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Smarter Clicking

School Technology Policies That Work!

By: Christopher Wells

Designed to support appropriate use of technology for teaching and learning, this reader-friendly resource helps school leaders create, implement, and maintain effective instructional technology policies.

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781412966993
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2010
Page Count: 152
Publication date: March 15, 2010

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Description

"Wells carefully shares important information, examples, and resources helpful to any district that is continually developing policies and procedures in technology. He has developed a wonderful field guide for any administrator charged with developing such policies."
—Donnan Stoicovy, Principal
Park Forest Elementary School, State College, PA

Develop safe technology practices that support learning and protect your school, staff, and students!

Today's emerging technologies present educators with a wealth of teaching opportunities combined with challenges that include legal, safety, and privacy issues. This comprehensive guide is designed to support appropriate use of technology for teaching and learning and give school leaders a clear road map for creating, implementing, and maintaining effective instructional technology policies. In jargon-free terms, Christopher Wells explains legal considerations and offers case studies and concrete strategies help educators:

Evaluate their schools' needs
Involve all school, district, and community stakeholders in a collaborative effort
Manage technology access to protect student and staff privacy
Respond to challenges presented by social networking and emerging technologies
Avoid inappropriate, costly use of technology
Develop acceptable use policies

Smarter Clicking helps school and district administrators develop policies that support the informed use of cutting-edge technology within an environment that advances learning while protecting schools, students, and staff.

Key features

Each chapter features:

Critical questions that highlight key chapter topics
A case study to illustrate the chapter's focus
Specific tools and strategies plus sample policies and guidelines to help educators in the policy development process

Explains in clear, jargon-free terms the legal ramifications of technology usage in schools and offers methods to avoid problem issues
Provides a clear map to help teachers and administrators create successful instructional technology policies and procedures to encourage learning environments and discourage costly inappropriate district technology use

Author(s)

Christopher Wells

Christopher Wells is the IT policies and communications director for Gwinnett County Public Schools, the largest school district in Georgia. With more than 160,000 students in the district, he responds to the diverse, creative ways technology is being used in classrooms. Christopher presents regularly and his enthusiasm for his topic material is contagious (even if the audience thinks that technology policies and procedures are boring!). By incorporating realistic examples and messages with humor, compassion, and vision, Christopher consistently engages diverse audiences and leaves listeners focused and energized on the development of new resources for students and teachers. In the past, he worked for Arthur Andersen, a global consulting firm, and developed and managed a global distance learning consulting practice. Prior to that, Christopher was a high school science and computer science teacher, developing curricula for biology, ecology, environmental science, oceanography, science research, and AP Pascal classes.

Christopher is a graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, earning his BS in science education and biology and an MS in computer education with an emphasis on instructional technology. He is currently a PhD student at Walden University’s College of Management and Technology in leadership and organizational change. Christopher is still actively involved in several organizations that involve youth and the natural world, including a youth retreat movement for middle school students and a sea turtle research project run on Wassaw Island, Georgia.

Table of Contents

About the Author

Preface

1. Optional No Longer: The Need for Effective School Technology Policies

Why school technology policies are essential

Legal policy requirements

Comparing technology expectations and correlating policies

Using policies to shape instructional expectations for technology

2. It’s Everyone’s Responsibility: A Collaborative Approach to Technology Policy Development

Leading technology policy development and implementation

Policy development and implementation responsibilities

Comparing the policies of school and home technology use

Policies for the larger learning community outside of school

Involving more learning community members in policy development

3. Good Fences Make Good Users: Policies for Protecting Privacy

Student and staff privacy: the policy perspective

Managing sensitive instruction-related information

Guidelines for protecting student information

The emerging social networking challenge

4. Keeping Money in the Checking Account: Policies for Protect Technology Investments

The real cost of innovation in the classroom

Educating and the investment cost of technology

Developing policies to address the changing scope of educational technology investments

5. Knowing the Secret Handshake: Technology Access Policies

Evaluating school technology functions and related policies

Developing Acceptable use policies (AUPs)

Using passwords to secure access

6. Buttons, Bells, and Flashing Lights: Managing K-12 Internet Use

Internet applications in the classroom

Policy development to support instructional internet use

Policies to protect others’ privacy and personal rights

7. No Stone Unturned: Implementing Technology Policies and Procedures

Exploring the impact of policies on the learning culture

Shaping the culture with school technology policies and procedures

Supporting culture change with technology team members

Managing community response to school technology policies

Preventing conflicts over policy components

8. In My Crystal Ball, I See…: Emerging Technology Concerns

Policy challenges of ubiquitous technology

Addressing emerging technology and limiting risks

Policy development to support future appropriate school technology use

Resources

References

Index

Reviews

"Wells has carefully shared important information, examples, and resources that would be helpful to any district that is continually developing policies and procedures in technology. The author has developed a wonderful field guide for those who are charged with developing such policies."

Donnan Stoicovy, Principal
Park Forest Elementary School, State College, PA

"Technological advances have changed teaching and learning in our schools. As key instructional leaders, principals must be prepared to regulate these advances. School leaders need up-to-date information about technology policies and how they affect teaching and learning. Smarter Clicking is an important resource in providing guidance for principals, administrators, and technology team members to develop technology policies and procedures that aid student learning."

Gail Connelly, Executive Director
National Association of Elementary School Principals

Other Titles in: Legal Issues | Leadership in Educational Technology

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This book is not available as a review copy.