Technology has become an integral part of today's educational environment. No longer can technology be viewed as a subject unto itself. Through technology, the District provides access for students and staff to resources from around the world. Expanding technologies take students and staff beyond the confines of the classroom and provide tremendous opportunities for enhancing, extending, and rethinking the learning process. This new capability, however, requires guidance for students and staff.

The Board believes that the value of information and interaction that technology offers outweighs the hazards of its misuse. Making network access available, however, carries with it the potential that some network users will encounter sources that some consider controversial or inappropriate. Because information on networks is transitory and so diverse, the District cannot completely predict or control what users may or may not locate. Technology provides a conduit to information: the users must be wary of the sources and content and be responsible in choosing information to be accessed.

Users may access technology only for educational purposes. Exercising this privilege requires that users accept the responsibility for all material viewed, downloaded, and/or produced. Users will need to evaluate the validity of materials accessed through technology and cite their resources when appropriate.

The actions of users accessing networks through the District reflect on the School District; therefore, users must conduct themselves accordingly by exercising good judgment and complying with this policy and any accompanying administrative regulations and guidelines.

Users will:

• Adhere to the rules of copyright and assume that any software that they did not create is copyrighted (unless it is labeled "freeware" or "public domain");
  
• Adhere to the licensing agreements governing the use of shareware; note that e-mail is not guaranteed to be private (people who operate the system do have authorized access to mail, others also may have access);
  
• Be responsible at all times for the proper use of their access privileges and for complying with all required system security identification codes, including not sharing such codes;
  
• Take responsibility for any activities using technology that is borrowed by them or under their account or password;
  
• Maintain the integrity of technological resources from potentially damaging messages, physical abuse, or computer viruses;
  
• Respect the right of others to use equipment and therefore not use it for non-school activities;
  
• Abide by the policies and procedures of networks and systems linked by technology; and protect the privacy of other users and the integrity of the system by avoiding misuse of passwords, others' files, equipment, and programs.

Users will not:

• Use offensive, obscene, inflammatory or defamatory speech;
  
• Harass other users;
  
• Use the account of another user;
  
• Misrepresent themselves or others;
  
• Violate the rights of others, including their privacy;
  
• Access, download, and/or create pornographic or obscene material
  
• Use the network for personal business or financial gain;
  
• Vandalize data, programs, and/or networks;
  
• Degrade or disrupt systems and/or equipment;
  
• Damage technology hardware and/or software;
  
• Spread computer viruses;
  
• Gain unauthorized access to resources or entities;
  
• Violate copyright laws;
  
• Use technology for illegal activities; and
  
• Reveal their name, personal address, or phone number or those of other users.

Failure to comply with this policy and any administrative regulations and guidelines governing the use of technology may result in disciplinary action by staff, administration, and/or the Board of Education.