Technology+Report

The 21st century brings so many avenues for educators and students. Technology is just another tool for teachers to use to the nature of their classroom environment. In all honesty the teacher is no longer at the forefront of teaching and acquiring knowledge. Technology can provide a two way street to a vast amount of sources beyond the classroom and the textbooks. The teacher has become the facilitator of learning by incorporating a host of strategies to guide learners. It opens the door to the world, allowing learners to access libraries, other learners and experts. However with anything there can be many issues that we must address before diving in, especially with technology. One of the major problems with using computers in the classroom is the ethical issues regarding technology. “Ethics has to do with making a principle-based choice between competing alternatives”(Kallman and Grillo, 1996, p.3) It is very subjective and connected to our emotions and the basic choice of what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. This means that it can be very difficult to define ethics rigorously, especially as it applies to ethics in technology. K allman and Grillo states that most experts agree that there is actually no special category of computer ethics; rather, there are ethical situations in which computers are involved. (Kallman and Grillo, 1996, p.4). The two most prevalent ethical issues pertain to plagiarism and privacy in the classroom. The Internet and other new technologies provide the opportunity for students to cheat and plagiarize. Plagiarism has existed well before the computers and the Internet emerged in schools. Over the past years, students have access to hundreds of thousands of resources and various cheat sites on the Internet. However classroom teachers can’t possibly check every paper. Students must understand that if they find a paper online to turn in without citing such work is not only morally wrong but illegal as well. Nonetheless, teachers will have to teach students the proper way to cite and quote others properly. Teachers can employ strategies to help stop plagiarism, but these methods require the teacher to remain diligent. The Internet is a valuable tool in educational settings. It provides many benefits; however, the dangers are readily apparent as well. Teachers need to ensure that they protect student privacy. In fact, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act is a law that was passed to help protect students while online. The responsibility of protecting student privacy lies with the teacher. Teachers should never post images of students, student names, or any other identifying information on the Internet without prior parental permission. Even with permission, no student should ever be identified by name or photo unless parents have agreed to allow this, which is typically in the form of an Acceptable Use Policy. Most schools have an “Acceptable Use Policy” that addresses this issue. The classroom teacher should understand and follow these rules and stay abreast of any changes that affect them and their classroom. References:   Anon (1990) Strategies for teaching children responsible use of technology, from //Computer Learning Month 1990 Contests//. Retrieved on September 16, 2010 from: [] Halverson, S. Teaching ethics: the role of the classroom teacher. //Childhood Education//. Retrieved on September 16, 2010 from: [] Kallman, E. and Grillo, J. (1996). //Ethical decision making and information technology//. (2 nd ed.) Boston, Massachusetts: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Lidtke, D. //Realities of teaching social and ethical issues in computing.// Retrieved on September 16, 2010 from: |www.southernct.edu/organization…teaching_mono/lidtke_intro.html Metzger, P. (2006). Classroom ethics, rise of the cybercheat. Retrieved on September 16, 2010 from: [] Petress, K. The Ethics of Student Classroom Silence. //Journal of Instructional Psychology//. Retrieved on September 16, 2010 from: []