at school. These policies are flexible enough to protect students and teachers while supporting innovative instructional practices.


Some districts are concerned about students accessing inappropriate content when they are using their own smartphones or tablets equipped with data plans that connect to a 3G or 4G network and do not run through the school filter. Policies may include a clause that prohibits students from connecting to outside networks. However, there is no legal precedent at this time regarding whether a school would be liable for the material a student accesses at school but through a non-school network.


Best policies


As with any technology, the best policies take a task-oriented, information-centered approach. What kinds of learning activities does a school support? What will students know and be able to do as a result of taking part in these activities? When the goals and means are well understood, the approach to the technology follows. In terms of preventing unwanted activities such as cheating on tests and viewing inappropriate content, having an engaging set of tasks with well-integrated roles for mobile technology is important. Making sure that student use of mobile technology happens in areas where they can be easily monitored by educators is a help.


EXAMPLES


Galva Jr/Sr High School (IL) http://www.galvanews.com/news/x338367602/Galva-students- urged-to-use-caution-under-new-electronics-policy


Walled Lake Consolidated Schools (MI): http://www.wlcsd.org/files/ 1115424/2011-12%20student%20code%20of%20conduct%20handbook.pdf


Dysart Unified School District (AZ): http://www.dysart.org/ParentsandStudents/handbook/ DistrictHandbookEnglish.pdf


District 208 (ME): http://www.maine207.org/staff/district_technology_policy/


Pulaski School District (WI) Cell Phone Parent Permission Form: http://roxannnys.pbworks. com/f/Cell_Phone_Permission_Slip_09%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.doc RESOURCES


Koebler, Jason (2011, October 26). US News and World Report. Teachers Use Cell Phones in the Classroom.


Pierce, Margo (2012, January 10). THE Journal. Empahsizing Responsibility in Mobile AUPs. Rapp, David. Scholastic Magazine. Lift the Cell Phone Ban.


Schachter, Ron (2009, November). District Administrator Magazine. Mobile Devices in the Classroom. Schuch, Sarah (2011, September 10). MLive. Cell Phone Use in Schools on the Rise.


Templeton, Barb. (2011, September 6). Macomb Patch. New High School Policies Allow Cell Phones In Class (2011, September 13). Acceptable Use Policies in the Web 2.0 and Mobile Era.


Pam Shoemaker, Ed.S. is the MACUL Advocacy Committee Chairperson and serves as the Instructional Technology Coordinator for Walled Lake consolidated Schools. She is a recent graduate of the MI Educational Policy Fellowship Program.


Jon Margerum-Leys, Ph.D. is a member of the MACUL Advocacy Committee and is currently serving as Interim Associate Dean for Students and Curriculum at Eastern Michigan University, where he is also a professor of Educational Media and Technology.


‘ REPURPOSING


OLD’ CELL PHONES


Do you remember that cell phone in your glove compartment that’s three years old and hopelessly outdated? There are people who would just love to have it for use in emergencies, as a backup, or as a primary cell phone in a third world country. Consider donating your old phone to others in need. Each carrier has recommendations regarding this. Here are a few:


1. AT&T: http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=20369 . AT&T’s program recycles some phones and donates others to soldiers.


2. Verizon: http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline/ . Verizon’s program helps domestic abuse victims by providing phones that can be used in an emergency.


3. Sprint: http://www.sprint.com/responsibility/communities_across/ project_connect.html?ECID=vanity:projectconnect . Like AT&T’s, Sprint’s program recycles phones. It then uses the proceeds to fund Internet safety programs.


4. T-Mobile: http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-recycling . T-Mobile also recycles phones: You can bring your T-Mobile phone to any store to be recycled.


YOU CAN ALSO DONATE DIRECTLY TO PROGRAMS THAT USE OLD CELL PHONES. HERE ARE A FEW OF THOSE:


1. Frontline SMS uses cell phones to help get medical advice to people in Africa. See http://www.healthymagination.com/blog/old-cell-phones-save-lives-in- africa/


2. Cell Phones for Soldiers is the program that AT&T partners with (see above). Their program is here: http://cellphonesforsoldiers.com/


3. The Wireless Foundation supports a variety of initiatives including Text4Baby, a program that sends health-related texts to new moms. They accept cell phone donations directly. See http://www.wirelessfoundation.org/


PACKING UP When you donate your phone, don’t forget to include as many of the items that came with it as you have. That means the charger, cable(s), headphones, original case, and manual(s). If you don’t have the manual, you can download a copy at http://cellphonesguide.net/ or http://www.wirefly.com/learn/category/manuals/.


REMOVING PERSONAL INFORMATION


Before donating your phone, you’ll want to delete any personal information that might be found there. Your information can be found on your phone’s SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card and in some cases on your phone’s memory card. The SIM card can be removed from the phone; the organization to which you donate it will provide a new SIM card. Simply transfer the SIM card to your new phone or, if it is incompatible with the new phone, destroy it. The memory card, if your phone has one, is trickier. In order for your phone to be usable, the memory card must be included when you donate your phone. Wiping the memory card clean requires a different procedure for different types of phones, but the needed commands can generally be found in the phone’s settings. You can also contact your cell phone service provider for detailed instructions. If your phone syncs to a computer, tablet, or cloud service, don’t forget to turn off syncing before donating your phone!


MACULJOURNAL | SPRING/SUMMER 2012 | 13


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32