Online ethics

Picture this: a class of cherubic children, clean and shiny, sitting quietly at their computers working industriously on their writing task.  OK, we can dream!  I am setting the scene for a recently experienced ethical online dilemma.

My class has started this year with Google accounts (first time, very excited).  They have been working on docs for writing and this day was to be the first day we shared our doc with a buddy for feedback comments.

Aside from forgetting our email addresses or not finding the 'share' button it was all going well.  Next, overhear some threads of conversation along the lines of, "I love that song" and "that's not about an island."  Investigating what all the fuss was about I soon discovered that one of my students had copied and pasted their favourite song lyrics in place of their story.

Some would argue that this showed great resourcefulness.  The student was utilising the tools and information at her disposal.  Unfortunately, not only was the text off-topic but she had tried to pass it off as her own writing.  She had plagiarized.

I am thankful that the buddy editor had been vocal in their feedback.  Although I would have seen the writing eventually, the well timed peer critique offered me the opportunity for some just-in-time teaching about acknowledging sources.

As a class we had previously talked about the importance of acknowledging the owner or source of an idea.  This is something we practice in analogue during our face-to-face maths discussions.  We acknowledge a person's thinking before we add on, question or challenge it.  A fellow student made the connection to the song lyrics by suggesting that the girl could have copied the lyrics, acknowledged the owner and then added her own text to them, or changed some of the existing text.

We also made connections to our school values of high expectations, respect, honesty, effort and perseverance and kindness.  The class identified how each value could be applied to the situation.

The class agreed that by using and changing the lyrics, we would show our thinking and learning.  By simply copying them we did not show any learning (or added value).

 The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certficated Teachers (https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/code-of-ethics-certificated-teachers-0) lists teachers' commitments to learners, whanau, society and the profession.  

I chose to respond to the student's ethical breech around plagiarism in a restorative (what will we make better next time) way, and ignore the off-task, off-topic component.  By doing so I encouraged learners to think critically about significant social issues (commitment to learners).  I was also able to teach and model those positive values which are widely accepted in society and encourage learners to apply them and critically appreciate their significance (commitment to society).  In addition to the just-in-time teaching I phoned the student's parents to inform them what had happened and remind them about our commitment to online safety and security.  They were pleased to be informed and happy that the problem was resolved positively.  I fulfilled my commitment to parents by involving them in decision-making about the care and education of their child.

Like all lessons about values and ethics I am sure that this is one I will have to repeat in my classroom, however we now have another example to link to.

Social media and teaching

Ironically I began my journey with social media in education when I was out of the classroom, working as a course administrator for a professional development provider.  My motivations were twofold: to keep up with innovations and trends in education; and to use my free time (yes, I had a lot more of it) to play and explore.

Becoming social online was a slow and gradual process.  I began with Facebook, then Twitter, then YouTube, then LinkedIN, then Blogger, then Flickr, then Feedly, then Pinterest, then Google+, then ... well, you get it.

Perhaps because I didn't have a classroom to practice in it took me a while to become more than a voyeur and actively participate in conversations or write posts of my own.  Time to play and explore has been the best professional development.  It has allowed me to see and experience the possibilities offered by each different application.

Now I am back in a classroom I feel confident about using social media tools as an integrated part of our teaching, learning and reflecting.  I use the tools that will fill a need in our learning and that fulfil a purpose.  In this way I am able to model and teach social media etiquette and safety which I would not be doing if the tool was a gimmick or just for fun.

Which brings me to my choices for social media in the classroom.  I have chosen to keep some applications for personal use only (Facebook, LinkedIN, Flickr, Feedly).  These media contain more personal information or are not appropriate to my class' learning needs.  There is also an age restriction for Facebook (although several of my students have an account).

Blogger, YouTube, Google and Twitter are the media I use in class and in school.  I have found YouTube has revolutionised the way I demonstrate a concept.  We also upload our own videos to share on our class blog.  Our class blog is used as a reflection, record and launch page for learning activities.  Twitter is mainly my professional learning feed.  We do not have a class account but occasionally I'll share a useful link or conversation.  We have created Google accounts for each student in my class this year and they are very keen to use the tools.  Several students are enjoying being able to comment on their own and others' work.

The idea of being connected in school as we are at home is vital if we are to deliver relevant, real and responsive learning experiences to our students.  They already know I am not the expert on everything and through social media (web 2.0 tools) I can give them some pathways to discovering experts themselves.

Maraeroa Seniors blog http://maraeroaseniors.blogspot.co.nz/
My Twitter handle - susie2point0

Issues in education

THE ISSUE
In a recent report examining global trends and implications for New Zealand schools, ERO (2012) has identified three areas of priority: student-centred learning; responsive and rich curriculum; and, assessment used for students’ learning.

I am increasingly aware that the jobs that my students' families have - and that many of my students aspire to - will either not exist or will be highly automated by the time my students are in the job market.

The students I currently teach face an increasingly crowded, global, competitive training and job market.  The valued currencies will be creativity, communication, innovation, flexibility, problem solving.

THE SHIFT
I am, therefore, making our classroom curriculum rich, real and responsive.  We use situations from students' lives outside of school as a basis for our learning from maths to science to social studies to the arts.

Since making the explicit shift to using student-based contexts for learning I have noticed that engagement levels across the class have increased.  Students are more likely to persevere through tasks at a higher level of challenge.

Students are interested and hooked into the learning earlier (and easier) than when we used school-based contexts for learning.  They make and express connections between their own experiences and knowledge and are more likely to ask delving questions.

THE RUB
Using teacher judgement, anecdotal notes, student voice and peer assessments I know that this approach to the curriculum is supporting students to access learning and achieve at a higher level.  However, I have found a disconnect between this mode of teaching/learning and standardised testing formats.

Specifically in maths, I have found students freeze, freak-out or flop when faced with PATs or e-Asttles.  The format, language and contexts of these tests are at odds with the way I deliver my maths curriculum.

Gloss is more culturally responsive, real life problem based - and easier to adapt the language without compromising the tool's validity.

All of which begs the questions: is teacher judgment enough to assess for learning?  If teachers are to be responsive, creative and draw from students' lives to inform their practice then are schools, Boards of Trustees and the Ministry of Education to allow for responsive, creative, student-based assessment tools?

Education Review Office (2012).The three most pressing issues for New Zealand’s education system.