Is My School Allowed to Do This?
- Thread starter Heartcafe
- Start date
Recommended Videos
Yes. They can't force you to install anything on your laptop, but they are allowed to make you register with them. Same deal as if you want to get a library card or something - they can't force you to read ONLY books from their library, but they can require you to sign up to get the service.
I paid $32.67 for a XBOX 360 and my mom got a 17 inch Toshiba laptop for $94.83 being delivered to our house tomorrow by FedEX. I will never again pay expensive retail prices at stores. I even sold a 46 inch HDTV to my boss for $650 and it only cost me $52.78 to get. Here is the website we using to get all this stuff, GetCent.com
It is legal for any school or company in the US to do this. It is up the school district (or board of directors, president, or CEO in the case of a company).
What would be illegal is for the federal government to order it be done without proper cause or to make a law mandating it or disallowing it. Unless of course its an amendment and not a law.
What would be illegal is for the federal government to order it be done without proper cause or to make a law mandating it or disallowing it. Unless of course its an amendment and not a law.
at my college they want you to be a student of Sheridan and not just anyone can access the internet while on the campus. so you put in your username and password on your own laptop.
They do not monitor you excessively as your school has.
with any program you can always find loop holes. at my secondary school, you could access facebook and other sites they blocked for two hours a day and going through other websites to get on facebook. It was not hard when I was there but they may have made it harder since I left.
They do not monitor you excessively as your school has.
with any program you can always find loop holes. at my secondary school, you could access facebook and other sites they blocked for two hours a day and going through other websites to get on facebook. It was not hard when I was there but they may have made it harder since I left.
Heartcafe said:
No. That's illegal. Watching over computers is legal, as it's their computer. I use my laptop at school, so I can't be watched by teachers, but it's the schools internet, so they can still see what sites I go to. I have to register my laptop as well, and then they'll let me log into the network. It's all legal.
If the internet is required for work, then there are public laptops for student use.FalloutJack said:
If you're a student, you're allowed to bring your own laptop. so long as you let it be monitored. Which is perfectly fine. Your choice.You don't want your laptop monitored, use a school one. What's wrong with a teacher monitoring her students while they work?
"Ooh, look at me, I'm typin me essay WAIT NO, DON"T LOOK AT IT, I HATE YOU!"
It's fair enough and they are definitely allowed to do it. They obviously have a genuine and fair reason to monitor your usage of school internet on school property, falling under the school's code of conduct. If people exploit a loophole, then the school is well withing their rights to counter it within reason, as they seem to have. They ARE allowing you to use personal laptops, just as long as you register it with them.
If this 'big brother' program operates when you aren't using their internet, then you have a problem.
If this 'big brother' program operates when you aren't using their internet, then you have a problem.
Actually, it's the school's network. If it's your laptop or not is irrelevant. If people want to not be subject to the strict rules at school, they should not try to use the school's network to FaceTweet.FalloutJack said:
As for the point of whether or not they can then look through your actual account: they cannot. It most likely violates one or more laws, one or more school board rules, and possibly even violates the terms of service by Facebook.
Yes, the school has a legal right to search anything on their property, that includes your computer, car, backpack, locker, etc. If you're using the school's internet, then they have a right to have access to it.
The only way that I can see around that is if you had one of those internet plug ins for your computer. I'm not entirely sure what they're called, but you probably have at least heard of them before. Even that's a maybe though.
Now, if they go onto your account and search through it...I think that still falls under the same principle. I know that if you friend a teacher on fb, and they see "huge party this weekend at bob's house, lots of boose" they're obligated to report it. I don't see how the school messing around with it is really all that different.
I think that this is one of those instances where the law hasn't quite caught up with the tech, but they can always say, "We're monitoring for cheating, illegal activity, etc." and since they're not cops, the "in plain sight" rule doesn't apply, or I'm fairly certain that it doesn't. My friend's dad is a criminal defense attorney, I can ask him and see what he says. I'll get back you you on that.
The only way that I can see around that is if you had one of those internet plug ins for your computer. I'm not entirely sure what they're called, but you probably have at least heard of them before. Even that's a maybe though.
Now, if they go onto your account and search through it...I think that still falls under the same principle. I know that if you friend a teacher on fb, and they see "huge party this weekend at bob's house, lots of boose" they're obligated to report it. I don't see how the school messing around with it is really all that different.
