While students use most of STA’s new homework forum for academics, some use the website socially through the use of messaging. The administration says that this messaging can be distracting but they have no specific rules against it yet.
Moodle, STA’s site for news and homework, boasts a variety of features. Students can turn in papers, view upcoming school events and receive notes from classes they missed.
Students can send messages to anyone else in the STA community. These messages can be sent at any time and from any place, as long as access to the STA Moodle page is available. Students use messaging to communicate with teachers about grades, but they also use it to chat with friends about going to Yogurtini after school.
“[Moodle messaging] can be distracting if students use it solely for instant messaging and personal use,” STA’s technology coordinator Matt Stewart said.
According to principal for academic affairs Barbara McCormick, the STA administration has not added specific rules regarding Moodle messaging to the handbook. However, if students are questioning whether their behavior is appropriate, they should refer to the Acceptable Use Policy.
Each student read through and agreed to the terms of the Acceptable Use Policy when they were issued their netbooks this summer. Section three of the document states: “Students may not use any chat or collaboration program (such as Moodle) to communicate with others through the computer network during class, unless a teacher or administrator authorizes students to do so.”
McCormick also said that although there is not a specific, school-wide rule regarding Moodle messaging, teachers should establish classroom rules.
Spanish teacher Julia Gargallo has created rules in response to students using their netbooks inappropriately during class. If a student is caught misusing her netbook, she receives a detention and her class participation grade is lowered.
“[Netbooks] make it more difficult for me to see if [students] are working on another subject,” Gargallo said. “This is happening and it is a problem. I do not know how I can prevent [students from working on other subjects] because they know they are not supposed to do it.”
Junior Stephanie Hampel understands that although there is not a distinct rule regarding Moodle messaging, it becomes a problem when she and other students use it during class time. However, she admits to previously Moodle messaging for social purposes.
“I usually do not [Moodle message during class] because I want to focus on the class and not have my netbook as a distraction,” Hampel said. “I have used [Moodle messaging] before to just catch up on what went on over the weekend, but I feel like I use it more for school stuff.”
Hampel now uses the messaging primarily for academics. She finds it convenient for asking teachers quick questions. In fact, Moodle messaging is the primary way that Hampel communicates with Ms. Robin Good about service projects. This change in use of messaging was partly caused by the administration’s ability to view all Moodle messages.
Hampel said she has not put anything inappropriate in a message, but thinks the administration viewing her messages would be “weird.”
McCormick only views students’ Moodle messages when it is necessary, she said. Although she encourages teachers to enforce their own rules, she trusts that most students will use messaging correctly.
“I did not tell the teachers to be policemen,” McCormick said. “There are more [students] that are going to act appropriately than not.”
