Langfoss Blog

Ethics for the Information Age, Chp. 6

2007-07-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

I thought that the most interesting part of this chapter was the discussion on online voting. I can see where this could be a convenient option for many people. However, I'm concerned with the safety and reliability of this idea. After all we have learned in this course about hackers and the ways that technology can be misused, I do not think I would be comfortable with online voting. The risks just seem to outweigh the benefits in this case.

Ethics for the Information Age, Chp. 5

2007-07-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

In this chapter of the reading, I was most interested in the topic of identity theft. It's such a scary thought, but one that everyone definitely needs to be aware of. The closest I've ever come to this issue was when I had a roommate whose credit card company notified her because they noticed suspicious activity on her account. What a lucky break for her! Unfortunately, we can't always count on being that lucky. In the text, the author discusses the REAL ID Act, which would essentially be a national ID card for citizens of the US. I can agree with points made for both sides of this issue. I definitely think that we need to have stricter guidelines for getting a driver's license (multiple forms of ID for example). Also, I have known so many people over the years (especially in college!) who were able to get their hands on a reliable fake ID. It seems there should be some way to make the IDs harder to counterfeit. So in these ways, I think the REAL ID Act would be a good thing. However, on the flip side, there are concerns that too much information would be available in one file. This is a disturbing thought, but I can't really think of any viable alternatives. So basically, this part of the chapter really made me think about things that my family and I need to do to try and safeguard ourselves against identity theft. I think our best defense in this case is keeping ourselves informed.

Article Review #6 "Filtering Software: The Educators Speak Out"

2007-06-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

In the article "Filtering Software: The Educators Speak Out," Linda Starr compiled a sequence of responses on school filtering software from educators around the country. Filtering technology came into play in schools as a result of the Children's Internet Protection Act of 1999. Many different viewpoints were presented in the article but the majority of the educators believed that filtering software was necessary to protect students from obscene and potentially harmful material on the Internet. In addition, filtering provides some protection for educators when dealing with parental expectations for students. On the other hand, some educators view the software as a hassle and in one instance a form of censorship. My opinion on filtering software is in line with the majority of educators responding in the article. I do not want the responsibility of trying to make sure that none of my students are visiting inappropriate sites. In an ideal world, we wouldn't have to worry about students doing this because they know it would be wrong. But as educators, we need to be realistic. I like the idea presented in the article of giving our students their own sense of filtering by discussing appropriate Internet etiquette with them. However, knowing that the filtering software is in place is reassuring for me personally.

Article Review #5 "Virtual High Schools: The High Schools of the Future?"

2007-06-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

In the article "Virtual High Schools: The High Schools of the Future?" Glori Chaika discusses the many benefits of current online high schools. According to Chaika, virtual schools can even the playing field for students living anywhere by allowing them to take courses they might not have access to otherwise. Also, virtual schools are a huge benefit for students who have problems or difficulties with traditional high schools (i.e. illness, phobias, drop-outs, etc.). I think that Chaika makes some excellent points and I can definitely see how virtual schools could be a good thing in many ways. However, I see problems with virtual schools as well, and Chaika did not address this side of the issue at all. The biggest problem that I would foresee for students in virtual school would be the lack of socialization. I know that I feel much less connected to classmates in this on-line class than I do when I see them regularly face-to-face. As an adult, I don't see this as a huge problem, but I believe that teenagers need to engage in face-to-face socialization with teachers and peers on a regular basis. However, I do believe that virtual schools definitely have a place in our current educational system, and all of the benefits that Chaika discusses indicate why that is true.

Article Review #4 "In Classroom, Computers Often Yield More Glitz Than Guts"

2007-06-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

Brenda Dyck, in her article "In Classroom, Computers Often Yield More Glitz Than Guts," discusses how the important learning enhancing aspects of technology are often overshadowed by all of the cool tricks and imagery that are made possible. I agree with Dyck on this point. She discusses how when she first started requiring students to use technology on projects, the content of the information was not up to par with the presentations themselves. I have seen similar projects in my own classroom and also agree with Dyck on the ease with which something like this can occur and be allowed. The "bells and whistles" accompanying projects can be extremely impressive, but as educators, we need to remember to keep the focus on the learning and the information. Dyck suggests coming up with projects that involve more than just collecting and sharing information. The more in-depth the project is, the more involved the students become. A couple of the collaborative projects that she mentions in the article gave me some good ideas that I could use in my own Biology classes.

