Safe, Responsible and Ethical ICT Use In The Classroom -
What is it and how can we do it?
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) - it is everywhere! As teachers we use it personally and professionally, as do our students now that it has become a regular part of daily home and classroom life.
It can seem scary, especially, if like me the online world seems vast, fast and overwhelming.
This blog is here to help us all out with the who, when, why, what and where of how to ensure we are all (teachers AND students) being ethical, responsible and safe ICT users.
WHO needs to be an aware ICT user?
We do, teachers! Not only is it vital that we are being role models to our students, demonstration of safe ICT use is now also a mandated criterion for teachers, as outlined within the AITSL Professional Standards (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership). The professional standards regarding ICT use are all outlined HERE.
(Psssst! It is standard 4.5 - Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically)
So be an aware professional and create a digital footprint you can be proud of!
But let's not forget the students! The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) have also recognised the importance of safe ICT use for students, as outlined within the General Capabilities - LINK.
The ICT General Capability is organised into the following
elements
The element we are focusing on is applying social and ethical protocols and practices when using ICT, which is then broken down into the sub-categories of:
- Recognising
intellectual property
- Applying
digital information security practices
- Applying
personal security protocols
- Identify
the impacts of ICT in society
WHAT makes it so important that AITSL and ACARA have mandated it?
It is vitally important in this technological age that we learn, and help others learn, how to protect ourselves and others while participating online. This is the sub category of applying personal security protocols and applying digital information security practices.
Applying Digital Information Security Practices:
Basic rules students should be aware of to ensure their digital information stays safe:
- Keep passwords hidden, including from friends.
- Design a secure password.
- Do not use passwords/log in accounts from public computers
- Never share personal information online
- Watch out for “free” stuff.
- Don’t reply to messages or emails which ask for personal information.
A great teacher resource developed for Australian students (Years 3 and up) is Budd:E, which provides education regarding online risks and consequences. Budd:E provides online and offline activities for students to engage in, which allows learning to occur through constructivist activities – for further information regarding the Budd:E resource, click the following link:
Budd:E Stay Smart Website
Applying Personal Security Protocols:
The complexity of the Internet now means that our students face multiple risks when participating in the online world. Some of these risks include cyber bullying, digital reputation, unwanted sexual contact, offensive content and protecting their personal information.
The resource provided above (Budd:E) covers both digital information and personal security. A second government resource which also thoroughly covers these issues, is CyberSmart and is a comprehensive website for children of all ages, and includes facts, games/quizzes, videos, where to get help and further information for parents, teachers and schools.
CyberSmart Website
WHY is intellectual property so important?
WHY is intellectual property so important?
The sub category of recognising intellectual property is about learning to respect ourselves and others while participating in the online world. This is the ethical component to the ICT General Capability.
Music, images and videos are all readily available (and
readily accessed) freely online BUT being free, does not equate to ownership.
It is important for students to begin understanding that there are rules
associated with copyright and sharing others intellectual property, just as
important as rules which occur outside the digital realm. As soon as we create
a piece of work, we own the copyright and can decide what can be done with this
piece of work. It is NOT okay to share, reproduce or download ALL material from
the Internet. Issues around copyright include financial and legal
ramifications, as well as the issue of respecting others and what they produce
and taking responsibility for our own actions online.
Here is a LINK to a useful YouTube video (although primarily
for older primary students) regarding the importance of respecting Intellectual
Property.
To ensure your students (and yourself) are respecting
copyright laws, a great resource to use is the CREATIVE COMMONS search engine.
Creative Commons allows copyright owners to share their content and decide how
it will be used. The website also provides a free licensing tool, so you can
create a personalised creative commons copyright for your own shared materials.
If material online is licensed through Creative Commons,
there should be a similar symbol to this on the website:
Creative Commons allows owners to decide HOW they want their
material used and the symbols will represent this information. For example the symbol used above is the most compliant, allowing others to remix,
build upon and redistribute the work as long as credit is given to the original
creator.
For further information regarding creative commons, how to register your own work or the various symbols used – visit this LINK.
WHEN do we need to teach all of
this to our students?
Anytime! All the time! It should be a message and a lesson that is reinforced through a rich integration within the curriculum. Safe, responsible and ethical ICT use should not be a stand alone lesson. When integrated within the curriculum, this will allow the students to develop their understandings in a contextual manner and promote real life understandings. See below for a brief example of how one of the sub categories has been worked into an english lesson, when publishing texts in a year four classroom.
Although I have stated that the ICT General Capabilities needs to be integrated across the curriculum, this website by the ABC provides some possible lesson ideas regarding Cyber Crime and Digital Information Security Practices
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/resources/teacher/episode/20130319-cybercrime.pdf
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/resources/teacher/episode/20130319-cybercrime.pdf
This link also includes classroom resources regarding staying safe online, including activities, games and classroom posters - http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/themes/stayingsafeonline/
WHERE can we create our own digital footprint?
Take the time to create your own professional footprint and be a responsible and aware role model.
Not only will your footprint be an example of your compliance with the professional standards but it will assist in building your confidence in becoming proficient and aware of popular ICT use. Sign up and explore websites such as:
SUMMING UP....................
The focus for this blog was to look closely at the important issues for students and teachers alike to ensure we are practicing safe, responsible and ethical ICT use. As educators, it will be part of our duty to demonstrate and provide opportunities for students to become confident and safe users of ICT with an understanding of it's impact on their own lives, and others.
SO, teachers! Do not think of this as "Oh no, another thing to add to our busy days!"
BUT see it as an opportunity to use ICT to enhance lessons and promote students safety, which will be an essential skill as they become citizens within this digital age.
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