Ethical Use of Technology 1

Ethical Use of Technology

By: Cole Leslie Dr. Brandon Media and Technology: EDUC 1070 6 December 2013

Ethical Use of Technology 2 This document is for my students in regard of how to properly use technology. There are four topic areas that will be covered: Social issues, educational issues, cultural/equity issues, and legal/ethical issues. Many people use technology for social issues. These social issues include social media with Facebook, MySpace, and Instagram, or personal information with email, blogs, and websites such as Amazon. You as student and a citizen need to be very careful of your security and privacy. Your computer keeps track of your personality, and any personal information that you type into websites. If you purchase a book with credit card on Amazon, you computer will keep track of credit card number, security code, name the card you use, and your pin number. According to Julia Angwins The Webs New Gold Mine: Your Secrets from The Wall Street Journal your computer puts all of your information into a single code. If a hacker where to find and access this code, your identity could be stolen. According to Angwin, the Journal found new tools that scan in real time what people are doing on a Web page, then instantly assess location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions. Some tools surreptitiously respawn themselves even after users try to delete them (Angwin, 2010). Spying on consumers just like you is one of the fastest growing businesses in The United States today. If a website asks for a credit card be wary if you should type it in. Do not click on any advertisements, and do not type in any personal information. Just remember to aware of what you type into websites and emails because it can be used against you. Technology is widely used when it comes down to education. We use technology to for research and learning abilities such as web quests. With the vast amount of endless information today it is easy for a student to plagiarize. A student can type in key words in to Google about their topic and find endless amounts of essays and information that a student can steal. Some

Ethical Use of Technology 3 student may think that the teacher will not find out, but this is simply not true. Many teachers know their students on a personal level, and are able to depict each individual students syntax; meaning the teacher can recognize when it is not your work. Also technology can also depict your paper and see how much of your paper is used from the internet. One strategy to prevent this as a teacher stated in the Carnegie Mellon University website is to At the beginning of the semester, in the syllabus and verbally, give students a clear definition of what constitutes plagiarism and what is considered appropriate collaboration I will tell my during the first day of class that plagiarism is not accepted in your classroom. I feel this is one of the best ways to drill into the students mind that plagiarism is unacceptable. Overall, if you are even thinking about using a quote, summer, or paraphrase of somebody elses work you must cite. When in doubt cite your source. It is better to be told that you did not need to cite then be accused for plagiarism. Technology in general can have issues with information that is available. Conflicts of controversial issues may lead to debates that are unnecessary or to acts of violence verbally/physically. Examples of topics that can lead to controversial information are religion, same-sex marriage, traditional gender roles and historical events. This conflict can lead to a classroom that could easily spiral out of control. According to Anna Weinstein, Children today are looking to the culture at large for ethical guidance, and many adults are not setting a good example (2009). To avoid this conflict, as a teacher, I must inform parents of upcoming projects that may be offensive to some students and create documents to allow parents to remove their child from the activity. I also must draw information from a neutral source equivalent to classroom text books. Finally, providing information from both sides of the topic for a wellrounded discussion can help solve this issue.

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The legal issue facing students in my classroom is hacking. Students and teachers alike are at risk to be hacked, but it can be prevented through creating awareness. Sharing information with you is the best to protect you from the issue of hackers in general. Villano (2008) reports on digital citizenship projects to help students understand what it means to be a good digital citizen. A good digital citizen follows the same basic guidelines as a citizen on the ground, Obey the law, have respect for others, act civilly and sensibly. It is my job as a teacher to make you, as my students, good digital citizens through demonstration. I pledge as a student of Concordia University Chicago and also in the future as a teacher that I will adhere to the framework that I have written about ethical issues. Signed: Mr. Coleman Leslie

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References Anna Weinstein (2009). Ethics in the Classroom: What You Need to Know. [ONLINE] Available at: e.g. http://www.microsoft.com. [Last Accessed 6 December 2013]. How to Prevent Plagiarism." How to Prevent Plagiarism - Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation - Carnegie Mellon University. Carnegie Mellon University, n.d. Web. 5 May 2013. Julia Angwin (2010). The Web's New Gold Mine: Your Secrets. [Last Accessed December 3013]. Villano, M. (2008). Text unto others...as you would have them text unto you. T.H.E. Journal, 35(9), 46-8, 50-1.