Technology in Education: The Legal,

Social and Ethical Issues

Ethical IssuesFor Safety and Security

• Social networking• Acceptable Use

Policies• Netiquette• Cyber Bullying• Student Data• Internet Privacy

3

Social Networking

• “Social Networking” = MySpace, Facebook, etc.

• Concerns for parents and educators: narcissism, gossip, wasted time, “friending”, hurt feelings, ruined reputations, and even dangerous activities

4

What Can Teachers Do?

• Allowing students to utilize academic social networking websites teaches digital citizenship to students

• Teachers can develop social networking contracts for students, if the school or school district does not have one.

5

Acceptable Use Policies• What constitutes acceptable use?

Includes not giving out personal information, not participating in off-line meetings or activities, and privacy expectations

• What should Acceptable Use Policies Include?Risks associated with computer communication; rules for efficient, ethical and legal computer/network usage; safe/appropriate computer social behavior; use of available and unavailable services

6

What Can Teachers Do?

• If your school or school district does not have an Acceptable Use Policy, then write your own

• Teachers need to enforce Acceptable Use Policies

7

Netiquette

• Netiquette is defined as “courtesy in information processing” or “etiquette on the Internet”

• Responding promptly to email messages

• Not using school systems for personal

use• Not sending flame mail

8

What Can Teachers Do?

• Teachers should model ethical online behavior for students

• Conduct training sessions for students and hold classroom discussions

• Participate in role playing, games and simulations with students

9

Cyber Bullying• Cyber Bullying is “the act of sending

or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other communication devices”

• Children who are victims portray low self-esteem, depression, anxiety and anger

• Some students do not perceive cyber bullying as a form of bullying behavior

10

What Can Teachers Do?

• Promote cyber-ethics in the classroom as students do online research

• Assign news articles related to cyber bullying incidents for student reading and class discussion

• Have students write in response journals as part of a classroom discussion

11

Student Data

• The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) “mandates the development of an Internet safety plan that addresses the unauthorized disclosure, use and dissemination of personal identification information regarding minors”

• Parents are uncomfortable with the amountof personal info that is collected abouttheir children.

12

What Can Teachers Do?

• Be knowledgeable of the laws and policies associated with student data confidentiality on the federal, state, and district level

• Teachers should exercise caution when student information is transmitted via email, which forms a permanent record

• Educate their students regardingrespecting the privacy of other students

13

Internet Privacy

• Privacy is defined as “the right to be left alone”. However, the technology and the infrastructure of the Internet do not give users that choice.

• Criminal predators use very creative techniques, including online observation, to find out about children.

14

What Can Teachers Do?

• Educate students about Internet privacy, especially the use and abuse of personal information

• Teach students how to recognize, avoid and handle situations where their privacy will be compromised and their lives put in danger

• Create safe, monitored learning environments

15

Digital Divide

• Gender• Socio-

economic• Race• Resource

Equity• Teacher bias

16

Gender

• Females and minorities that are not encouraged to use technology are more likely than others to perform poorly

• Information technology is often perceived as a male subject

17

What Can Teachers Do?• Ensure that technology is taught in a

manner that encourages and engages all students

• Be a proponent for equal opportunity and treatment, providing instruction and guidance that crosses gender barriers

• Be supportive, especially for femalestudents, in their pursuits into theinformation technology field

18

Socio-Economic• Minority groups face multiple barriers to

information technology use, including lack of role models, unconscious stereotyping, false perceptions of interest, and limited access to computers

• 2001 Census Bureau Report revealed that computer usage among students, ages6-17, is nearly equal across differencesin income, race and ethnic groups

19

What Can Teachers Do?

• Challenge students with higher-level technology activities

• Offer additional assistance to those students that are not as familiar with technology and the use of the Internet

• Incorporate technology into their lesson plans

20

Race

• Computer and Internet usage is higher among Whites than Blacks and Hispanics, and higher among Asians and American Indians than among Hispanics

• The digital divide among racial lines may be closing, according to the National Centerfor Education Statistics

21

What Can Teachers Do?

• Provide equitable access to computers and the Internet to all students

• Advocate for computers in their classrooms and the school, looking for grant opportunities, donations, etc.

