Questions Answered correctly: Question 1 of 12 Mr. Minski, a high ✓ Solved

Mr. Minski, a high school physics teacher, has been using a learning software package for the last several years. As Mr. Minski considers possible use of this software for the next school year, which action would most immediately show his willingness to stay abreast of current trends in school technology?

  • Determining the cost of licensing the current software for next year

  • Checking what software teachers in other school districts are using

  • Compiling a list of strengths and weaknesses of the software he is currently using in his classroom

Correct Answer: Checking what software teachers in other school districts are using.

Question 2 of 12 Mr. Silko, a middle school volleyball coach, has stored an older smartphone at home since he upgraded last year. His community is sponsoring an electronics recycling event, and he is considering donating the phone. He occasionally used the phone to text and e-mail with student athletes, however, so he wonders whether giving away the phone could cause problems. Which of the following next steps best aligns with Mr. Silko's responsibilities as a professional educator?

  • Conducting an Internet search to find out whether old texts and e-mails can be retrieved from a phone once it has been recycled

  • Consulting the school's information technology expert for recommendations on how to maintain the confidentiality of student information on the old phone

  • Requesting that his personal data on the old phone be wiped when he donates it at the recycling event

Question 3 of 12 Ms. Ivanov, a grade school teacher, receives a message forwarded to her work e-mail account by a colleague. When Ms. Ivanov opens the message, she sees that it contains racist slurs and caricatures. In determining how to respond to this incident, which of the following principles for professional educators is most important for Ms. Ivanov to consider?

  • The obligation to ensure that the rights to privacy of colleagues and students are not infringed upon

  • The duty to address disagreements with colleagues in a discreet and respectful manner

  • The need to identify, address, and report inappropriate materials and images

Question 4 of 12 Which of the following uses of electronic communications technology best exemplifies an educator's failure to maintain a separation between his or her personal and professional lives?

  • Sharing vacation photos with department staff over school e-mail

  • Sending a virtual birthday card to a colleague over school e-mail

  • Complaining about a school policy to a colleague over personal e-mail

Question 5 of 12 Ms. Clark, the school psychologist, receives medical records for the school's new student via e-mail. She is surprised to see that the new student has been diagnosed with the same rare condition as her friend's son who attends a different school. Which of the following choices poses the greatest risk to principles governing handling of electronic student records?

  • Ms. Clark e-mails her friend to tell her about the new student and gives her his mother's phone number so that they can set up a playdate for the two children to bond.

  • Ms. Clark makes note of the student's diagnosis in her own secure record-keeping system.

  • Ms. Clark reaches out to the new student's parents to let them know that she is familiar with their child's condition and sets up a meeting with them and their child before the child's first day of school.

Question 6 of 12 To illustrate a point about user-interface design, the computer club instructor, Dr. Clayfin, briefly showed a view of her e-mail in-box on the classroom display. Dr. Clayfin didn't notice that a couple of students in the room became intrigued by the name and the gaming-related avatar of one her e-mail contacts. Later, the students used the information to look up the individual online and began contacting the person. Which of the following ethical principles did Dr. Clayfin's actions most clearly put at risk?

  • Ensuring that the rights of third parties are not violated via the use of technologies

  • Being vigilant in identifying, addressing, and reporting inappropriate materials/images in electronic or other forms

  • Promoting technological applications that are appropriate for students' individual needs

Correct Answer: Ensuring that the rights of third parties are not violated via the use of technologies.

Question 7 of 12 Ms. Nikos and Mr. Kowalski, who are sixth-grade math teachers, are talking in the teachers' lounge. Ms. Nikos tells Mr. Kowalski that she has come across a Web site that provides an online fractions calculator for users. Ms. Nikos mentions that she is thinking about using the site during class as a learning tool. Mr. Kowalski can best honor the principle of respecting intellectual property by reminding Ms. Nikos to check whether using calculators could impede students' learning of core concepts, such free use of the Web site has been licensed by the site owner, and the Web site displays ads that may be inappropriate for students.

