Technology+Report

Technology Report: Staying Safe and in Compliance Though the tools we have available today for use in the educational environment are tremendously useful, these computerized systems have opened a pandora’s box of privacy, legal, ethical, and security issues. These dangers must be constantly guarded against the issues monitored. Since much of what can be done to address the risks will fall on the end-user of the technology (staff and students), a great deal of on-going professional development, user training, and student education is necessary. I will begin with what we can do as a district to address possible deliberate, malicious activity from affecting our network and users. Since there is little policing possible on the largely uncontrolled internet at large, it is essential that we employ hardware and software to repel all conceivable network-based attack or inappropriate seeking of information about our computer systems, staff or students (such as passwords). It is the network administrators duty to pro-actively guard against such threats, and set up policies by which it is less likely users would be able to inadvertently give someone access to do damage to the computers on the network, resulting in the loss of data. An example of a policy that can be set by the network administrator is to restrict the ability of users to install their own software, so called “local admin rights.” Though perceived to be less convenient to users, such a policy actually protects them from inadvertently installing harmful software from the internet, or deliberately installing software which may not be legally licensed, cause liability issues for the district, or conflict with other software. Apart from the physical security of the computer systems, end users must be educated to understand the implications of disclosing their private information on-line. There is such a significant danger of identify theft, stalking, revealing embarrassing information, true or false online in recent years, it is imperative to educate our users, especially our students about these online threats. They must be made to understand that there is no such as thing as privacy in the online world. Once something is posted on a social networking site, it becomes public information. At the very least, businesses will market to you based on the personal information you reveal. Because of the power of the internet, students must also understand that what they write about others has profound consequences. This medium is such a “megaphone” for blasting information as has never been accessible to the average person in the past. There is no doubt that we must integrate the appropriate, ethical use of technology into the essential knowledge and skills that we teach our students regarding technology. This is to protect our students from being accused of plagiarism and illegal use of copywrited materials, since these are so easily accomplished with our modern, connected world. The best way for teachers to teach these concepts to their students is to have specific lessons, with examples of the correct way to use quotes and attributions to someone else’s work. The instructor and the school can lead by example, by not installing illegal software and making sure that all media shown in class has been legally licensed. As a district we have placed information regarding copyrighted materials in our technology “acceptable use” plan, as well as posting links to on-line resources we have purchased to educate our students and staff regarding these topics. Links to additional resources appear below: Copyright Resource: [|http://www.creativecommons.com]  Cyber-safety Resources: · Joseph, L. C. (2007). Keeping safe in cyberspace. //Multimedia & Internet@ Schools//, //14//(1), 17-20. ||
 * · Hitchcock, J. A. (2007). Cyberbullies, online predators, and what to do about them. //Multimedia & Internet@Schools//, //14//(3), 13-15.