Digital Citizenship And Acceptable Use Of Technology

Everyone has 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 not a requirement; there is a telephone outside the main office which is always available for student use. 

CBE-Owned Devices

Woodman has a growing inventory of school-owned devices for students to access for their learning.

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
• Sharing passwords
• Using personal information/images of others without their consent and altering or publishing it for any reason
• Using the CBE Google Suite or other sites to engage in disparaging communication about others, or for other purposes than learning
• Plagiarism of online content, without citing the source
• Misrepresenting personal submission of work, through artificial intelligence software
• 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

Personally Owned Electronic Devices

The following requirements for the restricted use of Personally Owned Electronic Devices (POED) on school property will be in effect for the 2023-2024 school year.

A POED includes, but is not limited to:

• Cell phones
• Ipods
• Smart watches with internet access
• Airpods

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 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. 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.
• 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.
• Students may not take photos of others without their permission, or posting any images of others without their permission

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, letting them know that should it occur again the cell phone will be confiscated and remain at school until parents pick it up.
• Level 2: If misuse occurs again after the POED was removed once, parents will be contacted to come to the school to pick up the POED; parents will be informed that should a third occurrence take place, the cell phone would not be permitted back into the school environment on a longer term basis
• 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 CBE access restricted and/or temporarily barred; a meeting with student, their parents and the teacher may be needed before the student is permitted to have their POED at school again.

Personally Owned Laptops/Tablets

The afore-mentioned guidelines do not apply to the use of personal laptops/tablets. 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.

Serious breaches to Digital Citizenship guidelines may result in a removal of CBE Wifi Access or definitive removal of personal cell phone or CBE technology use at school.