With its easily obtainable wealth of information, the Internet has proven to be both a boon and a challenge for today's public schools. Teachers can download lesson plans and participate in online professional development courses; students can access new research and chat with other students around the world. But with technological innovation come legal pitfalls, where issues such as free expression, privacy, and copyright take on a whole new dimension. The Internet and the Law: What Educators Need to Know provides a clear and in-depth discussion of the key legal issues public schools face in using the Web, e-mail, and other computer technologies. As an educator and an attorney, Kathleen Conn brings a unique and informed perspective to this changing arena, succinctly identifying and examining major risks for schools and the specific case law that shapes these issues, including: * First Amendment protection for teachers and students, * Filtering and blocking technology for obscene material, * Use of students' personal information and education records, * Downloading and storing of copyrighted material, * Fair use, * Defamation in Internet communications, and * E-mail harassment. To help educators handle these issues, Conn offers sound advice in developing policies that comply with the law while safeguarding the school or district. As the use of technology in schools continues to evolve, teachers, administrators, and school staff must stay aware of the law that governs it. The Internet and the Law provides the solid legal grounding that every educator needs. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.

Written in a non-threatening and nontechnical style, this guide examines both the pitfalls and the opportunities of Internet use in schools. The author discusses techniques for use in the classroom, such as exercises and activities in the core subjects; valuable curriculum links; obstacles encountered, such as the variable content of Web sites; what is needed in order to get connected; the use of intranets; how to publish information on the net.

Presenting the results of the first major study of technology implementation in schools, examining the positive and negative consequences of the Internet on equity, academics, and social life, the authors draw on over 300 interviews with teachers, students, and administrators--done over the course of five years--and offer an assessment of the underlying cultural issues that will ultimately determine the speed and success of technology integration.

Examines the various issues surrounding Internet use in schools today, providing a planning guide as well as advice on formulating policies, designing systems, assembling a team, and implementation.