ICT+Policy+and+Rationale

= ICT Policy 1   Use Of Computers And ICT Within The School Education Curriculum = The school provides access to a wide variety of ICT (information technology and communication) services to encourage wider understanding of the technologies available and to foster a greater acceptance of the community diversities. These services include smart boards accompanying whiteboards in every classroom and training in the use of many relevant cutting-edge ICT developments. The school has access to 400 school Macbook laptops, which are accessible to both registered students and staff members (see subsection 2.1) and may be borrowed through a loan system for use within the school campus. The use of these computers are governed by rules stipulated under subsection 3.1. Priority for these computers will be given to academic staff for use by the students within the class curriculum. == 1.1   ICT Education for Students == Students will be taught the following ICT skills to enable them to effectively conduct research. These objectives aim to broaden the students’ awareness of available technologies and develop their ICT skills to provide them with well rounded abilities that will be adaptable to any career path they may choose. === 1.1.1   Assessment === During summative and formative assessment tasks, students will be assessed on their use of ICT skills including their ability to quickly and accurately find relevant information, their summation of this information and the presentation of their work. Students will also be assessed on their use of relevant operating systems and software packages. ==== ** 1.1.1.1 ** ** Plagiarism ** ==== The school actively discourages plagiarism within the school community. Work submitted by students will be thoroughly vetted by anti-plagiarism methods. == // 1.2 // // ICT education Staff // == Staff are provided the training and support to enable them to effectively teach and foster a greater range of understanding and skills that the students will need in their ICT education (refer to subsection 1.3). === 1.2.1   ICT seminars === One seminar will be run every term to introduce staff and any other person involved in the school community to recent technological developments that will be included in the school curriculum (size restrictions apply and sign-up is required). These seminars will run for 1-2 hours each and incorporate presentations and hands-on training in technologies in use within the school environment and developments that will be useful for their ICT understanding. Each academic staff member must attend at least two seminars each year and these will be included in their VIT personal development requirements. Community attendance is actively encouraged. == // 1.3 // // Email // == Each student and staff member is provided an individual school email account. Access to which will be through the school’s internet page and log-in will be using the user name and password provided to each permitted person. Any email sent is assumed to have been read by the recipient. Access to external email accounts (Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, ect.) is regulated and in some cases restricted to prevent spam or viral infections of the school networks. Access to EduMail is monitored, but unrestricted to staff members with an account. (Department of Education and Training, 2009) (Busitill, 2007) (Boyce, 2009) (DEECD, 2009) = 2   System Administration = The school provides access to the internet and to four intranet networks to all staff and students. It is school policy to allow access to these network systems to all people granted access under subsection 2.1. These networks are readably accessible through networked computers via either publicly accessible school laptops (refer to section 3), or through individual personal laptops (refer to section 4). == // 2.1 // // Access // == Access is granted to all staff and students currently and actively registered with the school body using an assigned username and password unique to each person. These people will be given access to relevant networks (refer to subsection 2.4 for network access and network definitions and subsection 2.5 for storage quotas). Students are defined as people who are actively registered with the school body undertaking full or part time study within the school. Academic staff are defined as people who are actively registered with both the school body and relevant state and federal education bodies and are employed in either a full-time or part-time teaching position within the school. Administration staff are defined as people who are actively registered with the school body and are employed in either a full-time or part-time administration position. == // 2.2 // // Restricted Sites and material // == Any user found to have accessed, uploaded, downloaded or stored material of an offensive, pornographic, derogatory or in other ways unsuitable nature on the school networks or computers will be dealt with in accordance with the student welfare and disciplinary policies and referred to the student welfare officer. Additionally, sites that are deemed unnecessary or unsafe will be blocked from access via the school networks. This includes social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace and certain external email sites. Some sited may be unblocked and limited use may be granted upon prior arrangement with the school body and ICT services. == // 2.3 // // Networks // == There are four available networks for access to registered people. All networks are monitored and viewing or storing any illegal, harmful or offensive material is prohibited and will be deleted by the network administrator. All networks can be accessed through either hardline or wireless coverage using a username and password login. == // 2.4 // // Available networks // == Network 1 – Otherwise known as Student-share, is for school curriculum related activities, specifically the submission of school homework and assignment activities handed out in class. Both regestered staff and students will be provided access allocated sections of this network. This network is protected by individual passwords and monitored at the server. Network 2 – Otherwise known as Staff-share, is for school curriculum