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Standard VI: Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues (2000)
Teachers understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply those principles in practice. Teachers:
A. model and teach legal and ethical practice related to technology use.
Modeling ethical behavior of any kind is extremely important with students which is why I try to obey all license agreements and copyright laws in my classroom and my life. Teaching legal and ethical practice is a key part of my curriculum and I use these Computer Safety and Ethics Presentations when I am covering this material in my classes. Since file sharing and illegal copying is also a problem in society, I also have them complete the Music Download Activity which gives them the opportunity to examine the End User License Agreement at Walmart.com's music download store.
B. apply technology resources to enable and empower learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities.
This standard is closely related to Standard II.A, therefore I am using the same artifacts and reflection as they pertain here as well.
Having taught in an alternative school environment for two years and Special Education for three, I understand the need to provide differentiated instruction for learners based on their individual needs. The Disability Case Study outlines several assistive technologies designed for students with hearing difficulties while the Technology Integration Plan describes how technology would be used in the alternative middle school classroom I was teaching in 2001.
During the time I taught Special Education, I developed this Spelling Practice PowerPoint based on the Stetson spelling curriculum I was using at the time. The teacher was suggested to conduct "See, Say, Spell, Write" study sessions in which each spelling word was briefly displayed on an overhead projector for the entire class to practice. However, by developing this PowerPoint I was able to allow students to work on individual spelling lists based on their needs rather than having the entire class working together on the same list. In my class, each student worked individually at a computer. The PowerPoint was automatically timed to display each word very briefly on the screen. After the word was displayed, the student would say the word aloud, spell the word verbally, then write the word down on paper. When finished, they would check their own papers to see where they needed to improve.
C. identify and use technology resources that affirm diversity.
Being from a small town that has very little diversity, this is sometimes a challenge, though technology does make it easier for us to reach the world beyond that which is familiar. In our WebQuest Evaluation Report, my group rated a WebQuest that made a rather feeble attempt at multiculturalism. However, in our analysis we made several suggestions about what should be improved to make it a more diverse activity. Also, though it is sometimes difficult to find much diversity when studying the people behind the rise of modern computing, I was sure to include in my Computers Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow WebQuest a link to the Past Notable Women of Computing web site.
D. promote safe and healthy use of technology resources.
While most of the artifacts included in this standard are not of my own creation, they do represent resources that I use to meet this standard with my students. During the past school year, I was able to participate in a Netsmartz Workshop which provided me with many valuable tips about how to teach safe web practices. My students also complete the SonicWALL Phishing IQ Test which is a real eye-opener to most of them because they don't realize how convincing online scams can be. When presenting this material to my classes, I use these Computer Safety and Ethics Presentations to emphasize the points I am making. hen presenting this material. Of course, my Acceptable Use Policy Presentation also addresses student online safety in addition to ethical and legal practices.
E. facilitate equitable access to technology resources for all students.
One of the biggest complaints that teachers have is that some classrooms have lots of excellent technology resources while others have very little or none. While this is often due to the limitations of grant funding, there are ways to alleviate some of the inequities. The Computer Facilities Survey is an examination of Sullivan School District's technology resources as of the summer of 2006. My Technology Support Plan proposes a technology personnel structure that would help ensure equitable access for all students and my Technology Budget Request outlines how to pay for those personnel and the equipment they would require. Finally, my Staff Development Plan presents training for all teachers to bring the benefits of technology to our learners.
Jeffrey T. Young ~ jty6w7@mizzou.edu ~ Updated June 2009