To quote a great 21st Century hero (that I know my P/J friends will appreciate):
“With great power there must also come great responsibility”
The interest of this
blog post is to convey the idea that the OCT Ethical Standerds and Standards of
Practice can be applied to the use of 21st Century technology in education.
Teachers’ need to apply the standards of
practice to how they use
technology responsibly with their students and in the classroom. They must also adhere
to the ethical standards when using technology with their students as well
as during personal time, (especially with regards to social media as well as
classroom technology).
Standards of Practice
SUMMERY: Technology can
be an incredible and powerful tool in the classroom and it can be used in many
ways to help promote and encourage the standards of practice as outlined by the
OCT framework. For the purpose of organization I will list the Standards below and
describe how I think each Professional Standard is enhanced by using technology.
Commitment to Students and Student Learning
Commitment to Students and Student Learning
Technology allows teachers to
document student learning more efficiently. Efficient documentation allows for
more equitable and fair demonstrations of learning. It can allow for better
communication and more celebration of student achievement. For Example: I know
a teacher who celebrates their students achievements by taking pictures of their
best works and proudest moments, (according to the students themselves) and
sharing those pictures on a screensaver during the lunchour. It isn’t a part of
the curriculum but it is a fair way to reward success, show caring and
commitment, and have students contribute to the learning environment.
Professional Knowledge
I am learning more and more how technology is increasing my own bank of knowledgeable information. The OCT Advisory states that technology is our "Students window to the world today”; that couldn’t be more true. In order for teachers to increase their professional knowledge they must be able to use technology as a tool for gathering and transferring information to their students. There is a plethora of valid an valuable information online and teachers need to use online academic resources in their teaching in order to stay current.
I am learning more and more how technology is increasing my own bank of knowledgeable information. The OCT Advisory states that technology is our "Students window to the world today”; that couldn’t be more true. In order for teachers to increase their professional knowledge they must be able to use technology as a tool for gathering and transferring information to their students. There is a plethora of valid an valuable information online and teachers need to use online academic resources in their teaching in order to stay current.
Professional Practice
It is explained on the website that teachers must: “use
appropriate pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, resources and technology in
planning for and responding to the needs of individual students and learning
communities.” Technology is integral for staying current.
Leadership in Learning Communities
Collaboration is easier then ever.
As I had seen with many of the blogs I wrote about in my last post, children can use Twitter, Skype and many other different
forms of social media to have a voice in their community and to learn about
social projects. All of the teachers blogging and sharing thoughts, resources,
ideas etc. are all demonstrating how we can positively use technology as a
professional tool to communicate with other leaders.
Ongoing Professional Learning
Ongoing professional learning and development tools are more accessible than ever. Teachers can use technology to communicate new ideas with each other, take online courses, do research, stay current etc. The opportunities to learn while using technology are endless because they are always moving forward and changing.
Ongoing Professional Learning
Ongoing professional learning and development tools are more accessible than ever. Teachers can use technology to communicate new ideas with each other, take online courses, do research, stay current etc. The opportunities to learn while using technology are endless because they are always moving forward and changing.
The Ethical Standards for Teaching
Care, Respect, Trust and
Integrity
How they relate to the standards of practice and using technology
Teachers need to apply
these ethical standards to how they make use of technology in and out of the
classroom. We are teachers and during the school hour we are also caregivers of vulnerable persons so we are then held to
the standards at all times.
Watching the OCT
Advisory and Reading the Ethical Standards, many things come to mind: laptop use,
professional online conduct, social media etc. and with all those things
considered, one point expressed in the OCT advisory (video clip) rings
clearly with me. What we put up in a public domain is “there forever”!
Teachers and students both need to realize that although we can hope that some things such as e-mail and private messages are in fact private, the truth is that we can never be too cautious of what we type, skype, post or stream. because we can never be entirely sure who has already seen or saved our information even if we change our minds.
As soon as we finished law class in teacher’s college 90% of my colleagues ran home, changed their names on social media, checked out tagged pictures, googled themselves; all to make sure no leftovers from careless teen years ended up on social media. For many it was a relatively easy task, after all, we were all teacher candidates and at least criminal record free! But as I had mentioned in a previous blog post there have been cases where teachers have been fired for what are seemingly appropriate activities such as drinking a beer on vacation. What may be fine for a teacher to do on their personal time can also be seen as diminishing to the reputation of the student and the school, especially If evidence turns up on the Internet. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that our private lives be kept offline for the safety of our students and ourselves.
What is equally important is that teachers are communicating this message to their students as well. Both students and teachers should beware of over-sharing information and always prescreen all media before posting it to the Internet.
Teachers and students both need to realize that although we can hope that some things such as e-mail and private messages are in fact private, the truth is that we can never be too cautious of what we type, skype, post or stream. because we can never be entirely sure who has already seen or saved our information even if we change our minds.
As soon as we finished law class in teacher’s college 90% of my colleagues ran home, changed their names on social media, checked out tagged pictures, googled themselves; all to make sure no leftovers from careless teen years ended up on social media. For many it was a relatively easy task, after all, we were all teacher candidates and at least criminal record free! But as I had mentioned in a previous blog post there have been cases where teachers have been fired for what are seemingly appropriate activities such as drinking a beer on vacation. What may be fine for a teacher to do on their personal time can also be seen as diminishing to the reputation of the student and the school, especially If evidence turns up on the Internet. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that our private lives be kept offline for the safety of our students and ourselves.
What is equally important is that teachers are communicating this message to their students as well. Both students and teachers should beware of over-sharing information and always prescreen all media before posting it to the Internet.
Here is a link to the video format of the OCT Professional Advisory which bridges the information included in this blog post.
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