Ethics+and+Social+Issues

Your challenge is to create a statement concerning the balance between protecting students and affording them the opportunity to create and learn with innovative technology. Considering the developmental age of students, what can advocates of classroom technology say about the ethics of learning technology?

To meet the challenge of preparing students for a technologically charged future, technology should be integrated in a sequential manner. Students should be taught to become more responsible for use, care, and maintenance of learned technologies.

ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) give us a starting point. The standards for students, teachers, and administrators all address social and ethical issues. For example, NETS for Students has a section on Digital Citizenship:

Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students: a. advocate and practice safe. Legal, and responsible use of information and technology b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology and supports collaboration, learning and productivity c. demonstrate personal and responsibility for lifelong learning d. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

School systems vary but each should have a clear written policy regarding the use of personally owned technology within the public educational environment. This statement should offer a policy statement that reflects the Board of Education and the District's expressed permissions regarding access by students and employees within the role of promoting educational excellence. The statement statement should define responsible and ethical ways in accordance with the District's Responsible Use Policies and with all local, state, and federal laws. Within the document there should be definitions of resources, personal technology, security, resources, protocols, damages, disciplinary action, and this should be agreed to and signed by students, guardians, and employees, prior to technology access and use within the school setting.

FERPA and the “Code of Technology Ethics” remind us to be careful with student records. This means controlling access and respecting students’ privacy of information. Teachers need to be “advocates for solving the funding discrepancies between schools.” Teachers need to be sensitive to situations where families don’t have Internet access, and schools need to open their doors to students and parents alike and provide that access where possible.