MS Tech Policy 2015-2016

Instituto San Roberto TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

The laptop computer forms part of each student’s educational equipment and at ISR we believe that it is as vital to the learning process as the use of exercise books, textbooks, file folders and reference material.

With this premise firmly in mind, we believe that each student has a responsibility to ensure that their iPad is always available and that it is always in working conditions. We understand that problems and faults do arise and this can be frustrating. We know from experience that many of the faults and frustrations can be avoided if each laptop owner abides by a clear set of procedures and policies.

The student laptop is required as part of our curriculum initiative and is nonetheless required for educational rather than recreational purposes and thus it is that we require that students abide by the policies expressed in this document.

This is the ISR Laptop Acceptable Use Policy for Students. We would ask that both parents and students read this document carefully and that individual users abide by the advice, the restrictions, the requirements and the sanctions expressed here.

GENERAL • The school requires that all laptops have an acceptable level of functionality. If, in the opinion of the school, a student machine has been adversely affected as a result of personalization, by the loading of inappropriate software or if inappropriate material has been stored on the hard drive, the corresponding school authority will request an optimization of the equipment.

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Students are STRONGLY advised to ensure that work is saved on a regular basis while working on a project or assignment.

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Keep your login and password private; use by anyone other than yourself creates a security risk to your files and the network. The owner of the account will be held responsible for any action performed with it.

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Use of the computer for anything other than teacher directed or approved activity is prohibited during instructional time (7:40 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) This includes but is not limited to internet or computer games and other entertainment activities, email, instant messaging, chat, and use of the internet for anything other than school-related research.

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Copyright laws must be followed at all times.

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Computers are not to be used to make sound recordings without the consent of all persons being recorded. Sound on the laptop computer must be turned off at all times except when being used as part of the class. Use of personal headphones to listen to music is allowed with express permission of the classroom teacher.

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Computers are not to be used to take pictures or video without the consent of all persons being photographed. Cameras are to be turned off at all times except when being used as part of a class.

Instituto San Roberto – Middle School

Last revised: August 2015

Instituto San Roberto TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS •

Students will not use the laptop for illegal purposes. Students will not deliberately use the laptop to personally attack, annoy, harass, or bully others. Any such activities will be handled according to the discipline school policies.

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Appropriate and responsible use is expected from all users. Violation of any policies or procedures outlined in the ISR Technology Acceptable Use Policy for MS Students or the ISR Digital Nation Guidelines will be subject to the appropriate disciplinary action.

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Parents and students will work in partnership with staff to resolve issues.

GENERAL USE AND CARE OF THE LAPTOP • During the school day, students must have the laptop with them or stored in their school locker.

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Laptops must never be left unattended. Laptops should not be left in classrooms or any other place within the school.

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Unattended laptops will be picked up by faculty or guards, and sent to the MS Principal’s office.

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It is the responsibility of the student to charge their laptop for the next day, in order to be ready for school work. There will be access to the power network to charge the computer, but on a limited basis.

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Students are responsible for backing up important documents.

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Never walk with the laptop lid open. This puts stress on the laptop and the screen, thus prone to be damaged.

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When transporting laptops between classes or to and from school, the laptop should always be placed in the carrying case with the case closed.

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Remove any small, loose items from your briefcase or bag (such as paper clips, staples, or coins) that could accidentally get inside your computer through an opening, such as the optical drive slot, or get stuck inside a port. Students should not pack food or drink in their laptop bags.

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It is recommended that students not use their laptop on the car or other form of transportation.

Laptops should be used on a flat, stable surface.

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Laptops should be protected from extreme heat or cold. Laptops should never be left in a vehicle even if it is locked.

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Laptops should be protected from the weather, water, liquids, and pets. Eating or drinking near the laptops is strictly forbidden. Laptops should not be used in the school cafeteria during mealtimes.

