Technology

Ethical Issues

Surrounding Technology
Use in Schools

Computer Ethics

Computer ethics, better called information technology ethics, is an important but under-taught subject in our schools. New technologies bring about the need to interpret old values in new ways, but also may call for the creation of new codes of conduct when new actions are made possible with the use of technology.

Several ethical codes dealing with technology use exist and many schools have adopted Acceptable Use Policies that include rules for the proper use of information technologies. Teachers, students, and parents need to know and understand these codes.

For children, the major issues surrounding technology ethics can be categorized into three areas: privacy, property, and appropriate use. School related cases can be found in each of these areas.

Teachers need to develop learning objectives and activities that specifically address technology ethics. Proper use needs to be taught at the same time that other computer skills are taught. Students' understanding of ethical concepts need to be assessed. Technology use privileges, especially those involving on-line use, should not be given to students until the assessments show that a student knows and can apply ethical standards and school policies.

What's different about "computer ethics?"
Computer ethics, better labeled "information technology ethics," deal with the proper use of a wide range of telecommunication and data storage devices. Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with moral judgements, issues of right and wrong, and determining what behaviors are humane and inhumane.

maintain or increase individual rights and freedoms

protect individuals from harm

treat all human beings as having an inherent value and accord those beings respect

uphold religious, social, cultural, and government laws and mores

Most (Western?) codes of ethical behavior describe actions as "ethical" that do one or more of the following:

A simplistic way of saying this is that an "ethical action" then, is one that does not have a damaging impact on oneself, other individuals, or on society.

1. Thou shall not use a computer to harm other people.

2. Thou shall not interfere with other people's computer work.

3. Thou shall not snoop around in other people's computer files.

4. Thou shall not use a computer to steal.

5. Thou shall not use a computer to bear false witness.

6. Thou shall not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.

7. Thou shall not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.

8. Thou shall not appropriate other people's intellectual output.

9. Thou shall think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing.

10. Thou shall always use a computer in ways that insure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics
by the Computer Ethics Institute

Waller Technology Plan



	In direct or indirect ways, children begin to learn ethical values from birth. And while families and the church are assigned the primary responsibility for a child's ethical education, schools have traditionally had the societal charge to teach and reinforce some moral values, especially those directly related to citizenship and school behaviors. Most of the ethical issues that surround technology deal with societal and school behaviors and are an appropriate and necessary part of the school curriculum. Our new technological capabilities also may require new ethical considerations. The ability to send unsolicited commercial messages to millions of Internet email users (spamming) was not possible before there was e-mail or the Internet. Does the fact that the financial burden of unsolicited advertisements now fall on the recipient rather than the sender create the need for new rules? Digital photography has made the manipulation of images undetectable, an impossible feat with chemical photography. What obligations do communicators have to present an undoctored photograph, even if its message may not be as powerful as one that has been digitally "enhanced?" Prior to the Internet, minors laced physical barriers of access to sexually explicit materials. What safeguards do schools, libraries, and parents need to take to keep children from freely accessing inappropriate materials? Which will better serve our children in the long run software filtering devices or instruction and practice in making good judgements? Intellectual property in digital format can now be duplicated with incredible ease. Do we need clearer definitions of property? Can an item that is taken without authorization, but leaves the original in place, still be considered stolen? One of the most significant reasons that computer ethics deserve special attention is because of our rather human ability to view one's actions in the intangible, virtual world of information technologies as being less serious than one's actions in the real world. Most of us, adults or children, would never contemplate walking into a computer store and shoplifting a computer program. Yet software piracy (the illegal duplication of computer programs) costs the computer business billions of dollars each year. Most of us would never pick a lock, but guessing passwords to gain access to unauthorized information is a common activity. Information technology misuse by many people, especially the young, is viewed as a low-risk, game-like challenge. Electronic fingerprints, footsteps, and other evidence of digital impropriety have historically been less detectable than physical evidence. There is a physical risk when breaking into a real office that does not exist when hacking into a computer database from one's living room or den. Illegally copying a book is costly and time consuming; illegally copying a computer program can be done in seconds at very small expense. The viewed pornography on a website seems to disappear as soon as the browser window is closed. Not long ago, ethical technology questions were only of interest to a very few specialists. But as the use of information technologies spreads throughout society and its importance to our national economies and individual careers grows, everyone will need to make good ethical decisions when using computers. Studies show that persons involved in computer crimes acquire both their interest and skills at an early age.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws