The Wake County School Board instituted a new policy to promote internet safety. The policy requires parents to provide written consent for their student to use technology and digital resources in the classroom setting.
If a student fails to return the form or the parent chooses to prohibit internet use, he or she will be unable to participate in technology related classroom activities. Teachers will alter their classroom plan for individual students who are not allowed to access the digital resources.
In the future, students prohibited from technology will be unable to sign up for computer based classes. However, it is impossible to avoid all classes that utilize technology and still graduate high school.
“If a student is unable to use technology in the classroom, it certainly would limit their access to information, “ Dr. AJ Muttillo, LRHS principal, said, “but it will be on us, as a school to provide additional ways to access information.”
In this modern age, Leesville teachers are expected to incorporate digital resources into their classroom plan. The English Department specifically must operate digitally, due to a lack of textbooks for students. Robert Phillips, English and Cultural Literacy teacher, explained that most of what his students do in the classroom is web-based.
Phillips believes that any student prohibited from technology would feel “separate from everyone” and “singled out” in the classroom. Activities that commonly use the internet– group projects, research, teachers’ websites–would need to be altered for the individual student.
The change in policy is projected to “protect students while using technology and digital resources,” stated the Technology Use form, provided by Wake County. However, at the high school level, most students will opt in for technology, but those who opt out will have access to the curriculum and learn as well.
