A Few Things to Consider...

If we as teachers are not educating our students about the correct and responsible use of the digital world then we are doing them a disservice. Every day in the classroom I should be preparing students for the real world. The real world involves technology. Therefore, regardless of any outdated policies or curriculum I should be, no, must be, including the use of technology in my program. With that given firmly established, what needs to be considered? Legal perspectives, such as age requirements, use of photos, copyright etc. and ethical issues must be given some attention. Well, the first three considerations seem to be easily determined by terms of agreement and ever evolving copyright laws. But what are the ethical issues in technology anyway? My working definition of 'ethics' has been, 'What is the best way for people to live?' Hmm, that's quite subjective. If ethics drive law and policy as they have in the Canadian Charter of Rights, that would mean front line teachers are really counting on board and ministry leadership to interpret all the questions about digital use in a classroom. For example, should student blogs be visible publicly? The Edublogger attempts to answer this one..."No matter the age or experience, we believe that blogs are meant to be public." This article considers the pros and cons of blogging as an educational tool and offers up some good advice for public viewing of work. But would our educational leaders agree with the 'experts'? It is difficult to put the benefits of a learning experience on the same weigh scale as policy.

https://goo.gl/XOU7s9

My readings and conversations also led to an interesting dilemma that I fortunately have not had to deal with in a classroom.  Is using technology in a classroom increasing 'cheating'? Followed by, do some students bring their devices into class to help them with exams and tests? Not surprisingly, when presented with a scenario such as this, there are all kinds of solutions discussed. 1) Ban them during the test  2) Make a test that isn't  'googleable'.  3) Create a test that requires a device. 4) Ban cell phones or do not encourage BYOD.  These 4 were the most popular in conversations and articles online.  I personally like 2 and 3.  They encouraged embracing technology and using it for good.  The Ontario College of Teachers reminds us that 'care, trust, respect and integrity are the cornerstones' of the ethical standards we must follow.  It is something we should keep in mind every time, either a student or a teacher, picks up a device in the classroom. 
There are many questions that need to be considered and then considered again.  For teachers, a big one is as follows. With technology being so pervasive in our society how do we deal with issues not covered by our policies and guidelines?  It is something to ponder carefully. What do you think?