Technology Use

WR Myers expects responsible, purposeful use of technology without compromising an individual’s right to privacy, a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment, and the integrity of the teaching/learning environment.

WR Myers and Horizon School Division establishes specific expectations for the use of technology, as outlined in Horizon School Division policy HG – Citizenship in a Digital Age. All students are expected to sign a digital use agreement which promises adherence to this policy prior to accessing school devices and networks.

Division device use and network access is monitored at school. This includes (but is not limited to) access to all devices, browsing history, direct and group messages, and files saved to division devices or network cloud storage (i.e. Google Drive).

Responsible Use

This Responsible Use Agreement is required for student use of any digital device in any Horizon School Division school. The Agreement will remain in effect until revoked by parents or administration. Contracts may be reviewed each school year as a springboard for teaching and learning around topics such as Internet safety, citizenship in a digital age and ethical use of technology.

Respecting and abiding by Canadian law, whether Federal, Provincial, Municipal or other statute, Transmission of any material in violation of any Federal or Provincial regulation is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to the following:

Students will not engage in: 

1. Illegal or unethical acts, including attempts to damage or destroy computer based information or information sources, involvement in plans to defraud, and downloading or transmission of unlawful information.
2. Downloading or transmission of pornographic, obscene or other socially unacceptable materials including profanity; vulgarities; sexual, racial, religious, or ethnic slurs 
3. Gaining access to or revealing the personal data of others without authorization 
4. Installation or transfer of commercial software, materials protected by trade secret or other copyright protected material where a registration fee is required by the author. 
5. Sending messages or files containing any form of electronic information that is likely to result in loss or disruption of the recipient's work or system. 
6. Plagiarism of information obtained via Internet

When using technology at school, students will agree to:

• Use only their own personal login and keep their password private. 
• Keep their personal information private. Do not give out personal information (address, telephone number, parents' work address/telephone number, or name and location of their school) without parental or teacher permission. 
• Select online names that are appropriate. 
• Not publishing their personal details, contact details or a schedule of their activity where strangers have access. 
• Not revealing my passwords to anyone except Horizon employees. 
• Use technology/Internet only with permission. 
• Talk to a teacher if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe online or see others participating in unsafe, inappropriate or hurtful online behavior. 
• Seek to understand the terms and conditions of websites and online communities. 
• Tell an adult if they come across any information that makes them feel uncomfortable. 
• Never agree to get together with someone they "meet" on-line without parental consent. 
• Never send a personal picture or anything else without parents or teacher consent. 
• Guide their use of technology and judge appropriateness of communication (text and image) knowing that it is permanent and can be accessed by someone years later.
• Protect privacy rights including not giving out their or others’ personal details including full names, telephone numbers, addresses and images. 
• Refrain from using profanity or abusive language. 
• Refrain from actions that are malicious or harmful to others. 
• Not use technology to bully or tease other people. 
• Protect others by reporting abuse and not forwarding inappropriate materials or communications. 
• Treat others with dignity and respect. 
• Refrain from sharing information about others without their knowledge or consent. 
• Refrain from posting or storing content that contains sexual, racial, religious, or ethnic slurs, any other form of abuse, or that contain threatening or otherwise offensive language or pictures. 
• Respect the privacy of others. 
• Not interfere with network security, the data of another user or attempt to log into the network with a user name or password of another student

Procedures

Students found to be violating the expectations of proper technology use at school may face the following consequences (depending on the severity or frequency of the violation)

1. Restricted conditions on the use of technology at school (i.e. only under direct supervision of an adult)
2. Temporary or permanent loss of access to division networks and/or devices
3. Further disciplinary action in line with bullying and harassment or other school conduct policies
4. Referrals to Taber Police Service for further investigation and actions

At WR Myers we believe that students deserve to learn in a space with minimal distractions so that they can reach their full potential.  Cell phone use can create distractions and diminish the learning experience for students.  Under the direction of Alberta Education and the Horizon School Division, WR Myers has adopted the following policy.

Restrictions

Personal Mobile Devices (PMD) are expected to be out of sight, and powered down or on silent during instructional time.

No use of PMD is permitted in bathrooms or changing room areas at any time, including during breaks. Usage in bathrooms or changing rooms will result in immediate confiscation of the PMD.

Students will be allowed to use cell phones during breaks in between classes, so long as they are not in restricted areas (i.e. bathrooms or changerooms).

Exceptions

Teachers may allow students to use PMD for educational purposes during instructional time.  

Students may use PMD for health or medical reasons or to support special learning needs.

The Principal must approve these exceptions prior to them being issued.

Non-compliance

Any student who fails to follow these guidelines will have their PMD confiscated for the day.  The teacher confiscating it will, at a time acceptable to them, bring it down to the office for storage.  Parents will be notified.  

Notwithstanding confiscation for the purpose of discipline, the school assumes no responsibility for the safety, security, loss, repair, or replacement of such items, except in the case of gross negligence.

Students can pick up their PMD at the end of the day.

If a student continues to break this policy, the consequences of non-compliance will escalate and may result in the student not being allowed to bring their PMD onto school grounds.

Storage of Devices

Teachers will bring PMD to the office where it will be stored in the office safe for the remainder of the day.

Communication Home

Teachers will notify parents by email.

Definitions

For the purpose of this policy, a personal mobile device includes any internet-connected device. This includes, but is not limited to: smartphones, smart watches, and non-school provided laptops.

Reference: Horizon School Division Policy IGB