Abstract
Learning cyber citizenship
can occur in technology classrooms and in the discipline courses. While
a technology course addresses use of technology, classroom subject area
courses such as social studies or literacy need to incorporate acceptable
technology practices. The framework for cyber citizenship includes the
National Education Technology Standards for teachers and students (NETS-T;
NETS-S) and the discipline-specific technology guidelines. Sample methods
and resources for middle level teachers and middle level classrooms
provide educators with tools to use technology responsibly in the middle
level classroom.
Introduction
Middle level education around
the country usually requires students to be proficient in using technology
but does not provide guidelines for being a “good cyber citizen.” Along
with the inclusion of technology in the classroom, it is ethically imperative
for students to learn how to become a citizen of cyberspace (ASINFO,
1999). Courses incorporate technology tools appropriate to the
disciplines but there may not be a concerted effort to incorporate ethical,
legal, or social studies issues related to using technology.
As new technologies are rapidly added to schools, issues are emerging that confront education. Issues such as plagiarism, safety, copyright laws, fair use, security, and privacy are plaguing education everyday (Burbules & Callister, 1996; Willard, 2002; Swain & Gilmore, 2001; Ribble & Bailey, 2004). Guidelines, rules and laws to govern the use of technology in schools are being developed to address these issues.
Responsible, respectful,
and acceptable behavior while using technology are concerns in a mathematics,
science, English, or social studies classroom. Whether it is using an
online primary source document on a current political campaign or an
online submission of a research paper on the pros and cons of a current
health care issue, middle level students are learning behaviors related
to the use of technology in each discipline. In addition, every teacher
in a school shares the responsibility of teaching “good cyber citizenship”
so the use of technology in learning is part of each teachers' responsibility.
The framework for learning cyber citizenship in middle level courses begins with an understanding of cyber citizenship and the content and technology standards for teachers. A cyber citizen is a member of a global-connected community, which includes the social behaviors of people online. Just like citizens in the community, cyber citizens have duties, rights, and privileges to make informed decisions, to promote the welfare of the online community, and to take action for the good of the online community. Technology is used everyday in the classroom so the inclusion of the online world in citizenship is necessary.
A missing yet vital component in middle school education is the fact that teachers in subject area courses need to incorporate acceptable technology practices into their instruction, but to also be able to handle emerging technologies in a proficient manner. Middle level teachers need the knowledge and skills to address the issues related to using technology within disciplines and to infuse appropriate netiquette into instructional practices in middle level education.
Teachers need guidelines for understanding the use of technology in specific disciplines. Teachers can incorporate the technology guidelines developed by the professional organizations for mathematics, science, literacy, social studies, and the middle level association. In addition, the National Education Technology Standards (NETS-T, 2002) for first year teachers need to be technologically literate about the issues concerning the use of technology and NET-S technology standards for 6-8 grade students. While it is valuable to have a framework, it is as critical that middle level teachers incorporate cyber citizenship, as it is to teach middle level students how to be a “good” citizen of the school or community. Therefore, the hardest part is to find discipline specific instructional strategies for middle level students. Cyber citizenship creates a unique challenge for teachers to integrate netiquette into the pedagogical practices of subject area courses. Some issues include privacy of student information, online identification of minors, abuses of online communication tools, responsible use of online research tools, and using socially acceptable manners while communicating online. As new technology become everyday tools for middle level students, teachers need to be informed citizens on appropriate technology uses in the classroom.
The framework includes the
National
Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T, 2002) and
the discipline specific technology guidelines. NETS-T provides three
relevant resources for promoting cyber citizenship in middle level education.
The general position of NETS-T states, “Teachers understand the social,
ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in
PK-12 schools and apply those principles in practice.” For first year
teachers there are six performances:
NETS-T for First Year Teachers
- Arrange equitable access
to appropriate technology resources that enable students to engage
successfully in learning activities across subject/content areas and
grade levels.
- Facilitate students' use
of technology that addresses their social needs and cultural identity
and promotes their interaction with the global community.
- Demonstrate and advocate
for legal and ethical behaviors among students, colleagues, and community
members regarding the use of technology and information.
- Enforce classroom procedures
that guide students' safe and healthy use of technology and that comply
with legal and professional responsibilities for students needing
assistive technologies.
- Advocate for equal access
to technology for all students in their schools, communities, and
homes.
- Implement procedures consistent
with district and school policies that protect the privacy and security
of student data and information (NETS-T, 2002).
NETS-S for Sixth through Eighth Grade Students
- Use content-specific tools,
software, and simulations (e.g., environmental probes, graphing calculators,
exploratory environments, Web tools) to support learning and research.
- Apply productivity/multimedia
tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, group collaboration,
and learning throughout the curriculum (NETS-S, 2002).
Middle level teachers can use technology standards as references for developing knowledge about issues in technology use for middle level teachers.
The professional organizations guidelines for using technology in K-12 education are part of the framework for learning cyber citizenship in middle level schools. In the integrating literacy and technology in the curriculum summary by The International Reading Association (2001) there is one item on appropriate use of technology: “Opportunities to learn safe and responsible use of information and communication technologies.” The National Science Teachers Association (1999) developed a position statement on the use of computers in science and within it, there are two statements concerning issues related to the use of technology: 1) “Exemplify the ethical use of computers and software,” and 2) “Seek to provide equitable computer access for all students.” Two recommendations within the technology guidelines by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2003) are 1) “to strive to instill dispositions of openness to experimentation with ever-evolving technological tools and their pervasive impact on mathematics education, and 2) to make informed decisions about the appropriate implementation of technologies in a coherent instructional program.” The National Council for the Social Studies is adopting guidelines at this time and the focus is on curriculum and instruction in middle level school. In addition, Bennett (2005) developed technology guidelines in the Social Studies classroom based on students' rights, responsibilities, and respect.
The guidelines are available for review by educators, but until a team of middle level teachers analyze the guidelines and develop a school or team plan that is consistent with the school's handbook on behavior, then middle level teachers are not prepared to infuse cyber citizenship into instruction. So, compare and contrast the guidelines provided to write the specific ethical, legal, or social expectations of students and strategies to infuse cyber citizenship into the subject area instruction.
