Module12: Ethics and Technology in the School

Like most new technologies, computers and computer networks bring with them a host of moral and ethical issues that must be grappled with as the technologies become integrated into our culture. Each day, more and more schools and homes are connecting. With this access, huge amounts of information are now just a mouse click away. Although this provides a wide array of teaching opportunities, it also brings potential problems directly into the classroom.

The dilemmas are particularly acute because of the Internet's capability to allow widespread access to personal information, person-to-person conversations without visual contact, and the public display of virtually any type of content that an individual or group may wish to express. In addition, computer technology generally makes it extremely easy to plagiarize written and graphic information or intellectual property. Finally, the cost of computers and networks makes them more obtainable for wealthier students and districts than for less wealthy ones. With the increased emphasis on use of technology in teaching and on technology skills as a factor in employment, equity in access to technology continues to be a pressing issue. Add to all of these factors the great diversity of values, norms, morals, interests and personal needs found in the public school environment, and it is easy to see how the ethics of technology use can become a major concern of a technology leader.

In this session, we will focus on the issues of these specific ethical topic areas: Censorship, Copyright and Plagiarism, Educational Fair Use, Equity, and Privacy. All of the problems and the solutions that characterize each topic will be discussed. We will also introduce you to Acceptable Use Policies, one of the important responses that schools have developed in trying to find answers to ethical concerns. By the end of this session, you should be able to: