Standard+VI-Social,+Ethical,+Legal,+and+Human+Issues


 * Standard VI-- Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues**

Standard VI, which addresses social, ethical, legal, and human issues related to technology, is an important standard to model and support as a technology facilitator and/or leader. According to TF/TL VI-A, we should, "Model and teach legal and ethical practice related to technology use." I feel that I have demonstrated this standard in my use of technology with colleagues and students on my campus. I always make a point to make my students aware of legal issues, such as copyright infringement and fair use policies. At times, students do not seem to value the significance of this standard, but I have found a way to help them internalize it to a greater degree. For instance, after reviewing and summarizing copyright laws, I often have students create some piece of digital art or digital media with iMovie or Garageband. Upon completion, we decide on the best movie or song created by the students. Once the winning piece is selected, I give the credit and recognition to an undeserving individual. This activity is somewhat staged and pre-planned, but it is very effective in helping students understand what it feels like to have their hard work go unnoticed, with an undeserving party receiving credit. I have found this activity to be very effective in helping students internalize the value of Standard VI, and I have shared the activity with other teachers who have used it in their classrooms. Therefore, this activity is a specific strategy to address TF-VI.A.2, which states that we should, "Assist others in summarizing copyright laws related to the use of images, music, video, and other digital resources in varying formats."

Usually, I am not surprised by the fact that students are often unaware of some of these issues related to the ethical and legal issues of Standard VI. It is sometimes surprising, however, to discover how many teachers, and adults, in general, who are not aware of legal issues regarding technology use. It is very puzzling to me, considering the legal implications, that the district does not do more to make teachers aware of this standard. I do recall a brief explanation of this information in the beginning of the school year; however, I feel that it should be given more attention and explanation. As it stands, most teachers disregard the seriousness of this standard, due to a lack of knowledge. I plan to spend some time in creating a brief, but informative, page on a professional wiki that I have already started, which explains some of the most important rules on copyright laws and district policies. I feel this will be more productive in informing teachers of these important laws, since they will be able to reference it when they have time, as opposed to being bombarded with this information in the beginning of the year, when they are already overwhelmed and distracted by other things.

As noted, not only is this an important standard to consider for legal reasons, but socially and ethically, students must understand the significance of this standard. It seems that they are usually well aware of the benefits of technology, but they are often ignorant and naive about the detrimental and harmful ways that technology can be used. Although this is true, many students are, unfortunately, coming to realize the social and ethical issues inherent to technology integration with the increase in crimes created on social networking sites. Thus, I feel it is very important to demonstrate and model this standard.

Reference:

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership // //standards: What every K- 12 leader should know and be able to do // . Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 77-99.