Parent Consent Letter

Dear Families:
From now to the end of the semester, my classes will be taking part in a program designed to help them develop their skills and explore their interests by sharing their writing with a real audience. Students will be using personal weblogs, or blogs as they are commonly called, to post their texts to the Internet.
I feel that proper use of the Internet and its resources is an essential component of the learning process. The use of technology is a driving force in education and communication. In order to effectively integrate the 21st century technologies that students are using, I am using podcasts and blogs as educational tools. The ability to use the Internet as a communication and learning tool is an essential life skill that all students should possess in the 21st century. As a result, I selected the use of these tools for the following reasons:
• Podcasts and blogs are often used in college courses and employment for distributing information and assignments.
• Participation allows students to collaborate, communicate, create, and learn with their classmates and teachers in an authentic and respectful way.
• Creating, collaborating, and communicating online, instead of on paper, allows students to express their thoughts and ideas, while having ready access to those of other students.
• Online forums serve as powerful statements of students' academic progress, ability to analyze, and communication skills.
• They encourage students to engage in academic discourse in rigorous and relevant ways.
• Teacher monitoring of online learning serves to model appropriate and safe online behavior and encourages the academic implementation of online mediums.

The staff at Pike Central High School is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students. The Internet services used are student-friendly sites and are designed to minimize risk to your child. No personal information about students, including their last names, is published. Students are allowed to post their interests and opinions, but not their ages, e-mail addresses, photographs of themselves, or other sensitive information. All services used at Pike Central High School follow safety guidelines and I closely monitor student participation. I have also shared rules on acceptable use with my classes. You may gain access to these rules by contacting me for specific information. I also invite you to visit and comment on my own blog at http://simsbumponablog.blogspot.com/.
Because of these safety guidelines, your child will be required to furnish me with the Email address and password to the blog. I will not use this for any reason but to remove material not school appropriate, if necessary. The student will first be asked to remove it, but if s/he does not follow through, then I will personally remove it. I suggest that your child set up a separate Email account specifically for this, rather than giving me a personal account. When doing so, please make sure they do not use his/her name in the Email address.
Since the use of discussion boards, learning networks, podcasts, and blogs is a way of differentiating instruction, there is always an alternative assignment for students who wish not to participate in the online activity. To ensure that every student that participates in these online discussions does so with the consent of their parents, I ask that you sign this form giving or declining your consent.

Thank you,
Alice Sims

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I give my child permission to participate in safe and monitored online communication and collaboration forums.

Parent Signature ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________


I do not give my child permission to participate in online communication and collaboration forums. I request that my child contribute on paper only.

Parent Signature ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________