Understanding Policy and Its Purpose in an Organization

Today’s Google Home discussion began with the word policy. Using Word Central, we learned what the definition of policy was and why we thought it was important to have them. Students shared their reasoning. I told them how every time I get something new my father tells me to read the book, policy, or manual.

When I started teaching he directed me to my district’s policy index, and I explained to students why it was important to know all the different policies we have. Guidelines are important and help us function and steer the organization forward. They are also fluid and need to be updated as things change.

Students figured out the Superintendent and School Committee is responsible for creating policies for our school. Students then opened up a forced copy of a document that contained two columns. They even commented as to why I would have them open a forced copy of the document they were looking at, recognizing I wanted them to have their own copy in their drive.

We did a notice and wonder activity next. Students noticed there were two columns that had identical information in them. One column was labeled Mansfield RUP and the other Google Home RUP. In each box was an item from the district RUP we analyzed yesterday. Students wondered why there were two columns and why the information was the same. Then someone shared that we were probably going to change the Google Home RUP column to fit the work we are doing with the device.

Students then met in small groups, going through the RUP line by line to decide how best to word it to support using the Google Home in our classroom. Walking around the room I heard similar conversations. When asked where the Google Home was by an administrator in the room, a child turned and said, “It is in a box still. We need to understand how to use the tools and learn about them before turning it on.” Another shared, “We are developing policies and guidelines too to help support our work with it.”

Next week we will create class RUP and guidelines for using the Google Home based off the work done in small groups. Students are collaborating, problem solving, thinking critically/creatively, and writing.