Module+3+Reflection

Reflect on what you plan to do to address the equity and ethics issues when applying technologies. You may share with us about what you have been doing by addressing these aspects and what you will change after learning in this module.
 * Reflection Prompt:**

**Description**
During Module Three I read two textbook chapters on the social, ethical, and legal issues that educators face when implementing new technology programs and how to give students from diverse backgrounds equal and fair access to technology. I also read two journal articles about how technology influences distance learning courses and people with disabilities. In addition, I read the PT3 case study about a middle school social studies teacher who took her students to a computer lab to work on a project about countries and discussed with my classmates on Springboard the improvements the teacher could have made to address the legal, ethical, and safety concerns that come with using technology.

**Impact**
From the textbook readings, I learned that technology facilitators must consider social, ethical and legal issues when making decisions. Some of the most important decisions involve digital equity, students’ online safety, privacy of student information, and copyright laws. I was pleased to read in the ISTE book that schools have been successful limiting student access to inappropriate websites by using filters, but I was disappointed to read that only 8% of schools provided cybersafety training, according to a report from 2007. Most school districts have blocked social networking sites and restricted publishing on the Web because of concerns that students could share too much personal information online. In regards to digital equity, I was pleased to read that most schools in the U.S. had high-speed Internet access and that the ratio of students to computers among minority students has improved, but I was disappointed to read that schools in high-poverty areas were using technology at school to develop lower-level thinking skills, while students in more affluent areas were using it to solve problems and create original content on the Web. It was also disheartening to read that school districts that spent less on programs using technology had the most significant decreases in overall funding.

In the TPACK book, I learned about the three digital divides that exist today. The first digital divide involves those who have access to computers and the Internet at home and those who don’t. It has been shown that home broadband access leads to greater engagement in multimedia activities and more interest in digital media, while decreasing time spent watching television. According to the second digital divide, schools that mostly serve students from low-income families have fewer teachers who are trained in integrating technology and fewer parents who are knowledgeable about using technology at home. The third digital divide involves being sensitive to cultural and value differences when planning instruction with technology at school.

From the case study, I learned that teachers need to follow rules and ethical principles when planning learning tasks that require students to use technology. Teachers need to follow copyright laws when downloading software and provide a safe online environment where students’ personal information is protected. In addition, teachers need to ensure ahead of time that students have access to technology outside of school before assigning computer projects to be completed at home.

Since I have worked at a summer camp for kids with special needs for many years, the article about technology and people with disabilities was interesting to me. I was not surprised to read that caregivers often use computers or television to keep children quiet and occupied, but I was reminded that technology should not take away someone’s dignity. People with disabilities are people first, and they should be allowed to make their own personal choices regarding technology. Since technology is very expensive, it is more difficult to teach students how to use technology at school if they don’t have access to it at home. The article even raised the question of whether or not it was even fair to teach someone skills with equipment they don’t even have.

**Intent**
I have the professional responsibility to ensure that my future students feel safe online and keep personal information private. I would teach my students to make passwords harder to figure for others to figure out and not to share their passwords with classmates. If not in place, I would ask school leaders to make sure students had a personal work folder that could not be accessed by others. If I wanted to have students write on a blog or publish their work on the Web, I would find safe, online communities that monitor their membership and teach students how to protect themselves from being victims of cyberbullying and how to report it if it happens. Perhaps I would even ask students to be anonymous or use pseudonyms when sharing information online in order to protect their privacy.

In order to best teach my future students about copyright, I need to stay up-to-date with copyright laws and model proper use of materials in my own practice. If I am showing a PowerPoint presentation, I need to cite what websites I found pictures or found statistics to support my key points. If I want to have students use a software program, I need to make sure I’m following licensing rules and not downloading illegal copies onto the school’s computers. If I want to show videos, I need to purchase copies legally. When making copies of children’s literature, I should only make one copy per student. I should also only make one copy of a book chapter or journal article if I am using it for personal use.

When designing learning tasks that involve technology, I need to make sure that all students have equal and equitable access. If some students don’t have computer or Internet access at home, I should take the initiative and work with administrators to make sure that computer labs are available for students to use after school and also work with parents and community members to find public facilities where students can access technology safely and securely to complete homework or other learning tasks. I also should design projects that require students to apply what they have learned, use critical-thinking skills, and solve problems using the Internet; instead of just using computers for drill and practice. I should also not use access to technology as a reward, or deny students access as a punishment for bad behavior. To create equitable classrooms, I should provide both individual and group activities that enable students at all language and reading levels to succeed. I should promote a classroom and school climate that everyone has the right to participate in class and share their opinions. In addition, I should also evaluate students’ technology skills on a consistent basis to identify strengths and weaknesses.

From discussing the case study on the course discussion boards, I realized that I need to learn more about computer hardware. I didn’t know whether a computer virus could be spread when the social studies teacher illegally installed the atlas software on all the computers in the lab. I also didn’t quite understand how a power outage could shut down an entire server. In order to use technology in the most effective way, I hope to develop more knowledge about how computer networks are set up, ways to protect personal information, and how to troubleshoot common issues. I want to learn more about the inner-workings of computers and other kinds of technology, so I can teach students how to use it.

I hope to be able to work at the same summer camp for kids with special needs next year. Most of the kids don’t bring technology that they use at home, such as electronic communication devices, cell phones, or iPods and mp3 players. We actually encourage kids not to bring valuables to camp, in case they get lost or broken. However, when I have conversations with campers (especially older campers) about what activities they do away from camp, I could ask them whether or not they have high-speed Internet access at home or know how to use a digital camera. If the camper can get online at home and I know what their personal interests are, perhaps I could share websites related to their favorite TV shows, favorite animals, or favorite books that they can browse at home. We don’t have computers at camp for the kids to use, and some of our campers come from low-income families. However, I could at least encourage campers to have positive attitudes about technology and use it in meaningful ways.