"The Blue Nowhere" Blog #2

2007-06-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm now over halfway through the novel "The Blue Nowhere." I still don't know who Phate or Shawn are. It's really frightening to me to think that some of the terrible things Phate does could actually be possible. For instance, when he changed a medication order for a hospital patient just by breaking into the hospital's computer. Imagine if someone actually did something like that. And the way that he can cause power outages just by programming something into the right computer, wow! Another thing that I found myself thinking about was the technology knowledge that the children in the novel are equipped with. Jamie Turner and Bishop's son both know far more about computers than I will probably ever know. In relation to my real life, it can be intimidating as a teacher to know that your students are so beyond you in certain capacities. This is probably one area where many students outshine their teachers. One problem that I have with the novel is trying to wrap my mind around all of the technological talk. I'm afraid that I might be missing something because of my ignorance in this area.

Article Review #3 "Put an End to Plagiarism in Your Classroom"

2007-06-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

The article "Put an End to Plagiarism in Your Classroom" by Linda Starr, discusses how to do just that. Plagiarism is a huge problem in schools. Coming from the high school teacher point of view, I deal with the same issues every year when it comes to plagiarism. Starr notes in her article many of the reasons why students plagiarize. Some of the reasons include laziness, lack of confidence in their own work, poor time management skills, unintentional ignorance about plagiarism, and numerous other reasons. I think Starr's information in this article is spot on and every teacher should read this. Included in the article is a link to an awesome "Student Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism" put together by Education World. I will definitely be handing this out to my students when I give the first research assignment in the coming school year. Additionally, I agree with Starr that teachers must discuss all avenues of plagiarism with students so that they know exactly what they can and can't do. I also believe that teachers should be understanding and helpful with students as they are going through the research process. We should check on their progress regularly and redirect when necessary.

Article Review #2 "Is Technology Just for Boys?"

2007-06-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

In the article "Is Technology Just for Boys?" Linda Starr interviews Sherry Turkle who is one of the co-chairs of the AAUW's Commission on Technology, Gender, and Teacher Education about equity in technology. According to Turkle, somewhat of a bias currently exists when dealing with boys and girls and technology. It is assumed, because there are currently many more males entering the workforce in technology related occupations that males are more suited to these types of jobs. Turkle maintains that this is not the case. She blames the inequity on current educational practices that seem to deter girls from being interested in technology. She believes that technology material is not presented to girls in ways that would appeal to them. In order for teachers to bridge the equity gap, Turkle suggests better technology training for teachers. Teachers need to be able to choose appropriate software for their curriculum, and know how to use it to inspire their students, both the boys and the girls. I know that this is an area where I, as an educator, could benefit greatly from increased training in technology. As a female who has worked in the scientific community, I have always been interested in the topic of gender equity and thought this article was very enlightening and informative.

Article Review #1 "How Teachers View Technology"

2007-06-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

In the article "How Teachers View Technology" by Linda Starr, statistics were reported from an educator survey conducted by CDW-G. The survey reflects current educator opinions about technology in the classroom. As expected, the majority of teachers felt that technology improves student learning as well as teacher communication with parents. I agree completely with the statistics reported in the survey. I love the Parent Access program that our district uses to allow parents to view their student's current grades, assignments, and attendance. This makes it so easy for parents to contact me by email if they have questions or need clarification. Additionally, I agree with the opinion that the biggest problem with technology in the classroom is lack of computers. I have no student computers in my classroom and it does hinder the amount of technology that I and my students are able to incorporate. I thought this article was right on the money when dealing with current educator opinions on technology.