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The LCD screen is the most sensitive part of the laptop. Laptops’ screens may be broken or cracked by heavy objects being placed or stacked on top of the laptop. This includes books, musical instruments, sports equipment, etc.

Instituto San Roberto – Middle School

Last revised: August 2015

Instituto San Roberto TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS •

The laptop should only be cleaned with a soft dry cloth or compressed air. Never use sprays of any kind.

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The student has total responsibility of the use and care of power adapter, headphones, mouse, carrying cases, and any other laptop accessories.

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Always follow the care, use and safety instructions of your laptop provider. See MacBook Pro: Care, Use, and Safety Information document in our portal.

COMPUTER GAMES • The school strongly recommends that games not be loaded onto student laptops. Such applications use large amounts of memory and the installation of games can cause significant protection errors that interfere with the correct function of the machine. Laptops that have games perform much more slowly than those that do not, and this adversely affects activities in the classroom.

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The installation of games compromises the use of the laptop as a learning resource.

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Students are not permitted to play games across the school network, unless is allowed with express permission of the classroom teacher for academic purposes.

CHATTING PROGRAMS • The use of chat applications is forbidden unless allowed with express permission of the classroom teacher for academic purposes.

POWER ISSUES • Students are responsible for charging their laptops at home each night. This will be checked periodically by homeroom teachers and in case of not meeting this requirement, the student will be warned and later on it will be taken into account when assessing / scoring /evaluating Personal Habits. Power outlets are provided in the classrooms in the event that a laptop’s battery power becomes depleted. Students are urged to label their power cords and bricks. Particular care should be taken in the storage of these items. Wires wrapped too tightly can cause kinks and will result in a failed power brick. Please note that spare power cords and power bricks are NOT available for loan from school.

LAPTOP ‘PERSONALIZATION’ & SOFTWARE INSTALLATION • The School strongly recommends that students refrain from excessive, unnecessary laptop personalization and software installation. The addition of such material interferes with the efficient operation of the machine and is therefore affecting the efficacy of the use of the machine as an educational resource. In the event that a student machine is found to be adversely affected by personalization and software installation, the school will request an optimization of the equipment.

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The School will install, as needed, educational software onto the student’s laptop in order to allow the student to take standardized tests on the computer.

Instituto San Roberto – Middle School

Last revised: August 2015

Instituto San Roberto TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

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Every teacher laptop has been equipped with specialized software to monitor and have access to students’ computers for academic purposes. To accomplish that, the school will require every student to configure the SHARING settings of their laptops accordingly, and to keep them that way during school hours. Students not following this instruction will be subject to the appropriate disciplinary action.

SCHOOL NETWORK • In order for each individual student to access the school-owned network, which allows them the privilege of accessing Internet, a username and password is required.

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The school network is regularly upgraded to accommodate the increase of student usage.

However, it cannot support the constant uploading/downloading of such things as games, pictures, mp3’s, movies, etc. that are not school-related.

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The Help Desk will monitor network traffic and usage on a regular basis in order to ensure proper usage throughout the year.

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For security, technical and administrative reasons students are not permitted to set up or utilize any form of personal Wi-Fi network, meaning mobile broadband, tethering or hotspot sharing to access the internet or to let other people access the internet through a personal device within campus.

INTERNET • At ISR, students have the privilege of Internet access upon demand. Students are not permitted to use the Internet for any illegal activity. This includes accessing inappropriate adult sites. The school has in place a very sophisticated filter, which denies access to most undesirable and inappropriate sites on the Internet. This filter is updated on a daily basis. While this provides a measure of reassurance, it must be understood that the filter does not always block everything.

Therefore, we suggest that parents periodically examine their child's laptop content. It is recommended that Internet use be monitored at home.

EMAIL • Students will be assigned an email address from the ISRMAIL (Google account).

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ISRMAIL email accounts may be monitored from time to time to ensure proper use. Executable and messages carrying viruses will be blocked.

