Digital Citizenship Plan

This plan is one component of the CBE Digital Citizenship Process. Schools must complete this plan:

• to be compliant with Administrative Regulation 1062 - Responsible Use of Electronic Information Resources
• to allow students to connect to the school’s wireless network with their own devices.

The plan is meant to guide the school’s work in these areas. The principal does not submit the plan as part of the compliance process.

1. Student Safety

Outcomes for student online safety include:

• The school has an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) modeled on Administrative Regulation 1062 - Responsible Use of Electronic Information Resources and it has been communicated to students and parents.
• Appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) outcomes from the Alberta Program of Studies relating to digital citizenship have been infused in core subjects that relate to student safety.
• Consequences for inappropriate use have been communicated to students (through the Acceptable Use Policy and integration into classroom learning opportunities). 

Describe school strategies to keep students safe when they are online:

The importance of online safety is an ongoing conversation at University School with staff, parents and students. The following represents examples of ways that student safety is being addressed at University School:

• Firm expectations regarding appropriate use of educational technology (online and not online) have been identified, read and signed by each student through the school’s Acceptable Use Policy
• Parents are aware of the expectations regarding the appropriate use of educational technology (online and not online) and have signed the school’s “Acceptable Use Policy” for their child to ensure their understanding of these expectations as well as the consequences should they not be followed
• Teachers demonstrate examples/scenarios of what could happen when students are not cognizant of online safety as a learning opportunity during classroom integration
• CBE Internet Filtering of online access
• Students are not allowed to utilize educational technologies during lunch or recess without specific permission and supervision from school staff
• Teachers directly supervise students utilizing educational technology at all times

2. Student Learning

Student learning outcomes relating to digital citizenship include:

• ICT outcomes from the Alberta Program of Studies relating to digital citizenship have been embedded in appropriate curricula.
• Students are aware of reliable online resources (such as www.LearnAlberta.ca) that are currently available for all CBE students, parents/guardians and staff.
• Students will learn how to assess and evaluate both online and print information sources.

Describe how the school will meet outcomes relating to student-owned devices:

Students will be able to use a wide variety of technologies as a means to represent and guide them in their learning. This includes the following:

• The use of educational technology as part of the research process
• The use of educational technology as part of a larger citizenship (local, national, global) strategy 
• Educating students regarding the identification of appropriate technologies for specific learning tasks or for specific adaptive purposes
• The use of educational technology to remove learning barriers for students (assistive technologies)
• The use of educational technologies to support the Individual Program Plan planning and implementation process (through the School Learning Team process)
• Ensuring that students have the opportunity to explore applications that best suit their individual learning styles
• The use of a variety of technologies to provide anywhere, anytime learning such as the use of digital media capture devices such as cameras or video cameras, digital dictionaries/thesauri, laptops, ipads and other networkable technologies.
• Ensuring that students are educated regarding the appropriateness of educational technologies (i.e. When is a particular educational technology the right tool? When is better not to use educational technology?)
• Ensuring that students and staff are aware of and closely follow Canadian copyright laws

3. Staff Professional Development

Staff professional development outcomes include ensuring that teachers are aware of:

• Issues relating to student online safety
• The potential impact and integration of educational technologies on student learning 
• Professional development resources/sessions relating to digital citizenship and enhancing learning through educational and adaptive technologies
• The Three-Year Education Plan for the Calgary Board of Education
• How the use of educational technology supports the outcomes identified in the University School Development Plan
• Resources offered through the CBE Professional Resource Centre to support the professional learning of all staff

Describe how the school will meet staff professional development outcomes relating to digital citizenship:

The University School Staff will both be teachers and learners of educational technology. Staff will:

• Be encouraged to look for ways to incorporate the use of educational technology into their Teacher Professional Growth Plans and to look for resources to support their goals in and out of the school
• Be provided with additional ways to become users of educational technology (i.e. utilizing teacher laptops consistently, utilizing ipads, utilizing online tools for professional learning, and using digital cameras and additional technologies for personal use in order to be comfortable with the technologies)
• Share their knowledge with their students while also learning from the students the many ways and power these various technologies provide

4. Student-Owned Devices

Outcomes relating to student-owned devices include:

• Students and staff are aware of their rights and responsibilities with regard to the use of student-owned devices in schools
• Students and staff are aware of how student-owned devices may be used to enhance student learning and to provide adaptive strategies to enable all learners
• Issues relating to student-owned devices have been clearly articulated for students and staff. These include:
• Keeping their devices in a secure location at all times
• Responsibility in case of loss, theft or damage
• Technical support
• Appropriateness of use
• Abiding by copyright laws
• Creating a positive enhancement of learning
• Teachers are aware of professional development resources that support the use of student-owned devices in classrooms.

Describe how the school will meet outcomes relating to student-owned devices:

In order to successfully utilize student-owned technologies at University School:

• Discussions with students and parents about the use of student-owned devices will ensure that students are aware of the responsibility and security of these devices
• Training will be provided regarding storage of work through options such as using CBE email, OneDrive, google documents and shared folders.
• Acceptable Use Policy must be read and signed by both students and parents 
• Parents will accept responsibility for all lost, damaged or stolen educational technologies
• Parent information nights and School Council Meetings will provide parents with information regarding specific policies related to student-owned devices
• Ongoing staff meetings will offer staff opportunities to track the process and to discuss challenges and successes
• A specific policy regarding where portable technologies will be stored and/or locked during recess, lunch and after school hours will be utilized

5. Parent Communication

Outcomes relating to parent communication include:

• The school has communicated information about the school’s digital citizenship plan to parents and guardians through weekly emails.
• The school has informed parents of issues relating to use of student-owned devices in school including

• Staff and student rights and responsibilities
• Liability in case of theft, damage or loss
• Enhancing the impact of educational technologies on student learning
• Online resources have been shared with parents

Describe how the school will communicate this to parents:

Through parent council meetings, School Learning Team meetings, parent information nights, individual consultations with families, parents will be informed regarding:

• The philosophical importance of utilizing educational technology as part of supporting and personalizing
• student learning
• Filtering levels on all CBE networks within our school
• The University School Acceptable Use Policy will be communicated to parents and shared with students
• Consequences for inappropriate use of educational technology
• Student responsibility regarding use and care of student-owned and school-owned technologies
• Policies related to school liability for damage to student-owned technologies
• Policies related to technical troubleshooting for student-owned technologies
• Regular newsletter and website updates regarding educational technology
• The defined process in place that must be followed prior to educational technology being brought into the school, shared especially through School Learning Team meetings and teacher consultations
• Online resources about digital citizenship and media awareness will be shared with parents with education about this project and ideas of how to help their children exercise digital citizenship at home