I think that this is one of those instances where the law hasn't quite caught up with the tech, but they can always say, "We're monitoring for cheating, illegal activity, etc." and since they're not cops, the "in plain sight" rule doesn't apply, or I'm fairly certain that it doesn't. My friend's dad is a criminal defense attorney, I can ask him and see what he says. I'll get back you you on that.
It's their internet. They are paying for it. And if you want to use internet you have to meet their policies for it. I can not go over to an apartment and use someone's wi-fi router connection on my computer without permission...that's stealing. In law it really has less to do with protection or keeping focus at your school, but more property laws. Or that's what the school can use to get out of it.
Yes, they're allowed to facebook rape you.Heartcafe said:
Either way, you shouldn't be on Facebook or any other diversions like phones in school any way. This is one of the many things bringing down the education system. Thankfully, just now the "NO TOUCH" policy in UK is being lifted.
Where I live (Denmark) public schools are the norm.
The school can decide to allow students to hook up their own equipment to the school network.
The school can also set rules and policies within normal legislation.
A school cannot confiscate private equipment as a rule. They can remove it temporarily, but have to return it at the end of the day. If they do not, it is defined as theft and subject to criminal prosecution. SOME schools have made exceptions to this rule by involving the parents. If the parents agree, the confiscation of, say a mobile phone, can be a part of the normal disciplinary actions available to the school teachers.
As a general rule though if no agreement exists, or the parents of the child in question did not agree to it, confiscation of an item could end up in the courts (and has where I live.)
Consider how cut off from the world the child would feel. Their peers exist in this world you have no access to. For a contemporary 2011 adult that is impossible to comprehend. As we continue to ask our young to embrace digital technology, we have to accept that they become reliant on it to function. Removing or disallowing access only accelerates the decline of the education system. We aren't talking about toys, comics or other distracting single-function items.
The school can decide to allow students to hook up their own equipment to the school network.
The school can also set rules and policies within normal legislation.
A school cannot confiscate private equipment as a rule. They can remove it temporarily, but have to return it at the end of the day. If they do not, it is defined as theft and subject to criminal prosecution. SOME schools have made exceptions to this rule by involving the parents. If the parents agree, the confiscation of, say a mobile phone, can be a part of the normal disciplinary actions available to the school teachers.
As a general rule though if no agreement exists, or the parents of the child in question did not agree to it, confiscation of an item could end up in the courts (and has where I live.)
Consider how cut off from the world the child would feel. Their peers exist in this world you have no access to. For a contemporary 2011 adult that is impossible to comprehend. As we continue to ask our young to embrace digital technology, we have to accept that they become reliant on it to function. Removing or disallowing access only accelerates the decline of the education system. We aren't talking about toys, comics or other distracting single-function items.
i think they can, but wouldn't it make more sense and be less invasive to block the sites insted of doing big brother crap? So why must they moniter what you do?Heartcafe said:
This is a good question. Legal sense,yes. It is their internet, they have the right to regulate it. Moral sense, yes. Let's be honest. If it's school, you are there to learn. Facebook and twitter are not sites that contribute to the learning process. I had this in a school once before and with several jobs. But often, teachers would allow me to do whatever the hell I wanted if my work was completed. In 3D animation class, I was way ahead of the class in skill and work. I could spend five minutes on a project that took the rest of the class over a half hour. So the teacher let me surf any sites I wanted. I even got invited to a seminar where I got to meet the founder of Frantic Films (special effects in movies back then).
Now, you asked if teachers should be allowed to go through your page. This is a definite NO! It is illegal for anyone to have access to your information without your permission. I have had teachers try something similar to this when I was looking at my emails in class one day. I told her "if you attempt to look through my emails, I will have the right to press charges. If I do that, you will have a criminal record and loose your #$%^ job." She got the message, but I got suspended for telling her off. She didn't mess with me anymore, but I also didn't check my email in that class after that day either.
Now, you asked if teachers should be allowed to go through your page. This is a definite NO! It is illegal for anyone to have access to your information without your permission. I have had teachers try something similar to this when I was looking at my emails in class one day. I told her "if you attempt to look through my emails, I will have the right to press charges. If I do that, you will have a criminal record and loose your #$%^ job." She got the message, but I got suspended for telling her off. She didn't mess with me anymore, but I also didn't check my email in that class after that day either.