Technology and Kindness Agreement Assessment

Understanding the Technology & Kindness Agreement: A Guide for Students and Parents

Dear Students and Parents,

As we navigate the digital landscape together, I want to introduce you to an important tool we've developed: the “Technology & Kindness Agreement.” This agreement serves as a clear, student-friendly guide that aligns with our district's technology expectations, the ISTE Student Standards (International Society for Technology in Education, 2016), and Gary Howard’s Seven Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching (Howard, n.d.). Its purpose is to help our 5th graders understand how to behave appropriately in digital spaces.

Why This Agreement Matters

Our district, Lewis-Palmer School District 38 (LPSD), emphasizes using technology to engage, empower, and inspire lifelong learners. This means that using devices is not just a privilege but an integral part of our 21st-century learning goals. The ten rules outlined in the agreement are crafted in language that children can easily understand and act upon, ensuring clear expectations for safety, responsibility, and academic focus, both in and out of school.

Supporting Digital Citizenship and Data Privacy

Several expectations within the agreement explicitly support digital citizenship and data privacy. For instance, statements like “Protect your passwords and personal info, yours and others” and “Think before you click, post, or share” nurture the ISTE Digital Citizen standard (International Society for Technology in Education, 2016). This standard encourages students to recognize their rights and responsibilities in an interconnected digital world, urging them to act safely, legally, and ethically online.

These rules help reinforce that the same norms apply at home and school, echoing our district's home–school technology-use agreements. Students are expected to follow teacher directions, use approved resources, and care for school-issued devices, regardless of their location.

Empowered Learners and Creative Communicators

The agreement also integrates the ISTE Empowered Learner and Creative Communicator standards. It encourages students to “use tech to learn first,” “choose tools and strategies that work for how you learn,” and “use tech to show who you are in positive ways.” Empowered Learners take an active role in selecting technology that helps them achieve their goals, while Creative Communicators use digital tools to express their ideas clearly to various audiences (International Society for Technology in Education, 2016).

By inviting students to adjust tools and formats to match their learning strengths, we support our commitment to providing rigorous, relevant, and personalized learning experiences. This approach prepares students not just for academic success but for college, career, and active citizenship as well.

Fostering a Culturally Responsive Environment

Importantly, the agreement is grounded in Howard’s Seven Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching. This ensures that our technology expectations affirm student identities and relationships rather than merely controlling behavior. Rules about kindness, inclusion, and collaboration, like “Talk and type to others with respect” and “Include others online like you would on the playground,” reflect Howard’s emphasis on creating a classroom environment that is personally and culturally inviting (Howard, n.d.).

By encouraging students to share their culture, language, and interests positively, we affirm their cultural connections, demonstrating that “school looks like me” and that diversity is honored here.

A Community Commitment

Finally, the expectation that students demonstrate these behaviors “everywhere,” at home, at school, and in any digital space, aligns with ISTE’s vision of empowered learners, digital citizens, and global collaborators. Framing the agreement as a class “promise,” signed by both students and myself, reinforces the idea that respect begins with the teacher but is owned by the entire community. This connection is especially vital for historically marginalized students, ensuring their safety, voice, and academic success are prioritized, particularly in technology use.

Thank you for your support as we work together to create a safe and respectful digital environment for our students. Let's empower our children to be thoughtful, responsible, and kind digital citizens!

Warm regards,

Professor. Fonda

References

Howard, G. R. (n.d.). The seven principles for culturally responsive teaching (PDF).

JCPSEmployee. (2012, September 13). Seven principles for culturally responsive teaching and learning (Video). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IptefRjN4DY

International Society for Technology in Education. (2016). ISTE standards for students. https://www.iste.org/standards/students

Lewis-Palmer School District 38. (n.d.). Technology services. https://www.lewispalmer.org/page/technology