Technology in Education Issues we need to know. Social, Ethical, and Legal. By: Kara Bushey ECED 201

Technology in the classroom  As a future educator, it is important to stay up to date on current technology that is available in the classroom. We also must know the social, ethical, and legal issues that are associated with using new technology. It is a great tool only if it is implemented properly and used for educational purposes.

Social Issues  The digital divide  Cyber bullying  Online interaction

The digital divide  The digital divide is the separation between those who have access to technology and those who do not.  Some children do not have access to a home computer so they may not be as knowledgeable in the classroom, therefore, they may fall behind the others in the class.  49% of households earning less than $35,000 a year have internet and computer access at home where households earning $50000 or more 72% have access to internet and technology at home. This causes some children to be more advanced than others.

Cyberbullying  Cyberbullying is an incident “when the internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person”, according to the National Crime Prevention Council. (NCPC)  As educators, we must constantly watch for signs of bullying and implement rules and regulations for computer and technology use in the classroom. There are many websites with tips and lesson plans on how to stop and prevent cyberbullying, I have included some on the next slide.

Cyberbullying prevention websites  STOP cyberbullying- STOP cyberbullying-   Cyberbullying research center- Cyberbullying research center-   National Crime Prevention Council-

Online interaction  Social media sites allow children and adults to connect with others with like interests and communicate with friends as well as expressing themselves on their own profile pages.  Social media can be a great outlet for everyone but there must be strict rules of use in the classroom. Many schools and classes do not allow students to access these sites in class because there can be inapropriate content as well as interactions that would not be appropriate for school.

Ethical Issues  Freedom of Speech  Privacy  Academic dishonesty

Freedom of Speech  The internet is a great resource for children to do research and to learn but because the content of the internet is not regulated, there is a lot of content that is not appropriate for children. Therefore, teachers and administrators must watch children carefully and control settings on the computer so that children don’t go to places they shouldn’t.  The school can control access on its network to areas of the internet that are not appropriate for academic settings.

Privacy  This is an issue with a lot of companies, whether or not they should track what employees are doing and saying on the internet.  For schools though, it is a lot simpler because the main concern is the safety of the students. It is a schools right and responsibility to monitor and block anything that could cause harm.  Most schools have an acceptable use policy that defies what is expected as well as monitors student activities on school computers.

Academic Dishonesty  It is very easy to find information on the web and manipulate it into something that looks like original work.  It is important for teachers to implement policies at the beginning of classes that outlines how the web should be used and cited as well as the consequences of plagiarizing any kind of papers or assignments. A lot of schools implement the same policy in all of their classrooms so there isn’t confusion about consequences.

Legal Issues  Copyright and fair use  Privacy  Acceptable use  Software piracy

Copyright and fair use  Copyright protects the rights of the owner of intellectual property.  Fair use guidelines describe circumstances under which a teacher can use copyrighted materials in face-to- face instruction.

Privacy  Privacy falls into the legal and ethical categories of using technology in education because children have a right to privacy but teachers are also responsible for the content and activity the children have access to and the things they do while on computers or other technology.

Acceptable use  Many classes and schools have a policy in place that outlines acceptable use, like I stated in the privacy slide before. It is important for teachers to outline to students what they can and cannot do and implement consequences to students who disregard the policy.

Software Piracy  Software piracy happens when one copy of software is purchased but it is installed on multiple machines.  As teachers we must make sure that software piracy is not happening in our classroom or school. It can save a lot of money to purchase only one copy and install it on all of the devices in class but it is illegal and you can get into a lot of trouble if you are caught doing it.

My resources  Lever-Duffy, Judy and McDonald, Jean. Teaching and Learning with Technology. 4 th edition. Copyright 