Narrative Question 6

6. How have you applied your understanding of the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools in your practice as a teacher?

Various issues, which educators now need to address, accompany the growing use of technology in education and society. Issues of privacy, security, equality, literacy, intellectual property, ethical conduct, and etiquette are just a few of these issues. A teacher needs to be able to help students learn how to recognize and deal with these various technology related issues. Teachers can help students to address these issues through the use of clearly communicated policies and a curriculum which incorporates technology use issues and models correct ethical behavior. Teachers need to set a good example and begin discussions with students about legal and ethical issues (“Indicator: Social, Ethical, and Legal Issues,” 2007).

As a teacher, I will post a list of policies for my students to read and follow. Each student will be given a copy of the policies to share with their parents, and will be asked to sign the policies as a contract to say they will abide by the rules set forth in the list (See Appendix S). At the beginning of the year, each rule will be discussed with the students, so they understand the policy. I will use role-playing and real world situations to help students better understand each of the policies.

I have also given students assignments that help them to look at technology issues in current events. I have used Weekly Readers and the newspaper to introduce and discuss various issues of technology. Students are able to read about and discuss unfair use and ethical problems these articles present, while gaining a better understanding of the complexity of issues when using technology and how they can prevent themselves from getting into the same problems. Many of the current events discussed in the newspaper and Weekly Readers also discuss the positive and negative effects of various technologies. I have given my students the opportunity to explore these effects for their value and for the social and legal consequences that may surface when creating and using the technology. One of my students is currently writing a cause and effect paper on the ways the automobile has affected society in both good and bad ways. He was able to easily identify many of the positive effects, but need much prodding to get him to also realize the negative effects. The paper has made the student truly think about the negative effects and legal ramifications that have surfaced with the creation of the automobile.

Students also need to learn about safe and healthy ways to use technology resources. Many students do not know how to tell if a resource is a credible source or not. I have taught many of my writing students how to tell if a source is credible by looking at the references and publisher. Many of my students feel that Wikipedia is a great resource to obtain information on any concept. I have discussed with them how encyclopedias and online encyclopedias are wonderful resources to gain background knowledge on a concept, but if any computer user is able to change the entries, which on Wikipedia they can, it is not a credible source. Through the discussion about online resources the student can use, my students were able to realize that Wikipedia is not a reliable source for information due to not being able to tell who wrote the entry and whether it has been altered by an outsider. I have also taught my students to ask themselves, while reading, the author’s purpose for writing the article or paper and who the intended audience may be. One of my students was writing an essay about Britney Spears for a class and we discussed how tabloids often do not obtain their information from reliable sources, so they are not appropriate to use for her paper. She learned to look at the reputation of the magazine and the references the author cited as his/her sources for the information they are presenting.

Many computer savvy students and adults are unsure of what is and is not ethical when dealing with the World Wide Web. Many students use poor judgment when using information and communication technology. Plagiarism is on the rise with the expanding Internet resources. Students are able to purchase and download papers on any topic off the Internet. Students then write their names on the paper and hand it in as their own work without seeing anything wrong with it. Also, post-secondary students have admitted to “cutting and pasting” from online resources without creating a citation (Baum, 2005). Many of my students have been working on various research papers. I have discussed with my students the importance of citing all their resources. I have taught them that if they are writing something that is not an original thought of their own then they need to cite where they the obtained the information. I have also asked students to think about how they would feel if someone tried to pass off my students’ ideas as their own. I have asked, “Have you known someone who has taken credit for your work with giving you no credit? How did it make you feel?” The students then begin to understand why they cannot steal ideas from others and pass it off as their original thoughts. I have also briefly discussed copyright laws with my students using music databases as a reference, but I need to go further into depth with this concept.

Students need to be aware of good physical practices for healthy computing also. Good posture and typing in the correct manner can help students avoid repetitive motion injuries (“Indicator: Social, ethical, legal issues,” 2007). While student teaching, I taught my fourth graders the proper way to sit when typing and how to keep their wrists and hands during their typing. I have taught my students the “home” keys and allowed them to practice an effective way of typing on the various typing programs, such as Type to Learn. While students have practiced their typing, I often walk around the room and see how they are progressing and if they are using the proper posture discussed. This way I am able to reinforce the appropriate behavior with praise and reward, while helping other students improve their posture while they are actually typing.

An important social aspect of a technology-based society is the potential to create a Digital Divide. Computer ownership and access is much lower among ethnic minorities and those living in a lower socioeconomic status. Schools and communities can help to alleviate the social inequities that technology may create (“Indicator: Social, ethical, legal issues,” 2007). To help bridge the gap of the Digital Divide, I will offer time after school for my students to use the computers in my classroom. I will also suggest that the computer lab be open for a couple hours after school, so students who do not have access to the computer at home can use it in the school computer lab or library. Many of my projects that need the use of the computer to create will be worked on only in school, so all students have equal access to the resources they need. Also, I have heard of many school districts which have started a laptop program for the students. In these schools, they either have portable computer labs that teachers can sign out and use in their class, so all students have access to the computer during that period. Some schools have also received grants that allocate money to buying laptops for students to borrow and bring home. The State of Maine has intiated a laptop program where all 7^th and 8^th graders, along with the parents, are given a laptop and the technology support needed. Students were also provided with Airport wireless networking and internet access. This program has had a significant impact on student learning (Silvernail & Gritter, 2007). This program could be used in other schools and states to provide equal access to all students by allowing students to continue to work on assignments outside of school when they may not have previously had access to a computer. In EDU 620, Technology Planning and Evaluation, I was asked to create a policy on donations. In the policy I created, I outlined ways that the school and I could try to obtain more computers and software, so we are able to provide the equal access to computers as discussed above (See Appendix T). If students take the time to obtain what is needed to provide equal access to all, the Digital Divide will become smaller.

Many parents and guardians are not familiar with the new technologies and are unable to keep a close eye on their child’s computer usage or provide guidance on the topic. Internet safety needs to be taught at parents’ nights in school, PTA meetings, and other community events. These meetings need to discuss the dangers of the Internet, but mostly needs to focus on what the children are actually doing on the Internet. Cyber-bullying needs to be addressed, but there also needs to be a focus on how students are responding to it (Goodstein, 2007). In my current teaching environment, I do not meet with parents, but do use teachable moments to discuss with students the safe use of the Internet. I will, when I have a classroom, invite parents to partake in after-school meetings and parent nights where we discuss the current resources, programs, and websites their child is using on the computer. I will teach parents as much about the programs as I can. I will also invite students to come in and teach the parents how to use the various sites and programs. I will show parents how they can monitor their child’s activities online. I will also keep parents abreast of the safe and potentially dangerous uses of the various sites and programs through newsletters and brochures. If parents are more aware of the activities their child is doing online, then they are able to better keep their child safe and healthy.

Potential problems with new technologies usually fit into one of the following categories: privacy, piracy, security, equality, and literacy. Many students see property online as less real because it is in the form of ideas and words instead of objects they can touch. The digital environment also alleviates peer pressure that often helps students to do the right thing. For all the reasons discussed throughout this paper, schools need to incorporate all aspects of technology, including responsible use, into the school curriculum (”Indicator: Social, ethical, and legal issues,” 2007).