SUPPORT MATERIALS

2. USING TECHNOLOGY RESPONSIBLY AND ETHICALLY

All schools should be aware of the NSW DET Internet & Email Services:Acceptable Usage for Schools Policy.

Use the quick links below to see resources which support the strategies.

2.1 Practise Responsible Use of Technology Systems, Information and Software

Establish a Code of Conduct for Responsible & Cooperative use of technology.

• Process to develop a Code of Conduct
• Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) contracts encourage responsible behavior by students and staff and give administrators enforceable rules for acceptable use of school computers. Students will interpret and make inferences about their school's AUP.
• an Example of a School Code of Conduct

Flowchart, model & display procedures for file management.

• Flowchart, model & display procedures for file management

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Model safe practises and ways to care for equipment.

• Early Stage One – Stage One - "Is This Yours?" - Children learn that computers, like other objects, are property and should be respected.
• Stage Two - "Whose Property Is This?" - Students extend their understanding of "property" to include not only computer equipment but also the work of others, and then discuss rules for respecting such property.

Display procedures for care & safe use.

• display procedures for care and safe use

• CAP Tech Self Help Troubleshooting links

2.2 Understand the Ethical, Cultural, Environmental and Societal Implication of Technoloy and Telecommunications

Establish a Code of Conduct for ethical behaviour.

• Process for establishing a Code of Conduct for ethical behaviour.
• Early Stage One – Stage One - "Go Places Safely" - Children go on a virtual field trip and learn that, just as when travelling in the face-to-face world, they should always take an adult with them when travelling in cyberspace.
• Stage Three - "Private Information" - By examining and identifying actual online requests for private information, students learn to apply the same safety rules in cyberspace as they use when encountering strangers in the face-to-face world.
• Students aware of possible implications/dangers when using the internet. - http://www.childsafe.net.au/

Students sign agreement and are made aware of the consequences of misuse.

• Example of Email/Internet code of practice.

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Inform and display examples for students to acknowledge the source of their information and images from the internet.

• "Whose is it, anyway?" - Students learn that, although the Internet makes it very easy, copying others' work and presenting it as one's own is unethical. They also learn about circumstances in which it is permissible to copy others' work.

Develop techniques for students to reference source materials

• Referencing Electronic Sources
• "How to Cite a Site" -Students learn how to write bibliographic citations for online sources following the style recommended by the Modern Language Association.

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Model & provide opportunities for information gathering with technology.

• Early Stage One and Stage One "ABC of Searching" - Children search for animal pictures online by clicking letters of the alphabet. They then print the pictures and, in an offline activity, colour them and arrange a display.
• Stage Two "Subject Category Searching" - Selecting subject categories is one of two main search tools used on the Internet. Students learn how to best select subject categories in a directory and explore the concept of narrowing their search.
• Stage Two "Using Keywords" - Keyword searching is an effective way to locate information on the World Wide Web. Students learn how to select keywords to produce the best search results.
• Stage Three "Using Categories With Keywords" - Students learn that adding keywords in combination with a category search provides more specific results. They choose the subject of a biography by browsing through subject categories, narrowing their focus with selected keywords, and evaluating their search results.
• Stage Three - "Choosing a Search Site" - Through online observations, students record and compare the features of four children's search sites. They then construct a lift-the-flap poster that will guide them in selecting appropriate search sites.

Students use a variety of tools to sort & organise information.

• CAP Website – Tools and Strategies Page
• Victorian Essential Learning Standards – Utilising Teaching and Learning Strategies

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Compare & contrast information & sources.

• Stage Three "Choosing a Search Site" - Through online observations, students record and compare the features of four children's search sites. They then construct a lift-the-flap poster that will guide them in selecting appropriate search sites.

Determine and model the uniformed use of stage appropriate search engines, software & websites.

Develop & implement a process for authenticating websites.

• Early Stage One and Stage One "Good Sites" - Children explore and evaluate a children's Web site, concluding that people's opinions about the quality and usefulness of a site will vary.
• Stage Two "Finding Good Sites" - Students explore, evaluate, and compare several children's informational Web sites, and conclude that people's opinions about the quality and usefulness of sites will vary.
• Stage Three "Rating Web Sites" - Students discuss and apply criteria for rating informational Web sites, compare their results, and infer that all Web sites are not equally good sources of research information.

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Other useful resources for developing and implementing a process for authenticating websites

• The CARS Checklist for Information Quality

Rubrics for evaluating websites (from http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php )

• A user friendly student/teacher rubric to evaluate websites according to; Appearance and Accessibility, Learning and Understanding, Graphics for Instructional Purposes and Readability.
• An indepth rubric used to evaluate websites according to; Audience, Credibility, Content Accuracy, Objectivity, Coverage, Currency, Visual Appeal, Navigation and Accessability.
• A simple rubric used to evaluate websites according to; Author, Date of Publication, Cost of site, Access, Audience and Current Information.

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