RESPONSIBLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY POLICY
for the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
PURPOSE
Technology is a valuable educational vehicle. This school is committed to
teach its faculty, staff, students, and school community to work with
technology and to ensure responsible use of technology.
GOAL
The school’s goal is to prepare its members for life in an electronic,
global community. To this end, the school will:
• provide a variety of electronic tools
• teach technology skills
• integrate technology with curriculum
• encourage critical thinking and problem solving skills
• facilitate evaluation and synthesis of information
• encourage ethical practices
RESPONSIBILITIES OF USER
This school will make every effort to provide a safe environment for
learning with technology including Internet safeguards. The faculty, staff,
students, and school community are granted the privilege of using the
computer hardware and software, peripherals, and electronic communication
tools including the Internet. With this privilege comes the responsibility
to use the equipment correctly, respect the name and intellectual property
of others, and follow the policies outlined below.
TECHNOLOGY GUIDELINES
• Training: All users are required to take simple training on the proper use
and handling of school’s hardware/software.
• Authorization: Students will use the computers during technology class.
Permission must be received before using any hardware/software in any area
of the school.
• Monitoring: The school has the right to monitor all activities.
• Security: Any attempt to circumvent system security, guess passwords, or
in any way gain access to secured resources or another’s files is forbidden.
• Integrity: Users are to respect the rights of others. Users are not to
cut, copy, or plagiarize Internet content. Assume everything is copyrighted
unless it specifically indicates otherwise.
se of Software: Users will not install, move, delete, download, upload,
reconfigure, or modify any software or files on school equipment without
permission.
• Use of Hardware: Users will not move, repair, reconfigure, modify, or
attach external devices to the systems without permission.
• Misuse: Use of equipment to harass, threaten, deceive, intimidate, offend,
embarrass, or annoy anyone is strictly forbidden.
• Violations: Violating license agreements, copying disks, CD-ROMs, or other
protected media, is strictly forbidden.
• Reporting: Any damage or change to the school’s hardware/software that is
noted by the user should be immediately reported.
• Electronic Devices: Use of additional electronic devices including but not
limited to personal digital assistants (PDA), calculators, gaming devices,
cellular phones, and pagers will be determined by the administrator of the
school. The school’s technology policy regarding authorization, use,
responsibility, integrity, intellectual property, and monitoring will be
applied to these devices.
• Administrative Rights: The Office of Catholic Education or the school
administration at any time may add additional rules and restrictions.
INTERNET/TELECOMMUNICATONS GUIDELINES
• Internet Training: All users are required to take simple Internet training
(how to sign on, log off, etc.).
• Educational Purpose: Internet use is for educational research purposes. A
teacher assignment is expected. Expressed permission is required.
• Intellectual Property: Transferring copyrighted material to or from a
school without expressed permission of the owner is a violation of Federal
Law. The user is deemed responsible to see that this does not occur. Assume
everything is copyrighted unless the source specifically indicates
otherwise. Always cite the sources.
• Personal Responsibility: The user is responsible for the sites he or she
visits. He or she may not deliberately visit a site known for unacceptable
material or encourage others to do so.
• Reporting: In the event that the user encounters an unacceptable site for
material, the user is required to turn the monitor off or click the Internet
back button and tell the teacher immediately.
• Unauthorized Use: Use of the Internet for commercial gains or profits is
not allowed from an educational site.
• Monitor Activities: The school has the right to monitor all
Internet/Telecommunication activities.
• Administrative Rights: The Office of Catholic Education or the school
administration at any time may add additional rules and restrictions.
• Email: Use of the Internet for faculty, staff, students or school
community email will be at the discretion of the school administration. All
of the above rules and restrictions also apply to use of the Internet for
email.
Violation of the above rules will be dealt with by the administration of the
school.
Violation of these rules may result in any or all of the following:
• Issuance of demerits/detentions
• Loss of use of school hardware/software
• Loss of use of the school network, including Internet access. The student
will be expected to complete work on a non-networked, stand-alone computer
system.
• Disciplinary action including dismissal, and/or legal action by the school
or other involved parties.
