Ethics, Students & the Internet
Welcome to ari learns to teach! As a grad student, I'm currently soaking up as much as I can so that in a few short months, I can walk into my classroom feeling as prepared as possible - Until then, I'm going to share that knowledge with all of you. This week's topic is the INTERNET (**clapping & cheering**), because honestly, where would we be without it?
With the internet comes a whole new realm of responsibility. Having access to the internet is honestly a lot like having a super power - you have access to almost anything you could ever want, and have the ability to do great things (or terrible things) depending on the tools you have, and how you choose to use them. With that in mind, it's our duty as teachers to build a culture of ethical technology usage in the classroom (so that we aren't unknowingly building a culture of super hackers & cyber criminals). The internet & technology as a whole are incredibly useful tools, but only if they are being used properly!
For the next few minutes we're going to talk a little bit about what internet ethics are, and how others have made ethical internet use an essential part of their classroom culture, and why, at the end of the day, this is all so important.
According to Nancy Weinstein over at ISTE.org, essential workplace skills are going to look a lot different over the next few years - with critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and judgement & decision making in the top 7. So, clearly, those are important skills to have! However, in an increasingly digital world, where so much of what we do happens on the world wide web, those skills are also crucial in the digital world. We need to give students the tools they need to have sound judgement online, critically consider what they consume, and have the emotional intelligence required to engage appropriately & ethically.
The Center for Digital Ethics & Policy talks about digital ethics and students, with three main points I want to address.
1. Not all students grow up with moral/ethical role models. Often, and ideally, students start to form their moral compass at home, with their parents helping them acquire good internet habits. However, that isn't always the case, which makes it even more important for us teachers to provide tools & understandings about internet ethics for those students who may not have them.
2. Copyright is a legal issue, and a lot of people don't understand it. So many people, myself included, have downloaded music for free, or used photos they didn't have rights to. Students who don't understand that this is an actual crime need to know what they are doing is wrong, and that there are legal ways to get the resources they want.
3. Plagiarism is rampant. With endless information available, students have unlimited opportunities to copy & paste. The article, however, talks about how true literacy in this digital age is knowing how to properly access and use the information available to us. We need to teach that digital literacy!
4. Prevention & preparation. In order to prevent unethical digital use, many districts restrict certain websites, but the article suggests that restricting does not teach good habits, it just restricts bad ones. To truly prepare for and prevent cyber bullying & other inappropriate tech use, students should be taught about internet ethics in school from a young age.
While all of this is well & good, the question remains, how do we use technology ethically, and how do I share that knowledge with my students?
Northwest Missouri State University posted an article called "Ethics for Technology Use in the Classroom" in 2018, and they do a great job of providing clear ethical guidelines for technology through their acronym "TECH SMART," which can easily be shared with a classroom, providing easy to understand "rules" to guide their internet usage.
T: Take care of technology equipment.
E: Explore appropriate and safe sites for learning and research.
C: Copyright law, Fair Use Act and Creative Commons matter.
H: Help prevent cyberbullying.
S: Self-image is important.
M: Make use of netiquette.
A: Always give credit to original source.
R: Remember to be effective, thoughtful and ethical digital creators.
T: Think.
Each of those concepts have a more thorough explanation on the website! The important thing here, I think, is that instead of trying to restrict technology usage, or living in fear of the problems it has the potential to create, we should be giving our students what they need to use it effectively & ethically, so they can harness all it has to offer. The internet can be a magical place - stay safe, and be a good cyber cyber citizen!
For the next few minutes we're going to talk a little bit about what internet ethics are, and how others have made ethical internet use an essential part of their classroom culture, and why, at the end of the day, this is all so important.
According to Nancy Weinstein over at ISTE.org, essential workplace skills are going to look a lot different over the next few years - with critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and judgement & decision making in the top 7. So, clearly, those are important skills to have! However, in an increasingly digital world, where so much of what we do happens on the world wide web, those skills are also crucial in the digital world. We need to give students the tools they need to have sound judgement online, critically consider what they consume, and have the emotional intelligence required to engage appropriately & ethically.
The Center for Digital Ethics & Policy talks about digital ethics and students, with three main points I want to address.
1. Not all students grow up with moral/ethical role models. Often, and ideally, students start to form their moral compass at home, with their parents helping them acquire good internet habits. However, that isn't always the case, which makes it even more important for us teachers to provide tools & understandings about internet ethics for those students who may not have them.
2. Copyright is a legal issue, and a lot of people don't understand it. So many people, myself included, have downloaded music for free, or used photos they didn't have rights to. Students who don't understand that this is an actual crime need to know what they are doing is wrong, and that there are legal ways to get the resources they want.
3. Plagiarism is rampant. With endless information available, students have unlimited opportunities to copy & paste. The article, however, talks about how true literacy in this digital age is knowing how to properly access and use the information available to us. We need to teach that digital literacy!
4. Prevention & preparation. In order to prevent unethical digital use, many districts restrict certain websites, but the article suggests that restricting does not teach good habits, it just restricts bad ones. To truly prepare for and prevent cyber bullying & other inappropriate tech use, students should be taught about internet ethics in school from a young age.
While all of this is well & good, the question remains, how do we use technology ethically, and how do I share that knowledge with my students?
Northwest Missouri State University posted an article called "Ethics for Technology Use in the Classroom" in 2018, and they do a great job of providing clear ethical guidelines for technology through their acronym "TECH SMART," which can easily be shared with a classroom, providing easy to understand "rules" to guide their internet usage.
T: Take care of technology equipment.E: Explore appropriate and safe sites for learning and research.
C: Copyright law, Fair Use Act and Creative Commons matter.
H: Help prevent cyberbullying.
S: Self-image is important.
M: Make use of netiquette.
A: Always give credit to original source.
R: Remember to be effective, thoughtful and ethical digital creators.
T: Think.
Each of those concepts have a more thorough explanation on the website! The important thing here, I think, is that instead of trying to restrict technology usage, or living in fear of the problems it has the potential to create, we should be giving our students what they need to use it effectively & ethically, so they can harness all it has to offer. The internet can be a magical place - stay safe, and be a good cyber cyber citizen!
Note: each of the three websites are linked throughout the post - go check them out!
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