Procedure 1.2.10 TECHNOLOGY USE STANDARDS

The following standards are designed to provide consistent guidelines on technology use by all employees, board members, students and other authorized users.  Along with Board policies and procedures, the standards help ensure personal discretion and responsible choice for technology use within District School Board Ontario North East (DSB1).

All DSB1 Internet users must be aware of the contents of these standards.  Principals will facilitate this process within their school.  School staff are expected to make every effort to implement the document as part of their instruction.  It is understood that the contents will be appropriately geared to the age level of students and their level of technology andInternet use.

2.3 The Coordinators of Information Services shall:

Notify the Superintendent responsible for Information Services of any inappropriate content on any Board-supplied technology or which they become aware.

2.4 Superintendents, Principals and Managers shall:

2.4.1 ensure that policy and procedure 1.2.10 is communicated to their staff upon hiring and annually thereafter;

2.4.2 ensure that employees and other users are familiar with the Technology Use Standards document; 

2.4.3 ensure a copy of the Technology Use Standards must be readily available for reference;

2.4.4 not accept donated computers as this may negatively impact on the Board’s ability to effectively license, manage, secure and support solutions for classroom programs; and

2.4.5 apply corrective and disciplinary measures to address staff violations of this procedure.

2.5 Principals and Managers shall:

2.5.1 Facilitate the annual completion of student contracts for current students, and for any new students as they register (Appendix A and B).

2.5.2 facilitate the annual distribution of the parent information sheet (Appendix C) and the annual completion of the Student Loan Terms & Agreement (Appendix D) for elementary students;

2.5.3 facilitate the distribution of the parent information sheet (Appendix C) and the completion of the Student Loan Terms & Agreement (Appendix D) for all new secondary students. Secondary Principals shall also facilitate the annual distribution of these appendices for any students who selected the option of school use only, to give the option of updating  their choice;

2.5.4 review the Technology Use Standards with all students at the beginning of each school year;

2.5.5 ensure staff adhere to the proper usage of personal technology when used in any Board facility including the use of any online tools such as social networking (see Policy & Procedure 1.2.1 – Employee Use of Social Media, for details);

2.5.6 report abuses of this policy and procedure to their Superintendent;

2.5.7 policy requirements must be included in all student handbooks. Teachers must review the policy with all students, and share information via newsletters, etc.

2.6 Teachers shall:

2.6.1 manage and actively supervise student use of technology and resources (including iPads) within their assigned teaching areas and when acting in a supervisory role;

2.6.2 instruct all students to comprehend and adhere to this procedure and the Technology Use Standards;

2.6.3 model for students the practices outlined in the technology use standards procedure;

2.6.4 report abuses of this policy and procedure to their Principal;

2.6.5 ensure compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Student and staff information is personal and private and is therefore protected under this Act.

2.7 All Staff accessing the Student Information System shall:

Adhere to the Aspen Email Functionality Procedures outlined in Appendix E.

2.8 Students shall:

2.8.1 abide by the Technology Use Standards and the Technology Use Agreement; and

2.8.2 in Board facilities, only use Board and personal technologies for educational purposes as defined by the teacher and instructional purpose.

2.9 All users shall:

2.9.1 understand that using Board-provided technology from the office, home or other locations is using a corporate asset. Therefore, the Board and its employees are responsible for any misuse of its technology;

2.9.2 if an employee sends personal views, they must provide appropriate disclaimers so that the remarks are not taken as representatives of the Board;

2.9.3 if using social media tools, do so with the appropriate understandings of the effective educational use of these tools, avoiding any personal uses when engaging with students, parents, and colleagues for professional purposes; 

2.9.4 be familiar with the standards and apply them appropriately;

2.9.5 use technology resources in ways that do not disrupt other users or compromise the functionality of the system;

2.9.6 ensure that they use Board provided or funded devices in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act and all applicable law and legislation;

2.9.7 maintain their password and user ID confidentiality;

2.9.8 restrict access to their passwords;

2.9.9 familiarize themselves with the technology resources provided to them, including system maintenance and administration procedures;

2.9.10 respect the “no plug-in” rule, i.e., users will not plug in a personal computer or laptop into a network jack on a wall in order to bypass the Guest wireless network;

2.9.11 use a board provided device when saving/exporting sensitive and confidential Board data.

2.10 At any time, employees may provide feedback and recommendations concerning the standards to their principal/supervisor. This information will be forwarded to the appropriate personnel.

3.2 Unacceptable Access to the System

3.2.1 Users will not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Board’s system or to any other external systems using the Board’s resources.  Users will not go beyond their authorized access.  This includes, attempting to log in through another person’s account or accessing another person’s files, passwords, or data even if only for the purpose of “browsing”.

4.0 Limitation of Liability and Indemnification

4.1 DSB1 makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, that the functions or the services provided by or through the system will be error-free or without defects. The Board will not be responsible for any damage users may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service.  The Board is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the system. The Board will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system. Users will indemnify and hold the Board harmless from any losses as the result of intentional misuse of the system by the user.

4.2 Although careful handling of personal computer equipment by Board personnel would be endeavoured, if personal computer equipment is confiscated for the purpose of investigation and/or policy violation, DSB1 makes no warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, that the equipment will not incur defect, loss or damage during the period of investigation.

4.3 DSB1 is not responsible for any loss, theft, or damage incurred by personal computer equipment.

5.0 Due Process

5.1 DSB1 and all its employees will cooperate as required with local, provincial, or federal officials in any investigation concerning or relating to any illegal activities conducted through the system.

