Questions that need to be posed (according to Jamie MacKenzie, author of FNO) before a Board Policy on Internet Use can be drafted are:

Philosophical Stance

• How is the delivery of information changing in the society?
• What is the proper relationship between information and student learning?
• How does access to information relate to citizenship in a democratic society?
• What relationship should the new information technologies and resources have to the district's curriculum and instructional strategies?
• What relationship should the new information technologies and resources have to the district's selection and screening of instructional materials?

School/Home Responsibilities

• How much supervision do students require at various age levels?
• Who should provide the supervision? How?
• Should parental permission be required for independent use?
• Who decides which information sources are acceptable? The school? parents?

Staff Responsibilities

• What are appropriate role of teachers, administrators and library media specialists?
• Should they be pre-screening materials and sites? Should access to some steps be prohibited?
• How is guidance different from censorship?
• How important is it that staff learns to conduct research and show students how to research with such new tools?
• Should staff blend this new kind of research throughout curriculum?
• Should staff teach new research skills?

Student Responsibilities

• What constitutes responsible behavior and communication?
• What is the connection to existing codes and procedures?
• How much privacy can students expect? Under what circumstances can their messages be scanned or their telecommunications be watched? What are the procedures governing such issues?
• What limits, if any, should be placed upon freedom of speech?

Recommendation

A solid Board policy on Internet access needs to be drafted. The policy should address most or all of the following issues:

1. Contact with objectionable material

2. Contact with questionable material

3. Contact with questionable persons

4. Objectionable behavior

5. Objectionable material

6. Destructive behavior

7. Violation of privacy rights

8. Violation of access rights