Taken from: Mattison, L. 2018. Ethical issues with using Technology in the classroom. https://study.

com/blog/ethical-issues-
with-using-technology-in-the-classroom.html

Ethical Issues with Using Technology in the

Classroom

As we increase the use of technology in the classroom, we must also be conscious

of ethical issues that arise from that technology use. Understanding the biggest
ethical issues affecting our classrooms will help us better understand how to
address them.

Technology in the Classroom

Ethics has always been at the core of creating a
thriving learning environment. We are well
accustomed to teaching students ethics through
principled examples, such as: these are the rules
(don't push); here are reasons for the rules (don't
cause harm to others).

The widespread availability of technology brings new and challenging ethical

issues to the forefront. Doug Johnson, an expert in educational technology,
acknowledges that technology in the classroom can be extremely disruptive. He
argues that our society has imposed guidelines for things children cannot do (for
example: we drive after age 16, vote at 18, and drink at 21) because children are
not emotionally developed for these activities. However, in our attempt to educate
children to become computer literate, we push them into cyberspace without
guidance. How can we expect them to know how to behave ethically on the
internet, with their identity hidden, when we haven't fully taught them to act
ethically in real-life situations?
In fact, the Alliance for Childhood discusses how advancement in technology is
progressing faster than adults can understand the ethical ramifications of its use.
They find that, especially at developmental ages, children highly benefit from
learning ethics in face-to-face interactions, which are unfortunately becoming more
uncommon with screentime distractions.
If we take some time to understand the biggest ethical issues affecting our
classrooms, we can better understand how to address them.

Academic Honesty and Research Ethics

In the Connected Age, it's easy to go online and download multimedia (illegally or
legally). There are even subscription sites that allow unlimited downloading of
movies, music, or games, which further blurs the line
between what is free and what is copyrighted. In fact,
some students are confused that copying and
pasting is plagiarism because their source material
didn't have an author, and therefore it was ''common
knowledge.''
Plagiarism is a big ethical concern, especially with
search engines that make it easy to find any query.
The widespread availability of knowledge also makes
it easier for students to fabricate research and fake a source. Reinforcing how to
cite authors, and why it's important to respect the intellectual property of others, will
help to minimize these occurrences. Requiring well-cited sources will also help
prevent any fabricated research.

Electronic Communications
Electronic communication between teachers and students can be helpful, but the
line can become blurred between business and personal. Keep electronic
communications professional, and warn students of the dangers of thinking that
their emails and text messages are personal. Especially when using school or
business email systems, these types of communications can easily be made
public.

Social Networks & Cyberbullying

According to their company info page, Facebook has 1.79 billion active users, and
66% of these users log on every day. That's a staggering number! Some educators
are using Facebook to share multimedia with
students, or as a way for students to connect
and collectively brainstorm. My college had a
Facebook page for our cohort, and while the
intentions of connecting students through the
page were positive, they provided no guidelines
for the page's use and it inevitably led to ethical
issues. One student began snapping pictures of
a particular student and posting them to the
page, making fun of him at every turn. This repeated-over-time pattern of hurtful
behavior was cyberbullying.
Social Networks can also bring up ethical issues for teachers who are ''friends''
with their students. Teachers may learn things about their students, like seeing
posts about underage drinking. A young student doesn't understand that they have
waived their right to privacy by posting things on social networks, and they often
feel that Facebook is anonymous because there is no face-to-face interaction. This
feeling also enabled my classmate to cyberbully another student without feeling the
full weight of his actions. This is a teaching moment to help students understand
that Facebook is not a diary and it is not anonymous. Our actions and posts on
public social networks could one day prevent us from getting a job, or they could
cause us to become unemployed.

Confidentiality
Between utilizing online forums, social media, and other online applications,
schools are collecting a lot of information about students. The U.S. Department of
Education's Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) offers best practices for
teachers to follow when enrolling in new online services. Their advice includes
reviewing the contract for data use and retention policies, as well as being
transparent with students and parents about district information policies, including
what is being collected and how it will be used.

How to Address Technology Related Ethical Issues

Connecticut's Teacher Education and Mentoring Program advises teachers to
employ their best professional judgment when dealing with technology-related
ethics. They find it helpful for teachers to recognize these types of situations and to
discuss them with other educators to develop awareness of new ethical issues.
In addition to identifying ethic related situations, it is important for teachers to
outline both technology rules and the reason for the rules (remember our don't
push example earlier?). Focus on how
technology can enhance or expand the student's
learning, and help them see how technology can
connect and build upon their real-life activities
and learning.
And, of course, create clear boundaries of what
students can and cannot do while on a classroom
computer. Arlene Rinaldi developed 10
Commandments for computer network users at
Florida Atlantic University. The commandments include not harming others, not
snooping, not using the computer to steal, not using other people's intellectual
output without authorization, and understanding the social consequences of things
you do on the Internet.
His last rule is important: ''Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show
consideration and respect.'' Isn't this what we have traditionally been teaching
students? To treat others as they want to be treated, to show respect for the
humanity of others no matter their race, religion, or sexual orientation, and the
importance of doing the right thing.