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Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium
1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave.
Ritter Annex 9th Floor
Temple University - CRHDE
Philadelphia, PA 19122
800-892-5550
215-204-5130 (fax)
General Inquires:
Laurence Peters
Judith Stull
Technical Assistance:
Barry Mansfield
Professional Development:
Joan Pasternak
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Temple University Center for Research
in Human Development and Education |
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An example of a standard assignment found in many school classrooms is the state research paper. Observed in various forms, this assignment has become a constant and has changed very little over time. The idea is to research a state and write a report including the state’s flag, bird, capital, major cities, and major industries. Traditionally, a student would have been able to find all of this information from one source, probably an encyclopedia. With Internet access, students are faced with the increased ease of plagiarizing the content electronically. This is a familiar underutilization of technology found throughout schools and is directly attributable to the types of assignments students are getting.
In contrast, an assignment that asks a student to create an itinerary of their travels through a state opens up unlimited possibilities for research that is now possible on the Internet. Students can research important sights to see, look up bus schedules or calculate car rental and mileage for their trip, map their trip, contact state travel bureaus, find hotel rooms, and calculate a budget for the journey. An assignment such |
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as this not only makes better use of technology resources but, more importantly, it allows students to think more carefully, take more ownership and interest in their work, and produce something authentic that is more difficult to plagiarize.
The Trouble with AUPs
School administrators draw up Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) as a set of rules that govern the use of computers and the Internet within a school. AUPs are important legal documents that play a vital role in the protection of rights and responsibilities of schools, teachers, students, and parents. However, the problem is that AUPs are legal documents, replete with all the jargon and “mumbo-jumbo” that legal documents are known for. Rather than a “living” document that everyone in the school community should understand, analyze, and apply, the AUP typically becomes a formality brought home to be signed by a guardian at the start of each year. As a result, a lack of communication and an abundance of misperceptions lead to ambiguity and confusion.
Even with the creation of AUPs, as well intentioned as they are, there is ambiguity between students and teachers in the perceptions of what is right and wrong. Without a clear dialogue of expectations and the participation of students and teachers in the formation of policies, AUPs will remain arcane documents reserved for the discourse of administrators and attorneys.
Moreover, AUPs do not take into account the behavior of students on their computers at home. Burnam and Yasmin (2004) indicate that children’s values change significantly when asked about using computers at home versus school, in which dubious actions seem more acceptable at home. These discrepancies strengthen the need for all stakeholders to engage in an educational dialogue that integrates a more holistic plan rather than simply establishing rules for students to follow.
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