Runninghead:REFLECTION FOR TECHNOLOGY STANDARD VI

Reflection for Technology Standard VI: Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues Walker B. Wellborn Lamar University

REFLECTION FOR TECHNOLOGY STANDARD VI Reflection for Technology Standard VI: Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues Self-Assessment

For the field-based activities satisfying the TF/TL Standard VI Social, Ethical, Legal and Human Issues I learned much about the rules of school, social, ethical, and legal procedures that must shape the use of educational technologies in the classroom. Such issues are numerous and often we may miss or ignore them when we are ignorant of what they say and for what they mean. Technology facilitators and leaders in the school system must be responsible to know and understand how these rules have been shaped for the common good of all, especially the student, and to diligently design these rules into the learning practices using new educational technologies. I found that the Bonham Elementary computer lab aide and teachers were very much aware of the restraints that Abilene Independent School District (AISD) policies and copyright laws had on the software technology and background music we planned to use. Listening to school personnel helped me answer much about AISD policies and procedures. In the very first project strategy meeting a story was shared about a low cost that was lost, a fining that nearly happened, and the wasting of time that occurs when one ignores checking the user rights to a major school musical. The goal for AISD educational excellence means providing effective tools for meaningful classroom instruction while ensuring a safe, ethical and productive learning environment. For smooth operation the AISD network administration relies upon the proper communication with end users such as computer lab managers, teachers, librarians, Learning Resource Center coordinators, and teachers to request software or drivers to be downloaded and new program set up in the system network. The new drivers for the pen and tablets had to be planned early for district acceptance before we knew the Bonham Elementary computer lab could have the appropriate equipment for the students to draw digitally (AISD, 2011, p. 11). Learn as a Learner After parent consent forms were sent home to authorize their children to publish the multimedia work, then the students wrote story content, drew their own illustrations, and narrated their own voice-

REFLECTION FOR TECHNOLOGY STANDARD VI overs to the How-To Stories. The copyrighted practice in turn was used to protect their creative input.

School copyright notices watermarked and concluded the twenty-one separate digital story presentations. Also participation credits for all students, teachers, and staff were listed at the end of the multimedia project. At the 2011 AISD Technology Showcase school booth students, friends, and family would gather to watch their digital stories loop on a digital flat screen. Suddenly the students would point and talk excitedly as their names crawled across the screen. The printed recognition fascinated them. True digital equity is an important social issue that occurs when students have equitable access to diverse learning technologies, other than just computers (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p.124). When I saw fifth grade illustration groups discuss which students in the group could best draw certain parts in the Paint.Net software, then the teams created diverse opportunities for each other to learn. Some would also check the work of each other to determine that the correct layers were being used, and then other students were having fun exploring how to make varied digital marks using the Wacom digital pen and tablets. I could observe diverse learning opportunities taking place. With the instruction of teachers and computer lab aide all Bonham Elementary fourth and fifth grade students were assisted in collaborative group access to word processing, digital drawing, and sound composing productivity tools. In this way teachers were promoting meaningful and diverse real-world learning with technology (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p.126). Lifelong Learning Skills Williamson and Redish (2009) report, According to student-to-computer ratios, student access to computers at school is fairly equitable across historically identified subgroupsconfirming the notion that schools continue to be a great equalizer for disadvantaged students (p. 124). This digital equity is a longstanding social issue that requires technology facilitators and leaders to promote technology to all excluding none. Not only was digital equity protected in facilitating the How-To Stories project, but also student safety, user ownership rights, and AISD technology efficacy. As a lifelong learner in the areas of the TF/TL Standard VI Social, Ethical, Legal and Human Issues I intend to keep pace with copyright laws, fair use, and creative commons to protect student user

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rights as well as they respect the information property rights of others. It is necessary to stay aware of the district acceptable use guidelines and Internet safety policies to be a responsible guide for others. Bissonette shares (2009): Because filtering alone is not sufficient to guard against students accessing inappropriate materials, schools also must provide education about responsible Internet use. Classroom instruction about how to access and use the Internet must be comprehensive, as students will carry their classroom instruction about Internet safety with them as they access computers unsupervised settings in which access to the Internet is not filtered. (p. 55) The unfamiliar areas of social, legal, and ethical issues surrounding the use of educational technologies challenge me as a technology facilitator and leader when training teachers to teach students. Cyber law needs to be presented in a manner that is relevant and necessary regardless the Internet is filtered. Finally the global impact in the lives of the teacher and student today make it necessary to provide equitable learning opportunities through digital technology for real world work and citizenship in the 21st century.

REFLECTION FOR TECHNOLOGY STANDARD VI

References Abilene Independent School District (AISD). (2011). Electronic communication system acceptable use guidelines and Internet safety. AISD student code of conduct. Retrieved at http://www.abileneisd.org/cms/lib2/TX01001461/Centricity/Shared/201011%20Student%20Code%20of%20Conduct%20%20-%20revised%208-4-10.pdf. Bissonette, A. (2009). Cyber law: Maximizing safety and minimizing risk in classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). ISTEs 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.