Sharon Palumbo
10/22/10
EDU 225 Instructional Technology

Ethical Uses of Technology in the Classroom
The internet has become a useful tool for gathering information and teaching students, but with all technology there are safety precautions that we must set-up to teach our children how to be safe. It is the responsibility of the parents and the teachers to inform students about internet safety. “Keeping students safe while online cannot be left to filters and firewalls placed on the network …these filters do not catch everything” (Andrew, 2009) Since the internet is relatively new technology many students are “far ahead of their parents in terms of Internet usage” and many parents have limited experience on the use of computers much less the knowledge they need to educate their children on its safety (Lemos, 2006). It has become necessary to offer parents information “about internet security, such as what Facebook privacy settings their children should have” in order to keep children safe (Butler, 2010).
Technology aids such as “filters, firewalls, activity reports and spyware are all ways that you can keep an eye on more than one child at the same time” (Feldman, 2007). A filtering program allows teachers to enter types of sites that are inappropriate and the software blocks these sites from loading so that students are unable to access them. Firewalls help to protect a child from the repercussions of giving out personal information on the internet by blocking outsiders from being able to access this information. In addition teachers and parents can also use activity reports or spyware to keep children safe. This type of software lists all of the sites that were accessed while online. Inappropriate sites can then be blocked by entering it into the filtering system (Feldman, 2007).
“There are many breaches of ethics with the internet, such as harassment, deformation and infringement of intellectual property rights” (Gearhart, 2005). Often these breaches occur simply because the student is unaware of policies that may be in place (Gearhart, 2005). It is therefore essential to have a policy in place and educate the students of its terms and conditions. In my classroom I plan to institute this information in a webQuest to inform the student of the classroom and school policies along with an agreement form that is to be signed indicating that they are aware of the policies and understand them. This policy will include: * “Attempting to hack into another computer * Using the institutions resources for personal gain * Sending threatening, obscene of harassing messages * Posting confidential material outside the institution * Reposting messages without permission * Disruption or interference of network activities, including the distribution of unsolicited advertising, propagation of computer viruses or worms” (Gearhart, 2005)
Another important aspect that a student needs to be made aware of is software ethics. This is another area in which unethical practices are merely the result of ignorance to the legalities of software use. The students should be conscious of software license and limited warranty agreements as well as terms such as: copyright protection, copyright, ethics, freeware, legal, license, piracy, public domain software, shareware, and shoplifting (pertaining to software) (Gearhart, 2005). Education is the key in protecting students from the ramifications of unethical software use that can result in fines, penalties and possible jail time. This may not be a major concern with younger students, but I will be teaching High School math with tech savvy teens who may be breaking the law with all of their technical gadgets and not realize it. Prohibiting the use of technology in the classroom such as cell phones, iPods, mp3 players and etc. does not eliminate the responsibility of educating the students in these areas nor does it prepare them for the world they are about to enter.
Internet safety is a must in every classroom. The use of technology aids such as filters, firewalls, activity reports and spyware can help keep an eye on more than one student. In addition to safety, a policy on technology ethics stating the classroom and school policies and the consequences of any breeches is essential education for every student. Lastly, knowledge of software ethics and the legalities of breaking the law can help students make safe and sound decisions that will affect their entire lives. As educators it is also wise to inform parents how they can keep their children safe at home.

References
Andrew, Tammy. (2009). Implementing Effective Classroom Internet Safety. Suite 101.com. April 30, 2009.
Feldman, Barbara J. (2007). Need to Know: Internet Safety in the Classroom. Surfnetkids.com.
Gearhart, Dr. Deb. (2005). The Ethical Use of Technology and the Internet in Research and Learning. For the Center of Excellence in Computer Information Systems 2005 Spring Symposium.
Lemos, Robert. (2005).Teenagers struggle with privacy, security issues. Security Focus, 04/18/2005.