Ballinamore Post-Primary Schools

Information Technology Policy

Educational Objectives

The Ballinamore Post-Primary Schools have as their policy, the provision of tuition in the use of Information Technology for students with due regard to the resources and personnel available. In order to achieve this, the Secondary and Vocational Schools co-operate in the funding, purchase, location and teaching of IT studies.

Teachers are encouraged to avail of IT in-service courses and to teach IT in subject specific classes.

The school is prepared to source funding from the Department of Education and Science for IT for special needs.

IT Coordinators

Two teachers will act as the ICT Coordinators.

They will be responsible for the ICT plan

	Identifying the training needs of teachers
	Teachers should bring IT problems to coordinators attention
	Liaising with school management
	Evaluating the plan

ICT Steering Committee, management and planning

The steering committee will consist of the Coordinators, the learning support teacher, career guidance teacher and the school secretary.

The school ICT Resources and Infrastructure

The Vocational School

	Computer room has nineteen networked computers with Windows 98, and Office 2000. All computers have ISDN access.
	Three printers and one scanner
	One Digital Overhead Projector
	Vocational office one computer

The Secondary School

The computer room has twelve networked computers, each with Windows 98 and Office 2000. All computers have ISDN access.

	Two printers and one scanner
	The careers office has one computer; the secondary office has two, all have internet access.
	The learning support room has one computer.
	Staff room has one computer

Budgetary Provision

The schools’ budgeting process will depend on the grants that are given by the Department of Education and Science. Provision will be made for purchase, the maintenance and servicing of hardware and software for use by staff, students and school administration. Account will be taken of the cost of technical support, consumables, system upgrades and equipment renewal.

ICT Plan

	Continuing the integration of ICT into the teaching and learning process.
	The school magazine may use desktop publishing to assist in the compilation of articles.
	Use of the computer room to identify career interests and to assist in the CAO entries.
	Training junior students in the use of ICT.
	Promoting the use of the IT facilities in the LCVP.

Internet Safety and Security

Only students who are supervised by a teacher may use the computer rooms. Teachers are to schedule time in the computer room as the need arises.

Students should purchase their discs from the school and leave them in the school for safekeeping and to minimise contamination from a virus.

Students are not to interfere with the computers and to use the proper procedures for opening and shutting down.

While supervised by a teacher the students are allowed to access only those parts of the internet that are relevant for their particular topic of study. Students are forbidden to access pornographic sites. Accessing such material or downloading it will be regarded as a very serious breach of conduct.

When using the Internet, all users must comply with all copyright, libel, fraud, discrimination and obscenity laws.

Staff should ensure that students know and understand that no Internet user is permitted to:

	Retrieve, send, copy or display offensive messages or pictures.
	Use obscene or racist language.
	Harass, insult or attack others.
	Damage computers, computer systems or computer networks.
	Use another user’s password.
	Trespass in another user’s folders, work or files.
	Intentionally waste resources.
	Use the network for unapproved commercial purposes.

The following online activities are encouraged:

	The appropriate use of the Internet to investigate and research school subjects.
	The use of the Internet to investigate careers, further and higher education.
	The development of pupils’ competence in IT skills and general research.

The following online activities are not permitted, for example:

	Searching, viewing and/or retrieving materials that are not related to the aims of the curriculum or future careers.
	Copying saving and/or redistributing copyright protected material without appropriate approval.
	Subscribing to any services or ordering any goods or services, unless specifically approved by the school.
	Playing computer games or using other interactive chat sites, unless specifically assigned by the teacher.
	Using the network in such a way that use of the network by other users is disrupted (for example: downloading large files during peak usage times)
	Any activity that violates the rules of the school.

INTERNET

ACCEPTABLE USAGE POLICY

Aims

· All pupils will benefit from learning opportunities offered by the school’s internet resources in a safe and effective manner.

· That all those with a vested interest will agree a policy which will satisfy all.

· To extend the range and use of internet resources to more subject areas within the school.

General

· STUDENTS SHOULD AT NO TIME BE IN A COMPUTER ROOM UNATTENDED.

· All activities in IT rooms will be supervised.

· The school will monitor Internet usage.

· Students and teachers will be provided with training in the area of internet usage.( For teachers this will be voluntary)

· All uploads or downloads must be approved by the supervising teacher and will remain the property of the school until checked and given over.

· Virus protection software will be provided and updated regularly.

· All floppy disks and CD-roms can be viewed by staff and retained for inspection by others including parents.

· Filters where available will be utilised to minimise exposure to inappropriate material

· Students will observe good “netiquette” at all times and will not undertake any actions, which may bring the school into disrepute.

· Students will only be allowed access to Internet on return of completed permission form.

World Wide Web

· Students will not visit sites that contain obscene, illegal, racist, hateful or otherwise objectionable material.

· Students will use the Internet for educational use only.

· Students will be aware of copyright issues.

· Students will not disclose or publicise personal information.

· Students will be aware that any usage may be monitored for unusual activity, security or network management reasons.

Email

· Students will use approved email accounts only, under supervision by a teacher.

· Students will not send or receive any material that is illegal, obscene, defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate others.

· Students will not reveal their own or other’s personal details.

· Students will not arrange meetings with individuals contacted through email or Internet use.

· Students will note that sending and receiving email attachments is subject to permission and/or monitoring by the teacher.

Internet Chat

· Students will only have access to chat rooms, discussion forums or other E communication that have school approval and educational purpose. They will be supervised.

· Usernames will be used in the main, real names, only where safety assured and with parental/teacher approval.

· Face to face meetings with person/s organised via internet chat is forbidden.

School Website

	Pupils will be given the opportunity to publish work on the web.
	These publications will be co-ordinated by a teacher.
	Pupils’ work will appear in an educational context with a GENERAL copyright notice prohibiting the copying of such work without express written permission.
	Digital photographs, audio or video clips of individual students will not be published on the school website. Instead photo, audio and video clips will focus on group activities.
	Personal student information will be omitted from school web pages.
	Pupils will continue to own the copyright on any work published.

Responsibility

Students are responsible for their own actions and consequences of misuse of Internet facilities.

The school will bear no financial responsibility for breach of copyright or other activities engaged on the Internet.

Plagiarism is forbidden which may result in sanction from the school and in the event of exam material, State examination commission sanctions.

Parents may be made aware of instances of misuse of Internet, computer hardware or software.

Sanction

Misuse of the Internet may result in disciplinary action, including written warnings, withdrawal of access privileges and, in extreme cases, suspension or recommendation of expulsion. The school also reserves the right to report any illegal activities to the relevant appropriate authorities.