Virtual Learning Network

Birchwood School

Developing our AUP (Acceptable Use Policy) or DCP (Digital Citizen Profile)

Term 3, 2011

Current Policy

On enrolment at Birchwood School all families are given our cyber safety agreement to view and sign before students are allowed to access the ICT equipment as part of the classroom programme.  At Year 0-3 parents are required to sign and at Year 4-6 parents and students are required to sign.  Students that have been at school prior to Year 4 need to revisit the agreement with their parents at the beginning of the year and sign before they continue using the ICT equipment as part of the classroom programme. 

Our Current Cyber Safety Agreement

Our cyber safety agreement has come from Net Safe and is used as is for all year groups.  We have found this document very wordy and not particularly accessible for students and parents.  It is not well known by our staff and needs to be revisited so it is a better fit for our school.     

To Consider

• How can we change our agreement so that it becomes a living document in our school that students, parents and teachers have a clear understanding of?
• How can we ensure that there is a consistent cyber safety/digital citizenship message shared within our school and at an appropriate level for the learners?
• How do we integrate this into our long term plan so it is revisited on a regular basis in a meaningful way?
• How can we integrate this into our new school curriculum and the vision we have for our school?
• Is it better suited to being set within our school values or our learners’ qualities?
• Does it become an AUP or do we link the focus to digital citizenship? 

Possible Solutions

• Include cyber safety/digital citizenship in our setting up the classroom focus at the beginning of the year.
• All students, regardless of age, re-sign an age appropriate contract that is displayed in the classroom and referred to on a regular basis/as teachable moments occur.
• Encourage parents to take part in cyber safety/digital citizenship focuses at the beginning of the year or as part of a parent education morning/afternoon/evening.
• Encourage students to share new understandings with parents – make students the experts (with support from classroom programme e.g. KOS).
• Run staff professional development around our AUP/DCP and how we present it to children in our classrooms and respond to questions from parents.  Check understanding of staff re. AUP/DUP.
• Initially consider our AUP/DUP in relation to our school values – this seems like an obvious fit and is well known by students.
• ELearning team to meet and develop draft document – consult with staff, students and parents as it is developed to ensure it is clear to everyone that will use the document.
• ELearning team and staff to develop a teaching programme and resources that are suitable for different age groups and has consistent messages as students move through the school – refer to programmes already available e.g. Hector’s World, John Parsons

Next Steps

• Meet with eLearning team to discuss priorities
• Develop draft and consult with staff
• Lead teacher to attend ICT Lead Teacher meeting to discuss with other lead teachers
• ELearning team to discuss digital citizenship with our classes (a variety of ages) and check current understanding 

Draft One – Digital Citizen Profile

The Birchwood Way – Digital Citizenship