Religion and Ethics

2007-06-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

I believe that someone can definitely be ethical without being religious, so of course I believe that people of all religious backgrounds as well as people with no religious affiliation can be ethical. I found an article by Dr. Otto J. Helger that made me consider the basis for our ethical belief systems. He wrote:

"The existence of a final judgement (completely fair with no hidden evidence) provides a minimum ethical motivation. Further motivation would be available to those who desire to obey God from gratitude rather than for reward or punishment. This is not to imply that atheists or non theists are not ethical, but only that they do not have a rational basis for their motivation."
I found this to be very thought-provoking. Clearly, he believes that non religious individuals can be ethical as well, but the basis for their beliefs and behavior is not as clear as it would be for a religious individual. I think the motivation in the case of non religious people may come from family or community. Additionally, I think that explaining ethics to a diverse audience would simply center on a discussion of doing the right thing, the law, and the belief that most people are born with a fundamental sense of right and wrong.

http://www.leaderu.com/offices/o_helweg/professional_ethics.html

"The Blue Nowhere" Blog #1

2007-06-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

One assignment for this class is to read the novel "The Blue Nowhere" by Jeffery Deaver. The novel is about a murderer who collects information about his victims by "cracking" into their computers. Oddly enough, I read this novel around the time that it was published several years ago. My mom and I are voracious readers and trade books. However, being such an avid reader has its downfalls, as I don't remember everything that happened in the book. Consequently, I am rereading it and enjoying it equally as much the second time around. I am not quite half way through it yet, but I had to take a break from it to work on other assignments. I find myself being scared silly by the premise of this book yet again. I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that people like the character "Phate" really exist. I am not very technologically savvy and I do not understand how people are able to "hack" and "crack" into other people's computers, but I do realize that it is something real that happens and that thought is terrifying. I find myself thinking about things that I do on my computer at home that I might change to try and protect myself from people like this. I am currently working on coming up with new passwords and making sure that I am very careful with my personal information. I can't wait to continue reading!

ISTE Standards

2007-06-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

I honestly didn't even know that the International Society of Technology in Education existed until last year when my husband was working on his Master's in Educational Technology. Through him I became a little bit familiar with the the NETS for students and teachers, but had never really gone through all of the standards and assessed where I stand with using technology in my high school Biology classes in reference to the standards. What I have chosen to do for this assignment is go through each of the NETS*S (standards for students) and evaluate where I believe myself to be within my own classroom/school and with my students.

Standard 1: I believe this standard is addressed by other courses that my students take. Basic technology skills are taught at the high school level in Keyboarding and Computer Tech I and II. Additionally, most students enter high school with a lot of prior knowledge in this area.

Standard 2: Again, I believe this standard is partially addressed in other courses. However, I definitely believe that I could address this standard more with my students. Appropriate and ethical use of technology is imperative to successful student use of technology. We discuss plagiarism as it relates to the Internet, but that is about it.

Standard 3: This standard is adequately covered in my Biology classes. Students work on several research projects throughout the school year during which they are required to share their information with peers in some format. Some students create PowerPoint presentations, some make brochures, etc.

Standard 4: I don't believe that I adequately address this standard with my students. Emailing and instant messaging is prohibited at my school, so other outlets of communication would be necessary. As I become more informed throughout this course and others in the master's program, I hope to become more familiar with tools that could be used by my students. I am already realizing that we could participate in online research projects, as well as create Web Pages and Blogs.

Standard 5: In conjunction with standard 3, standard 5 is adequately covered. As I mentioned earlier, students are required to work on several research projects throughout the year. Students collect their research from several Internet sources as well as utilizing library materials. One struggle with this standard is impressing upon students that some sources of information on the Internet are reliable, while others are not.

Standard 6: Using technology to solve problems in the real-world is one of the standards that I believe to be most lacking within my curriculum. As I mentioned above, I hope that the more I learn about technology, the better able I will be to address this standard with my students, perhaps by joining an online research project or possibly creating our own.

Overall, I believe I do a decent job of addressing the NETS*S with my Biology students, but I see now that there is much room for growth and improvement. Additionally, while looking over the NETS*T (standards for teachers) I realized that Standard IV (using technology in assessment and evaluation), in particular, needs work. Additionally, I feel that I need to become more active in trying to upgrade technology in our building. There is only a single teacher computer in my classroom. In order for students to utilize technology currently, we must travel to the library and use the computers there. However, I do realize that this is no excuse for inadequately addressing the NETS.

Purpose of Langfoss Blog

2007-06-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...I have created this blog for a graduate class that I am currently taking. The class is titled "Issues and Ethics in Technology". I will be using this blog to complete assignments and record some of my thoughts and feelings regarding issues and ethics in technology.