In-School Workshop

Internet Law & Technology: A Proactive Review of Cyber Law for Educators

The legal environment in schools today is diverse and often treacherous. Even the savvy administrator cannot see all of the potential legal problems. Therefore, having an accurate representation of the “techno- legal” environment within the school system can be a proactive measure to reduce legal complications in the future. We win use actual cases and state statutes for emphasis and review.

Specific topics include:

• Does your school have a school board approved Acceptable Use Policy?
• Does your school allow employees and students to communicate about "official
  school business" using external mail providers, such as hotmail.com, yahoo.com or AOL?
• Does your school allow employees and students to make personal or professional purchases online from school owned computers?
• Is there a policy statement regarding the sharing of non-directory or confidential student information via the internal system?
• Do you post copyright awareness messages near copiers, printers and scanners?
• Do you require employees to participate in copyright requirement training?
• Do you maintain a database inventory of licensed software including operating system licenses?
• Is there a single repository in your school system for the storage of original software license Certificates of Authenticity?
• Can students use school computers and the school's internet to send thousands of emails to US troops in Iraq encouraging them to lay down their arms and go A WOL? Free speech
• Can school employees be prohibited from using the school's internet to run a private business?
• Cyber stalking: the Amy Boyer case
• Cyber cheating
• Online filters
• Internet fitters report
• Child Online Protection Act
• Designing assignments to minimize cyber cheating

Schools and the internet - some cases of note:

J.S. v. Bethlehem Area School District (Pa. Comm. Ct. 2000), COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA 757 A.2d 412

Nick Emmett v. Kent School District No. 415 (W.D. Wa. 2000), UNITED STATES DISTRICT
COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON, 92 F. Supp. 2d ]08

Target Audience:

All educators.administrators, special education teachers, classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, & technology directors.