Moral and Legal Issues

Technology today can lead to several consequences for the younger generation. These consequences can stem specifically from the student not knowing how to properly navigate the internet or believing that once something is erased, it's gone forever. Unfortunately, such is not the case. There are several moral and legal issues we see on a daily basis when it comes to technology use.

When we think of the term moral, we think of right versus wrong, good versus bad, what we should do versus what we should not do. That being said, we know that it is morally wrong to post lewd and crude pictures on the internet. The same goes for inappropriate language. We know it is not morally correct. However, is this legally okay? It depends. As far as language, I believe it is not illegal to post inappropriate comments. It is also legal to cyber bully in certain states, although in some it is illegal. We can say that posting inappropriate, lewd, and foul language online is not moral. A student is not holding his or herself to the highest standard of moral they can if they are saying things online that they would not say to their parents, teachers, grandparents, etc.

We also know that breaking the law means to create an illegal act. Technology allows for laws to be broken left and right. Plagiarism, or copying another's work as your own, is one of the most substantial and most widely seen types of illegal behavior that I see. Students are given an essay prompt, type it into a search engine and use the first website that pops up. That's fine, until they decide to put their name on the paper without citing a single source. Last year, I caught five students plagiarizing, and two were suspended indefinitely. Although young, we have to understand that students do not know the consequences of their actions and therefore we must teach them. Sometimes it hits home and sometimes it doesn't. Perhaps some students even get away with plagiarism and it is never noticed. The bottom line though, if it is illegal, it is not morally correct to do, is it?

There is a fine line between moral and legal. When we commit an immoral act with technology, are we within the rights of the law? Additionally, when we commit an illegal act on the internet, are we morally correct and able justify that our actions were in the right?

Blended Learning to Promote Global Education

As we evolve with technology, so much the world of education. "Blended learning refers to an approach that combines both traditional face-to-face teaching methods with computer-facilitated activities; the result is an integrated instructional approach to learning. With the dawn of blended learning, brick-and-mortar classes can now be held less frequently and classroom time can occur online" (Module three, n.d.).

There are several ways in which blended learning can promote global education. For example, "International sporting events, such as The World Cup are great platforms for educators to use as a learning opportunity to create dialogue amongst students and to promote global competency through increased awareness of other cultures" (AFSUSA, 2014). When FIFA began promoting their Anti-Discrimination day, classrooms around the world could have taken part in research and understanding of what discrimination is and how their specific country or countries around the world have suffered and still are suffering from discrimination today.

When we allow blended learning to take place in the classroom, we allow our students to go beyond the four walls of our rooms. They are connected with the entire world. We can teach them proper etiquette as they roam the internet, but we also have to make sure they have the power to turn their questions into answers and their knowledge into power. We open the world to our students when they open a computer.

With our world advancing on a daily basis with technology, education is starting to follow suit. Online classes, discussions, forums, etc. are all proof that technology is and will continue affecting education. However, students today have the power to become global citizens while sitting in their classrooms. With the right technology and willingness to connect and learn from others around the world, our students can understand what it means to be a global citizen.


Blended learning « Global Classroom. (2014, August 7). Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://www.afsusa.org/global-education-news/?tag=blended-learning

Module three: Blended learning: An integrated approach (n.d.). Retrieved from bb.snhu.edu

Tools for Global Communication

To communicate on a global level, there are few things a classroom needs. The number one thing is a computer with internet access and number two is a curious attitude. What does your classroom want to learn about? Where in the world does your classroom want to communicate? There are plenty of resources online, but I believe the number one resource is ePals. ePals allows students from various countries to connect and work on projects with one another. Students can access their account from school or home (if a computer and internet access are provided) and converse with students around the world. The following excerpt from Edutopia sums it up perfectly:

 

We had one collaboration that involved schools in Kenya and New Jersey. Both schools were interested in water. They started with a project that used blogs. Students took pictures and analyzed questions about water: How far are you from a water source? Do you have to carry it? What about sanitation?

Then something really interesting happened. They kept the dialogue going after the water project ended. Students began discussing the upcoming elections. Kenyan students wanted to know about the possibility of what they saw as an African president in the United States.

Then the elections happened in Kenya, and the violence. That brought out a whole new set of issues. Students learned that there is a multiplicity of viewpoints, formed at least in part by where you live. So, here you began with a curriculum around global warming and water. Not only did you achieve those learning goals, but you also went on to see more communication about the issues and topics of the day. That's what twenty-first-century learning should be.
(Edutopia, 2008).

By allowing students internet access and the chance to connect globally, they took a project and moved beyond it to better understand another culture and group of students who live half a world away. In doing so, they opened up their eyes to another culture and lifestyle. They broadened their cultural horizons with a real-world experience they aren't likely to forget. I believe this to be the point of communicating on a global level. Promoting understanding from culture to culture and connecting to make a change on a larger scale.




Boss, Suzie. Global Learning: Connecting the World with ePals. Edutopia. July 21 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2014 from http://www.edutopia.org/epals-online-community-pen-pals

Web 2.0

 Change is always a bit scary, and in education, change is constant. Educators are learning new lessons, new tricks, new ways to close the achievement gap and connect with students on a real-world level every single day.

That being said, technology is a part of that ever constant change in the classroom. As new generations are raised, they are learning at a younger and younger age how to use multitudes of technology. In the classroom, this can be a wonderful asset to the teacher, a right hand man (although not always as reliable due to internet connections!). 

There are many benefits of integrating Web 2.0 tools into the classroom. One of them is it shows students that learning can be more than reading a Power Point or taking notes. It can be interactive and can be done anywhere, anytime. Learning is not limited to the classroom anymore. Blogs, vlogs, and custom websites are all being designed to help with education. Students are able to connect with people around the world, learning what they're doing, finding out how what they are learning now will be used in the future. 

It can be scary, sure. Any change can be scary. However, technology in the classroom is a process that leads to student engagement and the power to be excited about learning.