• Allow additional time for students to utilize computers at school and incorporate technology into assignments.

22

Resource Equity• 2001 Census Bureau Report Findings

• Many students only access the Internetat school

White Households African American Households

57.7% Own a Computer39.5% Have Internet Access

37% Own a Computer20.5% Have Internet Access

23

What Can Teachers Do?

• Play a key role in providing equitable access to all student groups in learning computer skills

• Make computers and the Internet accessible outside of normal school hours

• Model technology use in the classroom

24

Teacher Bias

• Many teachers assume that girls are not interested in information technology

25

What Can Teachers Do?

• Teachers can be influential in shaping female students interest in technology

• Be fair and equitable to all students when considering technology, regardless of gender, race or socio-economic status

• Be supportive of all students with regard to technology

26

Legal Use of Digital Media

• Copyright• Fair Use• Creative

Commons

27

Copyright

• Copyright is “the legal right of authors to prohibit others from copying their work”

28

What Can Teachers Do?

• Set an example for their students and be a role model by following the laws themselves

• Educate students on giving proper credit to the author/owner when using information prepared by them and also how to paraphrase

• Educate students on how to correctly cite an author’s work

29

Fair Use• A “doctrine in copyright law that allows

limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights-holder. It provides for the legal incorporation of copyrighted material into another work under limited conditions”

• Incorporates four factors: the purpose of use, the nature of the work, the portionused, and the effect on the market

30

What Can Teachers Do?

• Create a Fair Use handout for students, including instructions on portion limitations

• Educate students on the importance of giving credit for the materials used and how to correctly cite the source

• Educate students on following Fair Use guidelines when using quotations intheir writings

31

Creative Commons

• Is “a set of licensing tools that stands between the All Rights Reserved of traditional copyright and No Rights Reserved that is the public domain”

• Applies to text, blogs, music, audio, recordings, podcasts, photographs, videos, songs, websites, and films found on the Internet

32

What Can Teachers Do?

• Refer students to the Flickr Creative Commons search page (www.flickr.com/creativecommons/)

• Use the search portal on Creative Commons (http://creativecommons.org/education/)for lesson plans freely shared by other educators

33

Resources• Bartrom, L.. (2009). Fair Use Guidelines. TechTrends, 53(5), 14-15. 

Retrieved May 20, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1893204371).

• Basken, P.  (2010, February). Obama Tries New Tack in Collecting Student Data :Legal and privacy hurdles are higher than expected. The Chronicle of Higher Education.  Retrieved May 20, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1970573281).

• Beers, K..  (2004). Equality and the Digital Divide. Voices From the Middle, 11(3), 4-5.  Retrieved May 20, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 585283161).

• Callison, D.  (2004, February). Digital Divide. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 20(6), 37-40,51.  Retrieved May 20, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 548115761).

• Computer Graphic Image. Retrieved from:• http://colonialcasa.org/newsletters/2006/may/images/Computer.jpg

34

ResourcesCyberbullying image. Retrieved from:

http://www.moosoneepublicschool.ca/Images/Anti-bullying%20clip%20art.jpgDavidson, H.  (1999, September). The educators' lean and mean no fat guide to

fair use. Technology & Learning, 20(2), 58-64.  Retrieved May 20, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 45091593).

Dawley, L. (2007). Learning to Use Multiple Tools. (2007). In L. Dawley The Tools for Successful Online Teaching, (pp. 227-239) Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing Retrieved May 18, 2010, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=chesapeake

Draa, V., & Sydney, T.. (2009). Cyberbullying: Challenges and Actions. Journal of Family and ConsumerSciences, 101(4), 40-46.  Retrieved May 13, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1969954971)

Fryer, Wesley. (n. d.). TOOLS FOR THE TEKS: Integrating Technology In The Classroom. Creative Commons in K-12 Education. Retrieved from: http://www.wtvi.com/teks/05_06_articles/creative-commons.html

).

35

ResourcesJudge’s gavel graphic image. Retrieved from:http://

undeniableme.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/cbl-clipart-legal.jpgGordon-Murnane, L.. (2010, January). CREATIVE COMMONS: Copyright Tools for

the 21st Century. Online, 34(1), 18-21.  Retrieved May 20, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1957509621

Hargadon, S.. (2010, March). Educational Networking. MultiMedia & Internet@Schools, 17(2), 10- 12, 14-16.  Retrieved May 20, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1981674861).

