Education leaders are re-examining acceptable use policies in light of the increasing use of highly mobile information technologies. While acceptable use policies were developed to manage and control behaviour, a digital citizenship policy takes a more comprehensive approach by recognizing the important role of education in preparing digital…

A parent brings a cyber bullying incident to your attention and expects you to resolve it. What are the students' rights and your responsibilities according to the law? Because the laws regarding disciplinary action are still evolving, this manual fills the gap by providing public school leaders with data-driven solutions for managing cyber…

Conflict among peers is common, and not necessarily a bad thing. Disagreement, teasing, and conflict are part of growing up, and children and adolescents need to develop skills to resolve these clashes. However, bullying, an extreme form of peer conflict or teasing, can be physically and psychologically harmful. Therefore, it is important for…

A decade ago, before the tech boom collapsed and the digital economy bubble burst, it seemed to some that issues surrounding information technology (IT) might be central to the politics of the early 21st century. But after September 11, 2001, with so much else on everyone's minds, "digital politics" seemed a boring sideshow. Technocrats,…

Rapid development of new technologies has outpaced the development of related law, leaving educators in doubt about the management of copyright, privacy, liability, and security. A key provision of facilitating a healthy and safe environment for technology use is the school district's "Acceptable Use Policy" (AUP), which states that use…

The purpose of this book is threefold: (1) to inform Internet users of the legal ramifications of their on-line activities; (2) to help administrators handle specific situations or complaints regarding Internet activity; and (3) to provide guidance for the formulation of acceptable computer use policies on campuses. The chapters are: chapter 1,…

School board members generally understand the ramifications of the open meeting and public records of their states; however, they may not know whether their use of e-mail is subject to these laws. Legally, e-mail has as much potential exposure to liability as any other communication subject to the state open-meeting law, or as any unprivileged…