Charneique Mitchell

Assignment #1
The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is a statement of terms and conditions that must be
accepted by students, teachers, and whomever else that will use school based technology. It gives
the understanding for the appropriate usage of technology. The Acceptable Use Policy that I
chose to review comes from Baltimore City Public Schools.
Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) prompts people to read and accept the AUP each
time they log in on a school computer or network. Once a person accepts the AUP it counts as
their signature and they are subject to be held responsible for all of the content that they view,
programs they download, and proper use of school issued accounts including emails. BCPS
states in the AUP that they have the right to review, audit, intercept, access, and disclose any
information accessed on their systems at any given time. There does not have to be a warning
and an individual should not expect privacy or confidentiality on BCPS networks. If an
individual fails to adhere to the AUP, they will be held accountable for their actions. The
components of BCPS Acceptable Use Policy are as follows:

Conduct of Use
Prohibited Use of Technology
Violating Copyright Laws and Software Protection
Electronic Surveillance and Technology Reviews
Filtering
Limitations

Following the AUP is important because it sets the standard on how technology and the
internet should be properly used in education. It is one way that school systems can protect
children from inappropriate sites and software and keep their identities safe. The AUP also
teaches students how to avoid plagiarism and teaches about copyright laws.
The AUP is an essential part to governing what students do on the web. Each school
district should have a proper AUP implemented. Without an AUP, students could be exposed to
negative influences via internet, materials that are not classroom appropriate, or may put out the
wrong information online. I believe that BCPS Acceptable Use Policy clearly outlines what is
expected of their students and staff regarding the use of educational technology.

Charneique Mitchell
Course: Social Studies
Internet Searches for 8th Grade Social Studies
1. Time Magazine
Time.com
This website assists with giving students a better insight on historical events that occurred
to shape different societies as well as the United States and North Carolina. It also allows
students to research different cultures, religions, philosophies, and people.
2. World Geography Games
http://world-geography-games.com
This website allows students to learn the location of different countries of the world on a
map using interactive games. It also gives students information about flags, landmarks,
mountains, cities, bodies of water, and capitals. It gives quizzes and other activities to test their
knowledge of basic geographical knowledge. It is available in different languages.
3. Schoolhouse Rock
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBA17748C043D859E
Schoolhouse rock is a collection of animated songs relating to various historical
events that occurred in the United States. The beats are catchy so that students can catch on
quickly and easily remember information. Schoolhouse Rock covers different things such as
American immigration, the law making process, womens rights, and the American Revolution.
4. Flocabulary
flocabulary.com
Flocabulary is also a collection of catchy songs and beats that cover a variety of
subjects. This website also follows the common core.
5. Channel One News
Channelone.com
Channel One News is a teacher/student friendly website that offers the most up to
date news in an appropriate way so that students can keep up. They also provide activities, blogs,
and a curriculum section for teachers.
6.Brain Pop
Brainpop.com
BrainPOP creates animated curricular content that engages students. It supports
learning for groups and individuals. Brain Pop helps to introduce topics and illustrate complex
concepts. It also allows teachers to measure students performance through games, quizzes, and
activities.
7. Fact Monster

http://www.factmonster.com/homework/
Fact Monster is a website that students can use for maps, important documents,
timelines, and information about cities, population, government structure, and laws. It covers a
variety of subjects so students can use it for more than one class.
8. Kids Click
http://www.kidsclick.org/
Kids Click has a variety of online history topics and geography resources,
including links to biographies of famous people. Students can browse the online index by topic
and each link has a description of the reading level of the material and if there are pictures or
animated stories.
9. Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/families/
The Library of Congress website has lesson plans that meet Common Core
standards, state content standards, and the standards of national organizations. It allows teachers
to use primary resources in lessons. The Library of congress also has a section for students to
browse through and read about historical events, newspapers, poetry, maps, and music.
10.World History For All
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/default.php
World History for All is a tool that teachers can use to model their curriculum. It offers
lesson plans, teaching units, and helps teachers meet state and national standards. It also
helps teachers teach by presenting history as a single story rather than a unconnected story of
many civilizations and cover units without missing important dates, regions, time periods, or
civilizations.

Assistive Technology/ Digital Equity Assignment.

Assistive Technologies - Answer the following questions.
What is assistive technology?
Assistive technology is any tool or device that helps students with disabilities do things more quickly, easily or
independently.
Identify a piece of assistive technology used in an educational setting. Use the questions below
to address the assistive technology identified. Provide a website to support your answer:

SmartBoards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJyJC5UD800
smarttech.com

When and how would these technologies be used?

Smart boards can be used to help students learn to read, write and learn content in all areas by
interacting with the board. The important part of using smart board is that students can go up to the
board and interact with it. They can touch the letters and numbers as well and trace, draw, and
write.
What kind of teacher training is involved?
Teachers train to use smart boards by watching videos, and going to workshops. The smart board is a
user-friendly technology.
What are the costs associated with the use of the technology?
Smart boards range from $7000-$16000.
What experience do you have or anticipate with the use of the technology?
Smart boards are used in many of my courses on campus at NCCU. Instructors use the board to
show PowerPoints, statistical data, and draw diagrams.
Wireless Technologies - Answer the following questions.

What is wireless technology?

Wireless technology is a technology that may be used to send or transmit data wirelessly through mobile
devices such as iPads, Laptops, and cellular phones.
Identify a piece of wireless technology used in an educational setting. Use the questions below
to address the wireless technology identified. Provide a website to support your answer:

Laptops
http://www.securedgenetworks.com/strategy-blog/Top-10-Benefits-of-BYOD-in-School-WirelessNetworks

When and how would these technologies be used?

Laptops can be used to connect students and teachers at home or in school. Teachers can send
assignments, emails, and grades through different software such as Blackboard or Moodle. Students
can use it to access assignments or projects, work with their peers, and read ebooks.
What kind of teacher training is involved?
Most teachers take computer courses while they are in college. They may also gain addition training
from workshops and video tutorials.
What are the costs associated with the use of
the technology? Laptops have a wide price range. Depending on what a student has they may range
from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

What experience do you have or anticipate with

the use of the technology?
Laptops have been a part of education since I was in Kindergarten. I have had many laptops of my
own in which I used to write papers, read ebooks, communicate with my teachers and complete
assignments. I do not plan on using laptops much in my future classroom just because of the simple
fact that technology is evolving as we speak. There are devices that are more compact such as ipads
that I believe will be more resourceful.
Digital Equity
http://www.cosn.org/focus-areas/leadership-vision/digital-equity

What is digital equity?

Digital equity means all students have adequate access to information and communications technologies for
learning and for preparing for the future-regardless of socioeconomic status, physical disability, language,
race, gender, or any other characteristics that have been linked with unequal treatment.
(http://imet.csus.edu/imet9/portfolio/nunes_luci/251/postersession/digitalequity/homepage.html)

How do you see these practices in your work or environment?

Digital Equity is practiced in classrooms by providing classroom sets of devices such as iPads or
Kindle Fires.
What key issues must teachers consider to appropriately provide equitable technology access and learning
opportunities for all students?
Teachers must realize that not every student has the funds outside of school to purchase expensive
technology as do other students or the school. Parents may also disagree with using such devices at
home.