Hayes, S.. (2008). Acceptable Use 2.0. Voices From the Middle, 15(3), 44-46.  Retrieved May 18, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1456956201). Internet privacy? (2001). School Libraries in Canada: A Teachers' Guide, 20(4), 20-22.  Retrieved May 20, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 73275036).

INTERNET SAFETY: Acceptable Use Policies. (2008, January). Principal Leadership, 8(5), 10.  Retrieved May 18, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1413954331).

36

ResourcesInternet: Internet Filters in Schools and Libraries. (2003). In S. Phelps (Ed.) Gale

Encyclopedia of Everyday Law, (Vol. 2). (pp. 819-824) Detroit: Gale Retrieved May 13, 2010, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=chesapeake

 Lock and Key Image. Retrieved from:http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/dpc/Key_CLipart.jpgMulti-Cultural student image. Retrieved from:  http://lake.k12.fl.us/16602072911550800/lib/16602072911550800/student_clipart.gif

Netiquette graphic image. Retrieved from: http://sites.epals.com/cpauchnick/files/cpauchnick/cpauchnick/images/Netiquette2.jp

Nicholson, K., Hancock, D., & Dahlberg, T.  (2007). Preparing Teachers and Counselors to Help Under-Represented Populations Embrace the Information Technology Field. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 15(1), 123-143.  Retrieved May 13, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1184989881).

37

ResourcesSchoolhouse graphic image. Retrieved from: http://ilsptl.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/school-house-clip-

art1.340225101_std.jpegSchoolhouse/schoolbus graphic image. Retrieved from:

http://www.lakeview.provo.edu/class/6-rose/images/SchoolHouse_001.jpgSharkey, Paulette Bochnig.  (1992). What to Tell Your Students About

Copyright. The Clearing House, 65(4), 213.  Retrieved May 18, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1862474).

Shastry, Nan. (2010). [School House Power Point Template]. Retrieved from: http://www.brainybetty.com/BTS2006/back_to_school_powerpoint.htm

Smith, S.  (2005). THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: GENDER AND RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION. Information Technology, Learning, and Performance Journal, 23(1), 13-23.  Retrieved May 13, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1058985141).

38

ResourcesSocial Networking Image. Retrieved from:

http://theapostolicreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/social-networking-marketing.jpg

Stahl, B. (1998, November). Quick! May I go to the Internet?. Book Report, p. 20. Retrieved from Academic SearchPremierdatabase. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=105&sid=e9caa60a-5492-4289-ab03-9c044f9f09e9%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=1246064

Talking the talk. (1996). Techniques: Making Education & Career Connections, 71(8), 16. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=105&sid=e9caa60a-5492-4289-

ab039c044f9f09e9%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=9611201805

Taranto, G., & Abbondanza, M.. (2009, December). Powering Students Up. Principal Leadership, 10(4), 38-42.  Retrieved May 20, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1935531521).

39

ResourcesTeacher graphic image. Retrieved from: http://www.scsc.k12.in.us/Emerson/07-

08/images/teacher_clipart.gifValadez, J., & Duran, R. (2007). Redefining the Digital Divide: Beyond Access to

Computers and the Internet. High School Journal, 90(3), 31-44. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Vincent, A. & Meche, M. (2001). Ethics in Information Processing. In B. S. Kaliski (Ed.)Encyclopedia of Business and Finance, (Vol. 1). (pp. 325-328) New York: Macmillan Reference USA Retrieved May 13, 2010, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=chesapeake

What is Cyberbullying. (n. d.). Retrieved from: http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/cyber_what_is.page

Willards, N. (2002). Ensuring Student Privacy on the Internet. Retrieved from the Education World website: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech120.shtml

http://nyshei.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/info_ethics1.jpghttp://www.brainybetty.com/soundsforpowerpoint.htmhttp://www.ils.unc.edu/dpr/port/teensupport/computer.jpghttp://www.personal.psu.edu/aes284/twtc/images/computer.jpg