We
are in a digital age. We are actively encouraging all of our young people,
young learners to “be connected”; to engage with others, use digital tools,
reach out – use all the digital tools
you can to make these connections, and see which ones work best for you.
For
more than 15 years, we have been building digital capability in our students.
They are digital natives; they get it. They have created and shared content before
we have finished giving out the instructions for the task. They code, they message,
they animate, they movie make, they share – their parents and grandparents have
‘liked’ and ‘thumbed up’ before interval. It’s great. They are engaged and
productive, and we are proud of ourselves for implementing 21st
century programmes.
Within
our class, we set rules around the use of devices: an item “that can be used to
create, edit, communicate, copy or store digital information” (MOE,
2015). There are consequences for inappropriate use of devices. The BYOD
students and their parents understand the rules around content and behaviour on
their devices and sign an agreement before they are allowed to bring their
devices to school.
There
are very, very clear guidelines around what is digitally acceptable at school. Students
will be respectful and task directed at all times. Cyber safety programmes such
as Netsafe are
implemented each year with each new class. Cyber bullying is openly discussed
and students are encouraged to tell on their classmates when they send unnecessary
emails or message them strangely on Mindcraftedu. Class charters are drawn up
and signed by all, agreeing on these guidelines.
Do
we need publications on professional ethics to get this right? I don’t think so.
We just need to teach children to be kind. Be encouraging. Be respectful. Use
manners. And generally they do. However, we also have our Code
of Professional Responsibility, that obliges us to demonstrate a high
standard of behaviour and integrity, to promote and protect human rights and
social justice.
Then
they go home.
Most children have access to a
device and the internet at home. Many children are not governed by the same set
of rules and guidlelines as they are at school. It is an unfortunate reality
that many parents at primary level, most at secondary, have very little idea of
what their children are doing on their devices. Cyber Bullying is occurring
after school, but is carrying into school and causing issues in classrooms and playgrounds.
Snapchat! Oh my goodness. Parents are frequently coming in reporting
that somebody else’s child has bullied their child on Snapchat and all the kids
in their group chat were saying mean things. I ask them ‘Where is the evidence?”
Oh that’s right – there isn’t any – it disappeared after 10 seconds. “Did you
screen shot it?” No, I didn’t think to. Google Hangouts – Child A was trying to get
my child to chat all night on the hangout. Child B was making personal comments
about Child C and D and I don’t like it.
My
ethical dilemma is this: As a teacher, what is my level of responsibility when
investigating and responding to these complaints?
On
the few occasions I have intervened in issues, I have incurred the wrath of the
offending children’s parents for speaking to their child about outside school-hours
events without their permission. The Ministry
of Education state that we cannot ask a student to reveal or surrender any
digital content or devices unless we have a reasonable belief that the item is
likely to endanger the emotional safety of
others, or detrimentally affect the learning environment in the class. There is
no reference to activity from the home at all. So where do I stand ethically? I
feel this is more than a moral issue.
Hall
(2001) notes that the balance of parental support for teachers and schools has changed.
When I was a kid, if I was called before the principal (it would have been my
brother Tim, not me), Mum would have told Dad, and I (Tim) wouldn’t have been
able to sit down for a week. The discipline of the school was trusted and
respected. As Hall (2001) also explains, the role of the parent has changed in
modern society - children are seen as people in their own right, with rights
separate to those of their parents.
In
my opinion, there is sadly a lack of Code
of Parental Responsibility and Ethical Behaviour. Why are 10-year-old
children using Snapchat? Why are they Snapchatting at school? If parents are
worried about their child tweeting and messaging late into the night, take their device off them! I would ask
parents to model appropriate behaviour for their children. Don’t yell and
scream at school staff. Don’t place negative and provocative comments on your school’s
Facebook page. Behave with manners and respect. The way we do with you.
Hall, A. (2001). What ought I to do, all things considered? An
approach to the exploration of ethical problems by teachers. Paper presented
at the IIPE Conference, Brisbane. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers
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