The Etowah County School District’s electronic network is available to all students and employees. Our goal is to foster learning environments which provide students with the knowledge and skills to become successful and productive global citizens of the 21st Century. The use of technology by students and employees must be legal and ethical, and it should be consistent with the educational vision, mission, and goals of the Etowah County Board of Education.
At Etowah County Schools, keeping students safe online is a top priority. In compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), we hold annual public hearings to review and update our Internet Safety Policies and Procedures. Click here to view a recent Internet Safety hearing slideshow.
To provide a secure online environment, we use multiple layers of protection:
These safeguards help block harmful or inappropriate material while allowing access to educational resources.
Technology is a powerful tool for learning, but it must be used responsibly.
Beyond filtering systems, we believe education is the key to safe and responsible technology use.
While technology provides important safeguards, the best protection is supervision. Teachers, staff, and parents all play an important role in monitoring and guiding students’ online activity.
Together, we can ensure technology is a safe, effective, and positive learning tool for every student in Etowah County Schools.
Many Alabama K-12 educators use the instructional resources found via shared educational tools, such as school and division-wide computer networks and the Internet. The increased use of such resources requires that administrators, teachers, library media specialists, students, and parents take steps to ensure that they are used responsibly for K-12 instruction.
In response to these concerns, schools or school divisions are required to establish guidelines for the appropriate use of computer networks. Such guidelines are generally called an Acceptable Internet Use Policy or AUP. By definition, an AUP is a written agreement in the form of guidelines, signed by students, their parents and their teachers, outlining the terms and conditions of Internet-use. It includes definitions of acceptable online behavior and access privileges.
Provides teachers, students, and parents a venue for communication, school events, podcasts, photo galleries, blogs, and emergency alerts.
**Alex (Alabama Learning Exchange)**Offers lesson plans, courses of study instructional links, distance learning assistance, etc.
**Alabama Virtual Library**Provides students, teachers, and citizens of the state with online access to library informational resources.
STAR Renaissance
Accesses reading performance in less than 10 minutes.
**Accelerated Reading**Monitors and evaluates the practice of reading.
**Think.com**Connects schools, teachers, and students from around the world to collaborate on projects, share experiences, and build knowledge together. Teachers and students build their own webpages to share learning experiences. Simple publishing tools allow members to easily create content and engage one another in thoughtful online discussions.
Other examples of online/electronic references: iNOW (Chalkable), Encyclopedia Britannica, PowerSchool, Skills Bank, Thinkfinity.