related activities, specifically for the storage and sharing of curriculum development materials by registered academic staff only. This network is protected by individual passwords and monitored at the server. Network 3 – Otherwise known as Admin-share, is allocated exclusively for use for registered administration related activities. Access to this network is restricted to administration staff only. This network is protected by individual passwords and monitored at the server. Network 4 – Otherwise known as Free-share, is an open access network with unrestricted access by all registered people. This network is protected by individual passwords, however is minimally monitored at the server. Use of anti-virus software and discretion is advised in using this network. == // 2.5 // // Storage space // == Each student will be allowed 500 megabytes (500Mb) of storage space on network 1 for curriculum-related activities and unlimited storage on network 4. Requests for further storage access will be assessed on an individual basis upon application. Each academic staff member will be allowed one gigabyte (1Gb) of storage space on network 1 and an additional two gigabytes (2Gb) of storage on network 2 for curriculum related work and unlimited storage on network 4. Requests for further storage access will be assessed on an individual basis upon application. Each administration staff member are allowed two gigabytes (2Gb) of storage on network 3 and unlimited storage on network 4. Requests for further storage access will be assessed on an individual basis upon application. == // 2.6 // // Network maintenance // == Maintenance is preformed on each of the networks every first Saturday of every month from 1200hrs. Maintenance usually lasts four hours and will result in intermittent service of each network. It is strongly recommended that a backup of all data kept on the networks is stored by individual users. (Boyce, 2009) (Busitill, 2007) (Drew, Hardman, & Hosp, 2008) (Henderson & Bradey, 2008) (Knight, 2009) (Merotta, 2009) (Perillo, 2006) (Purches, 2009) (Randeree, 2006) (Thomas, 2009) (Bencze & Bowen, 2007) (Kaufman & Dodge, 2008) (Purches, 2009) (Tucky, TKIS IT Policy And Network Access, 2008) = 3   Public Computers = Each registered person is allowed access to public Macbook laptops provided by the school for school related activities. These are to be signed out and for use around the school only. The school laptops themselves will be automatically reset to school specified settings upon user logout (private computers – refer to subsection 4.1 – are under no such obligations). == // 3.1 // // Rules governing the use of public laptops // == Use of school laptops are regulated by the following rules. 1. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> No school computer will be used exclusively by one person. 2. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> The use of the school computers for school-related activities are given preference over non-school-related activities and people requested to relinquish a school computer for school-related activities are to do so immediately. 3. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> No food or drink is to be consumed around a school laptop. 4. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> Any person found to have vandalised a school computer, allowed a school computer to be vandalised, or adversely affected the integrity of school networks and related software will be prosecuted. 5. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> Viewing any material deemed to be forbidden or offensive is prohibited and any such material stored on any network will be deleted and the source of investigated. 6. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> Borrowing time of school owned laptops is limited (1hr for individual students, 3hrs for individual staff and negotiable for academic staff when borrowed as class sets for curriculum-related use). 7. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> Internet download limits apply. (Bencze & Bowen, 2007) (Boyce, 2009) (Busitill, 2007) (Henderson & Bradey, 2008) (Kaufman & Dodge, 2008) (Knight, 2009) (Merotta, 2009) (Purches, 2009) (Randeree, 2006) (Thomas, 2009) (Tucky, TKIS IT Policy And Network Access, 2008) = 4 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">  Personal Computers And Networking = Privite computers are not required by students in the school (refer to subsection 4.1), however use and network access may be granted by appraisal (rever to subsections 4.1 and 4.1.1) == // 4.1 //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> // Networking private computers // == The school recommends, although does not require, that each student and staff member have a USB/memory storage device for personal use. In the event that this device is a private laptop, access will be granted to the relevant networks by individual appraisal of the school body and system administrator. ===// 4.1.1 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">  //// Virus software //=== In the event that a personal computer is permitted access to one or more of the school networks, it is recommended that either Norton360 or AVG brands of anti-virus software be installed and active on the device. It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure that the anti-virus software definitions and subscription are both up to date. (Thomas, 2009) (Knight, 2009) (Merotta, 2009) (Purches, 2009) (Boyce, 2009) (Busitill, 2007) (Tucky, TKIS IT Policy And Network Access, 2008) (Tucky, TKIS Notebook Programme 2008, 2008) = 5 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">  Policy Review = Review of this ICT policy will be conducted on a need buy need basis and amendments or changes will be displayed on the school website for community review.
 * 1) Use of search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.
 * 2) How to find articles that are useful and relevant to their curriculum work.
 * 3) Sorting and refining searches to enable them to quickly find desired material
 * 4) Essay typing and formatting skills
 * 5) Effective use of Macintosh and Windows operating systems and selected software packages (these include MS Office packages and other relevant software packages).

