Ethical Use of Technology
Technological change means we are facing the largest transformation in how we receive, interact with and respond to people and information These changes mean that we no longer live in a small regional area but are now part of a much broader community where we are increasingly using digital technologies for entertainment, to socialise, communicate, and learn. It is important that students are required to think about their role in the online world and understand the legal framework they need to make informed choices about their online behaviour.
Like all educational facilities, Catholic Schools are open to the continuing development of their students' needs and seek to reflect the best of current educational theory, research and practice. This occurs after careful reflection on each practice, its impact on the learner and relevance to the curriculum. With the continued changes in technology schools are charged with ensuring that they continue to educate the 'whole child' and carefully reflect on the use of these tools.
Catholic schools foster skills of reflection, discernment and critical thinking in light of an informed conscience. With the plethora of Web 2.0 tools available for use, we are challenged to ensure the tools students use not only foster these skills but are genuinely inclusive, responsive to the needs of learners and are used legally and ethically.
The Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC), now COAG, also requires schools to “ensure that students understand the legal, ethical, and health and safety implications of using ICT and their responsibilities as users and developers”.
Students:
Like all educational facilities, Catholic Schools are open to the continuing development of their students' needs and seek to reflect the best of current educational theory, research and practice. This occurs after careful reflection on each practice, its impact on the learner and relevance to the curriculum. With the continued changes in technology schools are charged with ensuring that they continue to educate the 'whole child' and carefully reflect on the use of these tools.
Catholic schools foster skills of reflection, discernment and critical thinking in light of an informed conscience. With the plethora of Web 2.0 tools available for use, we are challenged to ensure the tools students use not only foster these skills but are genuinely inclusive, responsive to the needs of learners and are used legally and ethically.
The Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC), now COAG, also requires schools to “ensure that students understand the legal, ethical, and health and safety implications of using ICT and their responsibilities as users and developers”.
Students:
- understand the increasingly prominent role of ICT in society and its impact on self, work and others.
- have an appreciation of the roles and responsibilities of people working with ICT and are discriminating, ethical, legal,
- responsible and safe users of ICT.
- use safe practices to protect information and develop strategies for handling unwanted communication.
- reflect on ICT issues in the past and are able to apply future thinking when exploring the impact of ICT developments
Ethical use can be particularly difficult in relation to the use of Web 2.0 technologies with primary school students. The Terms and Conditions of Use of many of these spaces make very clear statements about their use by or on behalf of children under the age of thirteen. Teachers are required to work within the Term and Conditions of Use found on Web sites to ensure students are not receiving mixed messages in relation to legal and ethical use. This does not mean Catholic students are unable to access learning via Web 2.0 technologies. Teachers need to be discerning in relation to the tools they choose and may need to find alternative ways for primary students to be members of collaborative communities.
Privacy - Does my use of the technology violate the privacy of others or am I giving information to others that I should not?
Appropriate use - Does this use of the technology have educational value and is it in keeping with the rules of my family, my church, my school and my government?
Property issues - Do my actions respect the property of others, and am I taking the correct steps to keep my property safe?
Privacy - Does my use of the technology violate the privacy of others or am I giving information to others that I should not?
Appropriate use - Does this use of the technology have educational value and is it in keeping with the rules of my family, my church, my school and my government?
Property issues - Do my actions respect the property of others, and am I taking the correct steps to keep my property safe?