5.2 Employees are subject to all appropriate Board policies and any applicable collective agreements, and any violations will be dealt with accordingly.

5.3 With just cause, and upon notification, any Board computer system administrator may terminate or restrict access privileges. Inactive accounts may be removed, along with the user’s files without notice to the user.

6.0 Privacy

6.1 System users have only limited privacy in the contents of their personal files and records of their online activity while on the system. Monitoring of system does occur.

6.2 If the school system administrator becomes aware of a possible violation by a user, the school system administrator will consult with the school administration and further investigation may occur.

7.0 Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement

7.1 Users of the system will not engage in plagiarism or copyright infringement. The Copyright Policy and Fair Dealing Guidelines Procedure (1.2.8) will be adhered to.

7.2 Reference materials and posters are available at school copiers and in school offices and staff rooms to facilitate this.

7.3 Staff may also access the Fair Dealings Decision Tool at www.fairdealingdecisiontool.ca to access resources and help determine if an item may be copied or not when unsure.

8.0 Academic Freedom, Free Speech, and Selection of Material

8.1 When using the internet for class activities, teachers will:

8.1.1 select age-appropriate content that is relevant to the course objectives;

8.1.2 make every effort to preview sites and content before authorizing student access;

8.1.3 provide guidelines and resources to assist students in channelling their research activities effectively and appropriately;

8.1.4 assist students in developing the skills to ascertain the accuracy of information.

9.0 Unacceptable Uses

Users will be subject to disciplinary action for misuse of the email or Internet systems, or for attempting to gain unauthorized access to board servers or other users files. Misuse of these systems may also, in some instances, subject the Board to lawsuits.

9.1 Inappropriate Language, Text, or Graphics

9.1.1 Restrictions against abusive or objectionable language apply to public or private messages and posted materials.

9.1.2 Users will not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, or disrespectful language.

9.1.3 Users will not create, send, receive, display, or download text or graphics that are illegal, or may reasonably be construed as obscene or offensive.

9.1.4 Users will not use the Board’s system to access material that is profane or obscene (e.g., pornography), that advocates illegal or dangerous acts, or that advocates violence or discrimination towards other people (e.g., hate literature).  Board employees may access the above material only in the context of legitimate research and upon consultation with the appropriate supervisor.

9.1.5 Users will not engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.

9.1.6 Users will not engage in any form of harassment as described in the Workplace Harassment Policy 1.2.2.

9.1.7 Users will not knowingly or recklessly post false or defamatory information about a person or organization.

9.1.8 Users will immediately notify the principal if they have identified possible security or safety issues.  Users will not engage in activities which may be construed as an attempt to gain unauthorized access.

9.2 Respect for Privacy

9.2.1 Users will not post private information about another person.

9.2.2 Users will encrypt any data containing personal information when storing it on USB hard drives or memory sticks.

9.3 Respecting Resource Limits

9.3.1 Users will use the system only for educational, professional or career development activities.

9.3.2 Users will not download large files or install software or data files unless authorized.

9.3.3 Users will not post chain letters or engage in “spamming”.  Spamming is sending an annoying or unnecessary message to a large number of people.

9.3.4 Users will not use the internet for unauthorized, illegal, or unethical purposes.

9.3.5 Users will not use the internet for personal use “during regularly scheduled working hours” (Note: personal use of the internet outside of regular business hours is allowed, provided that it is not being used to generate income for personal business or to promote personal initiatives, lobby elected officials, or download movies, videos or music, provided that all other acceptable use criteria as outlined in this procedure are adhered to).

9.3.6 Users will not exceed their limits on data storage as determined by the IS administration team. Users will receive a warning as they approach their storage limits.

10.0 Web Site Policy

10.1 Material appropriate for placement on the Board’s web site may include items such as DSB1 information, school information, curriculum information and sample student work with authorization as required.  Neither personal nor non-educational information will be allowed on the Board’s web site.

10.2 The Communications Officer will be responsible for maintaining the official DSB1 Web Site and monitoring all Board web activity.  The Communications Officer will develop style and content guidelines for official Board and School Web materials as well as develop procedures for the placement and removal of such material. All official Board material originating from any school or department must be approved through a process established by the Communications Officer.

10.3 Individual schools are responsible for keeping their Board-provided school website always updated. The school principal will designate a school Web Site Team Leader, responsible for managing the school site.  This includes monitoring class, teacher, student and extracurricular web pages. All material originating from the school will be consistent with the Board’s style and content guidelines and approved through a process established by the Board’s Communications Officer.

10.4 All information posted, including text, photos and videos, must not uniquely identify students or employees or any personal information about them unless written permission has been obtained.

10.5 The Board Communications Officer will be responsible for maintaining the official DSB1 Social Media Accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

10.6 The Communications Officer will monitor the [email protected] mailbox.

11.0 Professional Development

11.1 School Administration, in conjunction with support personnel, will ensure that employees using the internet have sufficient information and appropriate in-service in order that:

11.1.1 Internet time is used effectively and with a clear curricular focus;

11.2.2 The Technology Use Standards document is implemented.

12.0 Computer Security Practices

12.1 Vigilance is necessary to protect against infection and proliferation of viruses and related problems.  Report any suspected infection or unexpected behavior of your technology to Information Services through our Helpdesk system.

12.2 Update your operating system with the latest security patches and antivirus definitions. 

12.3 Keep your software up to date. 

12.4 Do not open any email or attachments that look suspicious. This may include email from people you do not normally receive correspondence from.