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Students are not permitted to access non-ISRMAIL email accounts (e.g. hotmail, yahoo, etc.) during the school day.

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The use of email during the school day must be for educational purposes only – submitting or executing assignments, etc.

Instituto San Roberto – Middle School

Last revised: August 2015

Instituto San Roberto TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS HACKING • Any type of hacking, defined as any attempt to gain access to folders, databases, or other material on the network to which one is not entitled, is considered to be an extremely serious offense.

PORNOGRAPHY • Students are forbidden to store pornographic, obscene, or vulgar images, sounds, music, language or materials, including screen savers, backgrounds, and/or pictures on their laptops. Parents will be contacted and asked to meet with the MS Principal to discuss appropriate actions.

THEFT • Stealing is a very serious offence. Laptop accessories are vulnerable. We strongly recommend that students label their accessories (power cords, cases, mouse, headphones, etc.) with a permanent marker or paint pen.

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The ISR will not be responsible for any laptop or accessories stolen or damaged, if it was left in an unsecured locker, classroom, or any other ISR property. However the ISR will require all students to register their laptop’s MAC Address and Serial Number, to be able to identify each laptop.

CONSEQUENCES OF INAPPROPRIATE USE OF LAPTOP The use of technology at ISR is a privilege and not a right. Students are expected to use their laptops in accordance with this Laptop Acceptable Use Policy and the ISR Digital Nation Passport Commitment. Failure to use the laptop in an appropriate manner will result in the following consequences, as determined by the administration and staff of Instituto San Roberto.

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Cancellation of student laptop use or Internet access privileges Financially, if purposely damaging other students laptops Suspension from school Expulsion from school

We assume that the majority of the student users will behave in a responsible manner and that such behaviour will maximize the benefit to be derived from the use of the laptop as part of the learning experience.

We believe that students who adhere to the terms of this ISR Laptop Acceptable Use of Policy for Students will experience fewer use-related faults and service issues.

Instituto San Roberto – Middle School

Last revised: August 2015

Instituto San Roberto TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Please return this page signed to your Homeroom Teacher We have read the ISR TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS carefully and understand the significance of the conditions and agree to comply with it.

We understand that any break of these conditions may result in disciplinary action determined by the principal in accordance to the ISR Discipline Handbook Policies.

Student Name __________________________________________________ Grade ______ List #____ Student Signature ________________________________

Parent Name

__________________________________________________ Date ________________

Parent Signature ________________________________

Instituto San Roberto – Middle School

Last revised: August 2015

Instituto San Roberto TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

The following is a summary of the ISR Laptop Acceptable Use Policy for Students • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Charge your battery every night.

Label your power cord and bring it to school each day.

Be careful to wind your power cord loosely.

Keep your machine on a flat surface when it is on.

Do not walk around with the machine on and screen open.

Keep your passwords secret.

Do not use your username and password on someone else’s computer or vice versa.

You should refrain from the installation of games on your machine since this will adversely affect the performance of your machine. Should you elect to install game playing software, you may not play games in school or on the school internet connection.

Excessive ‘personalization’ will adversely affect the performance of your machine; you are strongly advised to keep ‘personalization’ to a minimum or refrain from it completely.

You must not use your laptop for the playing of music in school unless such use is required for teaching/learning and with the appropriate use of headphones.

Store your laptop in your laptop's case and/or locker when you are not using it.

You may not bring inappropriate screensavers, background themes, or pictures to school.

Copyright laws must be followed at all times.

Pornography is not permitted on your laptop, network folder or hard disk.

E-mail may not be used in the classroom except for school-related purposes.

Hacking is a very serious offence.

Inappropriate laptop use will be handled according to the discipline school policies that may result in: - Individual disqualification from laptop use during the working day - Cancellation of student laptop use or Internet access privileges.

- Financially, if purposely damaging other students laptops.

- Suspension from school.

- Expulsion from school.

Instituto San Roberto – Middle School

Last revised: August 2015