Technology Acceptable Computer Use Policy:

The computers at Oak School are intended to be used to further the educational experience of all the students at the school. This acceptable use policy is an extension of the Oak School Behavior Standards, building a school culture that displays respect for learning, people, and property. One way to determine if your use of the computers is acceptable is to ask yourself whether your behavior in the electronic world would be acceptable if you acted in a similar fashion in the real world. The Oak staff will help guide you in the proper use of the computers, but you are responsible for your own actions.

The use of the computers is a privilege made available to you. You will continue to be able to use the computers as long as you use them in a responsible manner. Minor violations of this policy will result in the short-term suspension of your computer privileges. Repeated or major violations of this policy will be handled in the same way as violations of the Oak School Behavior Standards.

1. Use the computers for school-approved activities only. This includes assignments given by your teacher and the use of computers as reference tools.
2. Internet access is for classroom-related projects and activities. The Internet may only be accessed with the permission and supervision of a staff member.
3. Only do work on the computers that you would be willing to share with your teacher or parent. This includes information that you create and information that you may find while accessing the Internet.
4. Leave the computer equipment in the same condition as you found it. This includes the physical machine and the files on the machine. It is your responsibility to avoid doing anything that would break the equipment.
5. Respect the property and privacy of other computer users, including your fellow students and school staff. Computer files may not seem like personal property, but they are. You should not look at or copy another person's files unless that person has given you permission. Destruction of another person's files is a serious violation of behavior standards. The file you destroy may not be easy to replace.
6. Respect other people when communicating electronically. Do not send a message to someone or about someone that you would not be willing to share in person. Messages that contain rude, hateful, harmful, or foul language are a violation of the Oak Behavior Standards.
   • To prevent problems, be careful about your use of humor when sending messages to other people. What you think is funny often does not appear that way by the person reading it.
   • Remember that a message sent by a computer can be much more permanent than something you say in person. What you say to another person is often quickly forgotten, but computer messages can live for a very long time, reappearing at anytime.
7. To protect your privacy and the privacy of others. Never share personal information, phone numbers, or addresses in any communications.
8. Report computer or Internet misuse to a staff person.