and students alike -- demeaning, derogatory, sexually suggestive behavior toward an unsuspecting teacher in a classroom poses a disruption of that mission whenever it occurs.

Bullying by students - filming teacher in the classroom - targeting a teacher and posting on YouTube ensuing court case about the accountability of the Kent School Board for making a decision on punishing a student using unsigned, unsworn statements from anonymous students

Cyberbullying, online predators, and other Internet-related dangers make headlines almost daily. Fear of what lies beyond that glowing screen at which our kids so love to stare dominates the current perception of what the Internet has become. In this climate of perceived threat, schools do what we all do with that of which we are afraid. We avoid the threat and try to forget it's out there.\n\n

This week, the Hoover Board of Education is holding a technology training seminar to help teachers get up to speed for the new school year. On the agenda - a powerful and somewhat controversial website called "Second Life".

The Authority & Responsibility of School Officials in Responding to Cyberbullying Article by Nancy Willard, M.S. J.D. [Journal of Adolescent Health 41 (2007) S64-S65]

New rules make eMail, instant messages subject to legal review. According to new federal rules that went into effect Dec. 1, schools, businesses, and other organizations are required to keep tabs on all eMail, instant messages (IM), and other digital communications produced by their employees.

Your teenage daughter is supposed to be doing homework, but you catch her chatting online. She tells you that she's talking about the math test tomorrow. Before your eyes start rolling, listen up: teens are using social networking sites for more than just gossip, according to a new study by the National School Boards Association.

How do youth use media and technology as they learn to be participants in civic and democratic practices? We share two case studies -- one from a media arts production organization and one from a school board youth group -- that revolve around youth-adult interactions in learning environments that offer youth real opportunities to be influential in their respective communities.

Students are increasingly facing lawsuits and expulsions for targeting their teachers online.Tech-savvy teenagers are increasingly paying a heavy price - including criminal arrest - for parodying their teachers on the Internet.\n\nTired of fat jokes and false accusations of teacher-lounge partying or worse, teachers and principals are fighting back against digital ridicule and slander by their students - often with civil lawsuits and long-term suspensions or permanent expulsions.\n\nA National School Boards Association (NSBA) study says that as many as one-third of American teens regularly post inappropriate language or manipulated images on the Web. Most online pranks deride other students. But a NSBA November 2006 survey reported 26 percent of teachers and principals being targeted.\n\n

From the Technology Information Center for Administrator Leadership /Radio TICAL audiocast: First they showed up in every driver's hand. Now, your second graders are bringing them to school. Yep, cell phones have become as ubiquitous on campus as they are on the roads, and they force us to consider new rules and policies in each context. In this episode, TICAL cadre members Bob Blackney and Kelly Calhoun share their perspectives on the kinds of things we need to consider in crafting campus cell phone policies.

Reauthorization of Higher Education Act forces colleges to adopt technology protection measures to guard against copyright infringement

New South Wales Education and Training Policies from Australia.

Download this free 64-page document on developing appropriate policies and procedures to ensure safe use of the Internet. A checklist for developing acceptable use policies and practical strategies for responding to incidents are also included. Developed by the Internet Safety Group of New Zealand.

Thought-provoking article by Scott McLeod. If a district has decided to figure out ways to facilitate technology usage and empower students and staff, the policies will follow accordingly. Conversely, if a district is determined to treat technology from a fearful or wary standpoint, its policies will reflect that position as well.

Dave, a fellow 8th grade classmate needs help from the Club. Someone in Mr. B's class plagiarized their own paper-and since Mr. B has a bell curve it affects everyone. Dave's grade is lowered and his parents are sending him to Boarding School! Adina's Deck takes the case in order to help Dave get the grade he deserves. In this who-done-it, there are four main suspects, and the club needs to investigate each of their alibis to catch the cheater and save Dave. After a difficult case, the club learns about the true nature of plagiarism- and that doing things right the first time just might be a trustworthy solution.