ICT Rationale
Due to the prevalence of Information communication and technology (ICT), students will needed to become knowledgeable about newly developed technology. Accordingly this policy deals with its inclusion in to the school curriculum is a result of the new, wide-spread advent of increasingly powerful computers, addition of evolving technologies within the school and work environments and the progress of ever more sophisticated programming codes that lead to more intuitive programmes and internet sites. As a result of the implementation of these ICT aspects students need to become more technologically aware (DEECD, 2009), to experience the existing technologies and understand where the future advancements will lead. This will enable the students to incorporate themselves into the workforce after graduation from the school, making them more employable and versatile in their vocational area(Busitill, 2007) (Boyce, 2009) (Randeree, 2006).

This ICT policy deals with the education of ICT is devided into the education of the school’s students and its staff members. The policy stipulates that the students will be educated in common internet search engines, including the most expedient and efficient way to find the information they are after, how to type and format their essays and the effective use of Macintosh and Windows operating systems and some common software packages. These aspects are common to a wide variety of schools and are applied to undertakings in multiple subject areas (Boyce, 2009) (Busitill, 2007) (Knight, 2009) (Moulder, 2009) (Purches, 2009). Additionally, teaching students the latest processes ensures that they can more efficiently tackle set tasks, thereby augmenting their self-efficiency in day to day lives (Bencze & Bowen, 2007) (Randeree, 2006) (Snowman, Dobozy, Scevac, Bryer, Bartlett, & Biehler, 2009). The policy also deals with educating the staff in recent technological developments. It is important in two different respects; firstly, keeping the staff educated with the material they are using within the classrooms and secondly to give the teachers a detailed understanding of the subject matter they are teaching the students about. This first point is important in the smooth running of classes and allows the teachers to feel comfortable in the use of the teaching aids supplied through the school, both of which are widely accepted to be conducive to furthering student education (Busitill, 2007) (Boyce, 2009) (Bencze & Bowen, 2007) (Moulder, 2009) (Purches, 2009). The second is designed to give the teachers a detailed understanding of the the subject matter they are teaching the students about. If the teachers are not familiar with the subject matter they are teaching, they will often leave out information or appear unsure in their teaching demeanour. Perillo, Randeree and Snowman, et al suggest that omissions in the subject will undermine student motivation in the subject by diminishing confidence in the teacher, in which case the student will start to believe that they know more about the subject than their teacher. Waldrip, et al suggests another reason of these omissions on student motivation would be not providing the students with necessary information, hindering the student’s ability to complete the work.Both of these are easily delt with and better teaching quality acheived by comprehesivly educating the teachers in the use of these technologies.

The use and governing rules of the ICT networks and services available throughout the school is also covered in the policy. These can be grouped into two main domains; the networks available to members of the school community and the services provided and methods to access these networks. It was chosen to incorporate these into this ICT policy as the services provided for general use will impact the methods of teaching and assessing (Department of Education and Training, 2009) (Henderson & Bradey, 2008) (Moulder, 2009) (Busitill, 2007). Three, mainly parallel, network areas (with a fourth for general use and emergency backup) were chosen to keep the information relevant to each respective set of users and prevent information becoming corrupt (DEECD, 2009). The email service provided with these networks link the three areas and facilitates communication and submission of homework/assessment tasks between staff and students (Department of Education and Training, 2009) (Busitill, 2007) (Moulder, 2009) (Tucky, TKIS IT Policy And Network Access, 2008) (Thomas, 2009). The main methods to access of these networks are via class sets of school-owned or personal laptops. It was decided to provide class sets of laptops as they are a versatile, transportable and secure medium to use with ICT, while still remaining easily upgradable and relatively affordable (Tucky, TKIS Notebook Programme 2008, 2008). All laptops in each class set are Macbooks as they support the running of both PC and Apple operating systems, while allowing access via personal laptops to the school network maintains the school philosophy of inclusiveness.

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