A Blizzard of Decisions
“Everything [we] do, every decision [we] make has ethics at its core driving or motivating [our] actions and decisions” (Mindlab, 2016, n.p.).
So, that got me wondering … how many educational decisions do teachers make in a day? There is very little research but Ferlazzo (2014) and Goldberg (2003) have estimated it can be from 1500 to upwards of 3000 ‘non-trivial’ decisions a day. Many of the decisions we make, we do automatically, and they reflect our morals, values and beliefs. Each will have an impact on our students, our school, our community and our careers.
“Generally speaking, New Zealand teachers...show limited awareness of the detail of the codes of ethics of their teacher organizations…” (Hall, 2001, p.6). If this still remains true 15 years later, (especially in light of new technology and social media changing our teaching practice and in conjunction with what Hall (2001) suggests is a community willing to challenge decisions teachers make) then as teachers, we need to be proactive. We must work together to develop skills and strategies that will enhance and strengthen our school culture by developing a common understanding of how to approach ethical problems.
My ethical dilemma: If I require my students to post on their blogs set up by the school, especially if the student isn’t happy with their work, am I caring for the identity and privacy of my students?
|
After completing the reading Ethics of Teaching with Social Media (Henderson, 2012) I was left wondering about an issue that hadn’t occurred to me before this week. Everyday I ask my students to post on their blogs or to collaborate with classmates using a host of Google Apps. As adults we all know of the possible implications of posting to social media. Facebook has been the focus of many negative media stories since it began connecting people in 2004. It never occurred to me to include blogs in that same context. Finding an audience for student’s work on the wall of the classroom is one thing. To ask students be brave enough to publish to the web is quite another.
The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers (2003) states our primary obligation as teachers in New Zealand is to “protect the confidentiality of information about learners obtained in the course of professional service, consistent with legal requirements”. Also we are to “respect the privacy” of our parents, family and whanau. So I asked myself, can a blog do that when it is in a public forum?
As teachers we “encourage the creation of texts that extend beyond the control of the authors” (Henderson, 2014, p. 2). Teachers who use social media in their classrooms argue that these blogs give students an authentic audience and that they are important for collaborative purposes because people can comment on them. These blogs create another way to engage our families - especially those who live far away. And teachers are right, blogs can fulfill those 21st century learning objectives and more.
Yet Henderson (2014) got me thinking when he suggested that there are ethical issues that we need to address. Some of the writing, images and videos students put online are about family, the special things they do, places they visit and things their family members say. At times these texts describe quite personal feelings or are silly and fun--reflecting the life of a year 5 or 6 student. Some students will have posts full of fantastic comments acknowledging their learning and others won’t. Some families will be prepared to share these aspects of their lives, others may not.
There are long term implications when you post online that should be considered as well. Do students as young as 9, 10 and 11 years old truly understand that their teachers are helping to create their online digital tattoo (a.k.a. digital footprint)? Do they realize that their blog and all its posts will be part of who they are forever? I, for one, am immensely grateful that the haircut I have for the grade 2 photo day is relegated to my mother’s photo album.
I am not saying for a minute that blogging for students is a bad idea. But what I am suggesting is that it needs more than blind acceptance. We need to involve our entire community. We must revisit these issues often within the year, in light of how rapidly technology is changing and how me might better reflect the needs, privacy and safety of our students.
Students need to be involved and learn to make decisions about what information should go online, what doesn’t and why. Teachers need to address not only the obvious negative issues, but also how, within the context of school work, can we best protect our students. Parents, caregivers and whanau need to be part of the dialogue to help support the school, the teacher and their children. Perhaps signing a consent form at the beginning of the school year isn’t enough. Food for thought.
Students need to be involved and learn to make decisions about what information should go online, what doesn’t and why. Teachers need to address not only the obvious negative issues, but also how, within the context of school work, can we best protect our students. Parents, caregivers and whanau need to be part of the dialogue to help support the school, the teacher and their children. Perhaps signing a consent form at the beginning of the school year isn’t enough. Food for thought.
In the end I couldn’t put it any better than the Ministry of Education (2015) - The ultimate goal is to ensure the online safety of all students whilst fostering a positive culture of digital technology use.
References
Goldberg, M. (2003). Keeping Good teachers. Chapter 26: The Qualities of Great Teachers. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104138/chapters/The-Qualities-of-Great-Teachers.aspx
Education Council N.Z. (2003). The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers. Retrieved from: https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/code-of-ethics-certificated-teachers-0
Ferlazzo, L. (2014). Quote of the Day. Retrieved from: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/02/22/quote-of-the-day-have-you-ever-wondered-how-many-decisions-we-teachers-need-to-make-each-day/
Hall, A. (2001). What ought I to do, all things considered? An approach to the exploration of ethical problems by teachers. Paper presented at the IIPE Conference, Brisbane. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers
Henderson, M., Auld, G., & Johnson, N. F. (2014). Ethics of Teaching with Social Media. Paper presented at the Australian Computers in Education Conference 2014, Adelaide, SA. Retrieved from http://acec2014.acce.edu.au/sites/2014/files/attachments/HendersonAuldJohnson_EthicalDilemmas_ACEC_2014_0.pdf
Mindlab. (2016). Week 29 Practice Influence of Law and Ethics. Retrieved from: https://app.themindlab.com/course/release/664-week-29-practice-influence-of-law-and-ethics
Ministry of Education. (2015). Digital technology - Safe and responsible use in schools. Retrieved from http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Managing-and-supporting-students/DigitalTechnologySafeAndResponsibleUseInSchs.pdf