Adults and young people have come to rely on technology for almost every aspect of our lives: to organize schedules, enhance learning, obtain information readily, communicate, and enjoy.  We encourage the effective use of technology to improve life and learning; understanding the expectation for uses and misuses of technology at Woodman is essential for student benefit.  Possessing a cell phone in middle school is certainly not a requirement; there is a telephone outside the main office which is always available for student use. 

1. CBE-Owned Devices

Woodman has a growing inventory of school-owned devices for students to access for their learning – Chromebooks in the Learning Commons, and various labs with desktop computers. 

All internet access through CBE-owned devices has high levels of security and central monitoring.  The websites and information students access can be tracked at any time. 

There are some unacceptable uses of CBE-owned devices which will result in having access removed:

• Using someone else’s username and password to access the internet
• Plagiarism of online content
• Accessing gaming or social media networks
• Viewing images that portray a vulgar or lewd depiction of the human body
• Accessing sites that promote the use of illicit substances, or that promote hatred or violence against a group or individual
• Using technology for the purpose of undermining, threatening or harassing self or others; this is considered a criminal offence

Any technology repairs of school-owned devices, which are caused by willful damage or careless use, will be charged directly to the student.  Payment will be required prior to being re-granted access to school-owned devices.  Students will be charged the following fees:

• $25 per damaged key
• $150 for damaged hard drives or computer screens
• $1200 for lost, stolen or laptops vandalized beyond repair
• $200 for cameras lost, stolen or vandalized beyond repair

The Learning Commons is open during the second portion of lunch hour on some days of the week to sign out library books as well as to complete assignments and study. Should work be printed, please ask for the supervising for assistance.   Students are encouraged to save their work digitally. Please delete out-of-date files on an ongoing basis.

2. Personally Owned Electronic Devices

Through extensive engagement with parents and staff, the following requirements for the restricted use of Personally Owned Electronic Devices (POED) on school property will be in effect for the 2021-2022 school year. 

A POED includes, but is not limited to:

• Cell phones
• iPods
• Smart watches with internet access
• Airpods
• POEDs must be stored in lockers at all times, which includes class time, assemblies or any school wide event.  All teachers will follow the same requirement in every classroom or school related activity.  This means that POED may not be in backpacks, binders or in student pockets. 
• Teachers will ensure that students have access to the needed school-based technology, and will follow the needed sanitizing processes for shared equipment. In some cases, should a teacher require the use of POEDs for a particular learning task, they will accompany the class to their lockers to retrieve the POEDs and will also supervise students in returning them to their lockers for safe-keeping upon the conclusion of the learning task.

The following requirements have been informed through consultation with other CBE middle schools and with research-based evidence of the psychological needs of adolescent learners, including the need for a distraction-free and calm learning environment:

• POEDs may only be accessed for personal use during nutrition break, before and after school, and lunchtime.  Students may not use their POEDs for personal use during or between classes. 
• Any important messages from parents should be communicated through the main office or scheduled during non-instructional time.
• Under no circumstances are POEDs to be permitted in the change rooms and bathrooms.  This is a CBE-wide regulation and clear signage of cell-phone free zones are posted on the doors of all CBE change rooms and bathrooms.

In the event of misuse of POEDs, the following consequences will be implemented, no exceptions:

• Level 1: The POED will be removed by having the teacher direct the student to power it down before bringing it to the main office for safe keeping; the student will be directed to retrieve it again at the end of the day before leaving the school.  The teacher will inform parents.

• Level 2: If misuse occurs again after your POED was removed once, parents will be contacted to come to the school to pick up the POED; a meeting with student, their parents and the teacher may be needed before the student is  permitted to have their POED at school again.
• Level 3: The student will lose the privilege of bringing their POED to school for a period of time (a month, a semester or the remainder of the school year).  This may include having your CBE access restricted and/or temporarily barred.

3. Personally Owned Laptops

The afore-mentioned guidelines do not apply to the use of personal laptops/Chromebooks. Grade 7-9 students are encouraged to bring their personal laptop to school, if they have one. This is not a requirement. Teachers will provide students with guidelines for the use of personal laptops for learning purposes. Should students use their laptops for social communication (ex. iMessenger), gaming, or viewing sites unrelated to the learning task at hand, teachers will immediately ask students to discontinue use of the laptop and communicate with parents about leaving it at home.

We are confident that with clear, consistent and compassionate limitations of electronic devices during school time, adolescent learners will experience improved relationships with teachers, classmates and with themselves.