Blog Assignment #2

AUP's are Acceptable Use Policies. They outline the appropriate ways for a business or school's technology to be used. AUP's are necessary because they protect both the user of the network and the people providing the network.

I found my high school's AUP at <http://www.lisd.net/webpolicy/aupstu0207.pdf>. LISD did a very good job following the guidelines for an AUP. The district started their AUP with a statement of their goals for technology in education and the advantages from technology. The continued by talking about who has access to the technology, how it is to be used and how it's not to be used, and the consequences for using technology inappropriately. It concluded with a form for the parents and student to sign.

The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) applies to schools and libraries that receive government funding for internet. The schools and libraries have to monitor minors' use of the internet, have filters on their internet, and make policies dealing with minors' use of the internet.

At The Colony High School, I had access to a network. We had access to the internet, and we had a campus wide network. On the campus network, each student had a file. Occasionally, I used the internet for class, but I never used my student file because I did all of my work on the computer at home.

My parents did not have access to information through the internet about me. The year after I left The Colony High School, parents were given the opportunity to see their child's grades on the internet, but that system was not in place when I attended.

I think that filtering in schools is a good idea. In a school setting, technology has a certain purpose. When students go to inappropriate websites or sites like facebook and myspace, computers in schools take a way from education instead of supplementing it. It's not hard to get around filters, but they do deter some students from going to websites that they don't need to go to during school hours.

Hello

Hi. I'm Aimee Belanger. I have lived in The Colony, Texas, a town 20 miles north of Dallas, since I was three, but I was born in Connecticut. I will be declaring my major in math this semester. This is my first semester taking multiple math classes, so that will be interesting. After I graduate, I plan on staying at Trinity and entering the MAT program. Currently, I plan on teaching high school after I have my masters, but that may change.

My life isn't solely made up of academics. I am passionate about music. I enjoy live music, and I play guitar and sing. I don't ever perform for anyone; I just do it for my own enjoyment. I also like to play tennis and spend time with friends.

I have a job on campus. I work in the interlibrary loan department of the library. If anyone ever needs help using the library, let me know. I can probably help you out. The only official activity I'm involved with on campus is the Well, but I like going to the plays, concerts, and speeches on campus.

In sixth grade, I took computer skills. That class taught me the basics of Microsoft Office, so I know enough to figure out how to do what I need to.

Time's Person of the Year for 2006 makes some good points, but I feel like they just couldn't come up with a "great person," so they decided that they should say everyone is the person of the year. The author does make a good point. Web 2.0 gives the normal person greater chance to be slightly influential, but I still believe there will only be a few people with a very large influence.

Test Post

Testing. 1, 2, 3. Testing.