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Technology Standard III: Legal, Social and Ethical Issues
Caitlyn Stone
Caitlyn Stone
Ethical Issues
 Ethical Issues include:
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Social Networking
Acceptable use policies
Netiquette
Cyber Bullying
Internet privacy
Social Networking
 A social network service is an online service, platform, or
site that focuses on building and reflecting of social
networks or social relations among people, e.g., who
share interests and/or activities.
 Most social network services are web based and provide
means for users to interact over the internet, such as email and instant messaging.
 Social networking sites allow users to share ideas,
activities, events, and interests within their individual
networks.
Social Networking Issues
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Privacy-On large social networking services, there have been growing concerns about
users giving out too much personal information and the threat of sexual predators.
Users of these services also need to be aware of data theft or viruses.
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Access to Information-To edit information on a certain social networking service
account, the social networking sites require you to login or provide an access code.
This prevents unauthorized user(s) from adding, changing, or removing personal
information, pictures, and/or other data.
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Online bullying (aka "Cyber-bullying") is a relatively common occurrence and it can
often result in emotional trauma for the victim. Depending on the networking outlet,
up to 39% of users admit to being cyber-bullied.
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Interpersonal communication has been a growing issue as more and more people
have turned to social networking as a means of communication. "Benniger (1987)
describes how mass media has gradually replaced interpersonal communication as a
socializing force. Further, social networking sites have become popular sites for youth
culture to explore themselves, relationships, and share cultural artifacts”.
Acceptable Use Policies
 Administrators, teachers, library media specialists, and students
must monitor the use of technologies for grade-level and content
appropriateness, ethics, and safety.
 Schools and divisions are required to establish guidelines for
appropriate technology use. These guidelines generally are called
acceptable use policies (AUP).
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By definition, an AUP is a written agreement signed by students,
their parents/caregivers, and their teachers. It outlines the terms
and conditions for using technology-based devices maintained by
schools and personal technology-based devices used during
school hours on school property.
Netiquette
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1. Avoid hurting someone's feelings
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2. Respect other people's online rights.
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3. Avoid insulting someone unless you want to start a flame war.
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4. If someone insults you, be calm.
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5. Avoid "crashing" discussion groups or forums.
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6. Respect the privacy of other people.
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7. Be responsible online.
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8. Help other people learn more about the Net.
Cyber Bullying
 "Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is
tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed
or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using
the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile
phones.
 It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been
instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults
become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or
cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is
NEVER called cyberbullying.
Cyber Bullying Prevention
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Educating the kids about the consequences (losing their ISP or IM
accounts) helps. Teaching them to respect others and to take a stand
against bullying of all kinds helps too.
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When schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for
cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school
hours, they are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the
student's free speech right.
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Schools can be very effective brokers in working with the parents to stop
and remedy cyberbullying situations.
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They can also educate the students on cyberethics and the law. If schools
are creative, they can sometimes avoid the claim that their actions
exceeded their legal authority for off-campus cyberbullying actions.
Student Data
 Confidential student data must be protected at all
times.
 If student data is made public some students and
parents may be upset.
 The school or teacher may also be held accountable
for releasing private information.
Internet Privacy
 In today’s technological world, millions of individuals are
subject to privacy threats.
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Companies are hired not only to watch what you visit
online, but to infiltrate the information and send advertising
based on your browsing history.
 Today many people have digital cameras and post their
photos online. The people depicted in these photos might
not want to have them appear on the Internet.
Teacher Tips for Ethical Issues
 To prevent cyber-bullying, teacher should talk openly to their
students. There should be a no bullying policy in the classroom
anyway and students need to know that that includes cyberbullying outside of class.
 To protect student data, teachers should password protect their
computer at all times. Students could very easily bring up grade
information and humiliate other students or I have seen high
school students even change their own grades.
 Also, acceptable use policies should be posted and students should
be made ware of the consequences of misuse of the school
technology.
Social Issues
 Social Issues in Include:
 Digital Divide
 Gender
 Race
 Socioeconomic status
 Resources equity
 Teacher Bias
Digital Divide
 Digital Divide is the gap between people with effective access to
digital and information technology and those with very limited
or no access at all.
 In the context of schools, which have consistently been involved
in discussion of the divide, current formulations focus more on
how (and whether) students use computers, rather than simply
whether there are computers or Internet connections.
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Public libraries and afterschool programs have also been shown
to be important access and training locations for disadvantaged
youth.
Digital Divide: Gender
 Boys and girls use the computer for different things.
 Boys are more likely to spend hours playing games.
 Consequently, there is a stereotype that boys are
better at using computers than girls are.
 Ways to prevent this may include educating girls ad
the class as a whole about gender roles and that
anyone can use the computer just as well as anyone
else.
Digital Divide: Race
 The racial digital divide describes the difference in rates of
access to computers and the Internet, at home and school,
between those racial groups with high rates of access
(White people and Asian and Asian-American people) and
those with lower rates of access (Black people and Latina(o)
people).
Digital Divide: Socioeconomic Status
 The digital divide among individuals with varied
socioeconomic statuses is important because those
families who may be struggling will not be able to
afford computers or internet access.
 The easy solution seems that schools should have
open library hours after school where children can
use the computer. However, the parents of these
children may be working more than one job and
may not be able to get them to school at night.
Teacher Bias
 It is crucial to bridging the gap in the digital divide
that teachers maintain an unbiased opinion of all
children’s capabilities.
 If a teacher believes that girls are not as good at
computers as boys then they will stop expecting
girls to perform to their highest potential.
Teacher Tips for Social Issues
 It is important for teachers to keep an unbiased
opinion of the abilities of all children regardless of
their gender, race, or socioeconomic status.
 Just because some students to do have constant
access to computers or the internet does not mean
that they cannot learn and be very successful with
technology.
Legal Use of Digital Media
 Legal Use of Digital Media Includes:
 Copyright
 Fair Use
 Creative Commons
Copyright
 This interactive video provides information on
Copyright Laws.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QiO_H0-ok8
Fair Use
 Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right
granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work, is a
doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited
use of copyrighted material without requiring permission
from the rights holders.
 Although the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled
that the availability of copyright protection should not
depend on the artistic quality or merit of a work, fair use
analyses consider certain aspects of the work to be relevant,
such as whether it is fictional or non-fictional.
Creative Commons
 Creative Commons is a nonprofit corporation dedicated
to making it easier for people to share and build upon the
work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright.
Teacher Tips for Legal Issues
 Teachers should make sure that students are well
aware of the consequences of stealing Copyrighted
material.
 This is especially important when children are using
media that includes music that is obtained or used
illegally.
Resources
 http://www.doe.virginia.gov/
 http://www.learningpt.org/
 http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-
leading.aspx
 http://www.edchange.org/publications.html
 http://creativecommons.org.
 http://www.youtube.com