Student Use of E-mail and the Internet
School District 4J is continuing to expand the use of Internet services on
our electronic network (4JNet). The Internet is a global network that provides
access to a wide range of information from throughout the world and allows
students to communicate wi th people worldwide. 4J's purpose in providing
Internet services is to assist in preparing students for success in the 21st
Century. Our network was made possible when Eugene voters funded our 1992
bond request to provide computers in classrooms, libraries, and labs.
It is possible that students may find material on the Internet that parents consider objectionable. District 4J's Guidelines for Accessing 4JNet prohibit access to material that is inappropriate in the school environment. Although student use of the Internet while at school will be supervised by staff, we cannot guarantee that students will not gain access to inappropriate materials. We encourage parents to have a discussion with their children about values and how they should guide student activities while using the Internet.
Secondary students in some schools may also have access to the district e-mail system at school and remotely from home. Inappropriate use of e-mail will not be tolerated and students risk losing their accounts. Parents are responsible for monitoring children's activities when they access the system from home.
The 4J Internet Guidelines Committee has the responsibility to recommend the policies, procedures, and guildelines for Internet use in the district. The committee has developed Internet Privacy Protections and Considerations for Students which presents the district's position regarding our obligation to protect student safety and to balance this with the need for open communications when using the Internet. Generally, we believe that students should not be easily identifiable from material they publish on the Internet and under no circumstances will we post any information for students whose parents have returned a form forbidding the release of directory information without the consent of the parents.
4JNet Services
1. The World Wide Web provides an incredible amount of good, useful information in the form of text, graphics, photographs, video, and sound. The Web is used in the classroom to extend teaching and learning, as well as being a valuable research tool. There are real advantages to being able to access such valuable resources on the Internet.
2. E-Mail allows students to communicate with people throughout the world. In addition to using e-mail to communicate with individuals, secondary students may also subscribe to mailing lists, an Internet-based program for group communication to which participants must subscribe. Students use mailing lists to engage in group discussions related to educational projects.
- Individual E-Mail Accounts: Students at Churchill, South Eugene and North Eugene high schools will be given a 4J e-mail account unless a parent or guardian has returned a form denying it. Middle school students at Spencer Butte, Roosevelt, Kelly, da Vinci and Yujin Gakuen Middle will also be given a 4J e-mail account unless a parent or guardian has returned a form denying it. All other high school and middle school students may obtain individual district e-mail accounts with written consent from their parents. A signed 4JNet Student Account Agreement must be returned to the school indicating that the student and parent agree to follow 4J's Guidelines for Accessing 4JNet. These agreements are available either at the school or from Computing and Information Services at the Education Center (687-3329).
- Classroom Accounts: Elementary students may be granted e-mail access through a classroom account requested by a teacher. Elementary students may be provided with an individual account under special circumstances at the request of their teacher and with the approval of a parent as described above. A signed 4JNet Student Account Agreement will be required for an elementary student to have an individual e-mail account.
These procedures are being followed as Internet resources are being integrated into the classroom:
- We are providing all staff with information about the Internet and its uses and possible misuses so that they can discuss these issues with students. Staff inservice about use of the network also includes information about teaching students how to use the Internet appropriately.
- We have established clear rules and set boundaries for students. Each school has copies of 4J's Guidelines for Accessing 4JNet and 4J Netiquette (network etiquette).
We are helping teachers to learn about the appropriate use of the Internet
and advising them about how to use this technology with students to extend
teaching and learning. Each school may schedule information meetings which
include a live demonstration on the Internet and the opportunity for parents
to explore the Internet on their own. Parents may contact their child's school
principal or teachers to learn more about how this educational resource is
being used at the school.
| 4J Internet Services
