Module+3+Reflection

// ** Reflection Prompt: ** //** // Reflect on what you plan to do to address the equity and ethics issues when applying technologies. You may share with us about what you have been doing by addressing these aspects and what you will change after learning in this module. // **

__ //Description// __ This week's module focused on equity and ethics issues to consider when dealing with technology. We had several readings on equity and ethics in technology, one of which was a case study on a teacher's use of a computer lab for her day's lessons. We were supposed to read the case study, and then identify problems we found with legal and ethical issues, health and safety concerns, and also security and privacy issues. Through both class discussion and our own investigations, we were to try and offer solutions to these types of issues, as well as to take a look at our own usage of technology from an ethical stance.

// __Impact__ // This week's module was actually not too new for me- I had a class in undergrad on ethics in media and publications, so I was already familiar with a lot of the information in this module, and I found it easy to identify the problems in the case study. However, I did come to a few realizations: one of the most important ones being that even though I myself try to follow ethics and equity rules with technology, this modeling is probably not enough for teaching my students the importance of technological responsibility. I think that too often I assume that students know the rules, when they usually don't. And especially if other teachers are not monitoring their students usage (such as plagiarism, illegal downloads, etc.), it is even more important for me to come up with a classroom plan for using technology, and then to use this plan to teach students how to properly use technology. As of right now, I don't have a plan- I have general rules like "don't plagiarize." But if students don't see copying and pasting information from online as plagiarizing, then how does this rule help them? What I need to do is demonstrate for them the right and wrong behaviors, and to also show them real world consequences of those wrong behaviors. Basically, I need to spend more time teaching my students how to use technology ethically, because even though they use technology all the time, many of them are not aware of how to properly use the information available to them.

__ //Intent// __ As I have stated above, I intend to come up with a better classroom plan for students' technology use in my classroom. As it currently stands at our school, we focus a lot on not using certain types of technology (such as phones). But our school is in the process of going wireless, and it has been announced that we will be looking at revamping our rules for usage of electronic devices. I hope to be able to share some of my opinions from information I have learned in this module, and encourage our school to look at ways we can encourage positive usage of technology, rather than just giving an out-right ban on these devices. From there, I am also going to be looking at my own classroom rules and work on developing a real, specific plan for using technology in my classroom- part of which will need to include a lesson on the do's and don'ts of using information from the Internet.