STM: Technology

Technology at St. Thomas More goes beyond the computer lab. Not only do we maintain a 31-station computer lab equipped with an LCD projector and Webster "smart board," all our buildings are networked so that each classroom, equipped with at least 2 computers, can share network and Internet resources through our two T1 connections.

STM also has two 15 station wireless mobile laptop labs available for all students to enable them to use their technology skills not only in the Computer Lab, but also in the classroom. Our Middle School and Primary Schools have wireless Internet access and our goal is to provide the entire school with wireless access. STM uses Windows XP and students have access to the Office 2003 suite of programs as well as a variety of productivity and educational programs.

The lab is open after school on Thursdays and Fridays from dismissal until 3:45 for students to work on school projects. Students must sign up on the signup sheet outside the lab 24 hours in advance. This is to insure that parents and carpool drivers are informed of the student's plan to stay late. Aftercare students must get a note from Mrs. Kloer to show when they sign in to aftercare. They should have a snack and then return to the lab.

Flash drives are optional but recommended flash drive for middle school students. This durable and portable storage media has all but replaced increasingly shoddily made floppy disks. Flash drives are being required more and more by high schools hold various amounts of memory, from 128 MB to more than a gigabyte. The prices vary, but with careful shopping can be purchased for between $10.00 and $20.00 for a 128 MB unit, which is more than enough for your student. Some sources of inexpensive flash drives include Target, Office Depot, Tiger Direct and CDW

To minimize the chances of loss, STM recommends that students rename their flash drive to include their name. Follow the steps below to do so.

Parents should be aware of the current phenomenon of "social networking." sites. Simply stated, social networking sites allow students to quickly and easily create web pages that contain information about themselves. Although not inherently evil, these sites can make students vulnerable in a number of ways, depending the amount and type of information students share. Parents and students need to carefully review the rules of the site, the restrictions on others viewing the site, and the kind of information and/or pictures your student would put on the site.

Problems which can occur from students creating these sites include vulnerabiliy to Internet predators and cyberbullies, as well exposure to other high risk activities. Read more about these and other problems by accessing the links below.

Here at STM, social networking sites are blocked for students. In addition Middle School students are instructed in the realities of Internet safety through a curriculum available at Cybersmart and an interactive game (8th grade only) available at Web Wise Kids. The dangers of social networking are often addressed during technology current events discussions in computer class.

Some social networking sites which are currently popular include My Space, Xanga, Facebook, and Tagged.

Please read the information on the links below and discuss the issues with your student. If they have a site, look at it and make sure that it is safe. Finally, if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact Mrs. Kloer

"The "My Space;" Phenomenon" by Nancy Willard This article provides a good overview of why parents and teachers should be concerned about social networking sites with some guidelines for keeping students safe on the Internet.

My Space Safety Tips for Teens These tips are offered by the My Space website for teens who use the service and includes links to other safety oriented websites

My Space Tips for Parents These tips are offered by the My Space website for parents and include links to monitoring software and a way to remove your child's profile from the website.

Dangers Children Face Online: Dateline NBC This article describes Dateline's ongoing project to reveal the dangers children can face online.

Why Parents Must Mind My Space This article describes the dangers of MySpace and has links to tips for kids of different ages as well as online safety contracts for parents and kids.

US Computer Emergency Readiness Team Cyber Tip on Social Networking Sites

List of Notable Social Networking Sites This list from wikipedia, while not exhaustive, gives most of the social networking sites that your kids might want to join.