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SCOTT ... here's more recent backup posted Wed 4-2-08. Still working on it.... :) ****


 * Welcome to School Policies for 21st Century Learning

Overview:** This course provides an opportunity for teachers, technology coordinators, and other school leaders to learn about school legal and policy issues involved in creating safe 21st century learning environments. It is critical for educators to understand the legal issues involved with providing Internet access, especially when it comes to new Web 2.0 tools used for social networking and collaborative learning. REPLACE WITH THIS: This course provides an opportunity  for teachers, technology coordinators, and other school leaders to learn about school legal and policy issues involved in creating safe 21st century learning environments. Participants will gain a better understanding of legal issues related to Internet access and effective Acceptable Use Policies for Internet use, including use of new Web 2.0 tools used for social networking and collaborative learning.


 * Course Audience:** Tech Coordinators, Teachers and Specialists, School Administrators


 * Course Goals:** This course will enable participants to understand and apply some of the legal and policy issues involved in creating and using 21st century learning environments including:


 * How multiple sources of law provide frameworks and standards that govern schools in this area
 * Issues to consider when developing policies, practices or procedures addressing on-site and off-site internet use by students and staff
 * School liability for online student harassment or derogatory speech by students including First amendment issues and discipline issues that can arise with online activity.


 * Teachers and specialists** participating in this course will use their understanding of digital citizenship in the 21st century to design or adapt classroom activities consistent with recommended policies . **Administrators and tech coordinators ** participating in this course will use their understanding of digital citizenship in the 21st century to recommend adaptations to school policies and practices.


 * Unit 1 - Orientation Week**

The orientation unit for this course focuses on your understanding of online learning and the use of online delivery systems to effectively achieve learning. You will review articles on online learning as well as school policies and practices. The first article will introduce you to online learning and give you some insight into the uses and development of online learning over the years. The second article will prepare you with prior knowledge or information you might need to understand the content of the course. You will explore the course and try out various content delivery features that we will be using throughout the course. You are encouraged to continue to explore all the features of the delivery system and increase your comfort level with taking an online course.


 * Unit 2 - Legal Aspects of Internet Use**

In this unit, you will begin by looking at typical uses of the Internet among today's youth. You will become acquainted with some of the state and federal laws and standards that govern today's digital educational environment, looking at how these legal aspects influence school policies and, in turn, impact your work as an educator. A review of the current policies that exist within your own school district will help you lay a foundation for your final project for this course.


 * Unit 3 - Internet Use by Students**

//This unit discusses several key issues that can arise with a school district ////' ////s obligations to protect students who engage in online activities at schools. You will look at resources related to cyber-bullying, student privacy, filtering vs. censoring, appropriate supervision, and appropriate use of resources. With one eye on your current school policies and classroom practices, you will analyze whether the resources in this unit suggest room for improvement in your local environment. //


 * Unit 4 - Student Behavior and Discipline**

This unit covers the legal parameters of a school district's ability to discipline students for online activities, including:


 * school’s ability to discipline students for online activities at school (i.e., derogatory comments online about school and staff, cyber-bullying other students, etc.).
 * school's ability to discipline students for online activities outside of school (i.e., derogatory comments online about school and staff on a student's personal blog or MySpace page, cyber-bullying other students outside of school, etc.).


 * Unit 5 - Staff Internet Use**

This unit covers issues that can arise with school staff internet use including:
 * school's ability to develop policies and protocols that place limitations on staff internet and email use at school
 * school's ability to develop policies and protocols that place limitations on staff internet and email use outside of school.


 * Unit 6 - Copyright and Plagiarism Issues**
 * Teachers using info from the web to teach
 * Students using info from the web in their assignments
 * Fair use
 * Citing sources


 * Unit 7 - Developing and Updating School Policies**
 * Why is the AUP important? How often should it be presented to students and staff?
 * Samples of current AUPs among NH schools
 * Primer on acceptable use policies, RSA 194:3-d, any regs?
 * Need to work in the ICT literacy requirements in Ed 306.42
 * Internet log file retention
 * Storage of student and staff digital files
 * accomodations, accessibility, assistive technology, universal design
 * Storage of student and staff digital files