Parental consent Letter

Dear Parent/Guardian,

We are writing to let you know that our World History course is planning to design, develop, and test an on-line instruction curriculum that will enable students to use the Internet and computers as learning tools in this course.

We as teachers, will design, create and test the interactive and collaborative website in this course using a free Wiki Learning Space that is currently being offered for educators and students as a new on-line learning tool. Students will use their email accounts and generic names which will assign as the beginning of the course. They will use these generic names with their emails to sign on and collaboratively study with their classmates and teacher.

Here are the terms and conditions:

Introduction:
Students in the World Histroy class will participate in using blogs and instant message via skype. Thus we should explain about the terms and conditions pertaining to the appropriate uses. Blogs and instant messages applications are designed to encourage collaboration effort on the Internet. During the learning process, students are encouraged to use these applications to stay in touch with the classmates and teacher online and build an interactive learning environment for all.

Permission:
Before your son/daughter may start posting to their blog, we are asking for you and your child to discuss and sign the following form. Please return the form to the teacher for documentation purpose.

Blogging Terms and Conditions:
1. Students using blogs are expected to act safely by keeping personal information out of their posts. You agree to not post or give out your family name, password, user name, email address, home address, school name, city, country or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person. You may share your interests, ideas, and preferences.

2. Students using blogs agree not to share their user name or password with anyone besides their teachers and parents. You agree to never log in as another student.

3. Students using blogs are expected to treat blogspaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for your blog. While we encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other bloggers, we also expect that you will conduct yourself in a manner reflective of a representative of this school.

4. Student blogs are to be a forum for student expression. However, they are first and foremost a tool for learning, and as such will sometimes be constrained by the various requirements and rules of classroom teachers. Students are welcome to post on any school appropriate topic.

5. Student blogs are to be a vehicle for sharing student writing with real audiences. Most visitors to your blog who leave comments will leave repsectfull, helpful messages. If you receive a comment that makes you feel uncomfortable or is not respectful, tell your teacher right away. Do not respond to the comment!

6. Students using blogs take good care of the computers by not downloading or installing any software without permission, and not clicking on ads or competitions.

7. Students should be under adult supervision at all times while accessing or posting on their blog.

8. Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in this project.

I have read and understood these blogging terms and conditions.

The terms and conditions in this letter is adapted from the "Sample Blogging Letter" from http://www.budtheteacher.com/wiki/index.php?title=Blogging_Letter"
by Will Richardson

Please complete and return the consent slip below. Feel free to contact us at school if we can be of any further help to questions that you may have.

Sincerely,


Mr. Borders Ms. Monta