Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Ethics

I read the article “Professional Ethics: On the Responsible Use of Communication Media for Learning” by Andrew Yeaman. The article talks about how professionals should take the incisive to guide learners how the ways to use technology for learning and social purposes in a responsible way. It continues to talk about a scenario where a student post a copy of their textbook to the internet to share with other students in the class who were not able to obtain a textbook at the time due to the bookstore selling out. Yeaman states that it is the professor or teacher’s role to take action against the student for not abiding to the copyright laws. The author goes on to say that some teacher’s may not take this stand due to the lack of teacher recommendation from their students. The author continues to say that no matter what, it is the job of the professional to handle this matter in a professional way. He also states that the professional themselves should have support from their peers for handling a delicate matter.

I thought this article was very enlightening. I know of the copyright laws and not to plagiarize. It has never occurred to me not to the photocopy pages from book. Many times I have had to share a book with a friend because I wasn’t able to afford a book or I could not locate one in time and I would just make a copy to get by. I know now that as a professional that I am not to do this and that I must teach my learners to respect the ALL the copyright laws as well.

Though provoking question:
As an educator, there are many times the school system cannot afford enough copies of books for each student. Is there any way to go around the copyright laws so that each student has the oppuritunity to read the required material?




I loved this video. I love how the maker of this video used thier options of people who they considered that were ethical and those they thought were not. The video explains what ethics is and the ways technology may make someone become unethical.

3 comments:

  1. Hey! I think your question is one that many educators face. Students can share in the classroom, but when they have work to do at home they need their own textbook. I would probably have to make copies when needed. How do you let a student go without a textbook?

    ReplyDelete
  2. You posed a great question and as an educator I believe we do whateve it takes for our students even if that means overlooking copyright laws. If we do not have enough books for all students we will make copies and worry about copyright laws later.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I feel that there are things that teachers can do so that all students can have access to textbook information needed. Teachers should always think ceartively and work in the classrrom within the relm of the law.

    ReplyDelete