Correct Answer: such free use of the Web site has been licensed by the site owner.

Question 8 of 12 Which of the following actions by a school principal most directly promotes the use of technology to enhance the learning process?

  • Encouraging teachers to attend a professional development workshop on creating tablet-based lessons

  • Reviewing guidelines for maintaining the confidentiality of electronic student records during a staff meeting

  • Establishing a clear school policy for acceptable online communication between teachers and students

Question 9 of 12 Ms. Langston is a popular teacher at Norton High. Tom, a student in her honors English class, learns her phone number by peeking at papers on her desk and sends her a text message about a homework assignment. Ms. Langston does not reply. The next day Tom asks why she "coldly ignored" a question about a homework assignment. Ms. Langston's choice not to reply to the text message shows that she is aware that she should not communicate with students through an unmonitored technology, that Tom is trying to bait her into giving away answers to homework assignments, and that students should not, under any circumstances, text a teacher.

Question 10 of 12 A fifth-grade science teacher, Darnell Mathis, has noticed that one of his students, Aaron, uses a popular photo editor on his smartphone to make humorous alterations to photographs of other students. Aaron adds cartoon noses, hats, beards, and other images to the photos. Other students enjoy seeing these images. Although the behavior does not disrupt class, Mr. Mathis carefully monitors Aaron's photo editing activities and their effects on other students. Mr. Mathis' actions are most clearly aligned with which of the following ethical principles for educators?

  • Be vigilant in identifying, addressing, and reporting inappropriate images in electronic form.

  • Understand how to recognize and prevent plagiarism by students and educators.

  • Stay abreast of current trends and uses of school technology.

Question 11 of 12 Mr. Zhang, a high school math teacher, has heard one of his students, John, talking about illegal drugs with friends. At the end of a class period, Mr. Zhang finds that John accidentally left his phone in the classroom. Mr. Zhang searches through John's social network site profiles for evidence that John is using illegal drugs. Which of the following ethical obligations of professional educators is put at risk by Mr. Zhang's actions?

  • The duty to prevent students from using illicit substances on campus.

  • The need to respect students' privacy on social media.

  • The responsibility to prevent students from being exposed to harmful ideas or images.

Question 12 of 12 Ms. Kline is the principal at a middle school. The parents of Ms. Kline's student Kate meet with Ms. Kline to express their concern that Kate is being bullied on social media by her classmate Sally. Kate's parents tell Ms. Kline that Kate feels unsafe in her classroom, and they show Ms. Kline screenshots of bullying comments that Sally has made to Kate. When Ms. Kline meets with Sally to discuss the bullying, Sally says that Ms. Kline can't do anything about it because it did not happen at school. Sally's response demonstrates that she is not aware that Ms. Kline is responsible for monitoring all of her students' social media activities, that Ms. Kline has an obligation to address online bullying that is affecting Sally's life at school, and that Ms. Kline was once bullied as a child, so she takes bullying very seriously.

Paper For Above Instructions

In the sphere of educational technology, it is crucial for educators to be aware of the rapid developments, trends, and ethical principles that guide their use of technology in school settings. This discussion will explore the implications of educational technology's adoption and corresponding responsibilities following the provided questions centered around the role of educators, their use of communication tools, and their engagement with technology.

Firstly, Mr. Minski’s decision to check what software teachers in other school districts are using signals his commitment to staying updated on current educational technology trends (Question 1). This is an essential action as it allows him to benchmark and understand how other educators are leveraging technology, which can inform his software selection for the coming year. Integrating this practice into a broader approach can significantly influence teaching effectiveness.

Moving onto Mr. Silko’s case, donating an old smartphone raises complex ethical issues regarding student privacy (Question 2). The best course of action for him would be to consult the school's information technology expert to ensure that any personal data on the device is appropriately handled before donation. This reflects a commitment to maintaining confidentiality, which is a critical principle in educational contexts, especially when dealing with student information.

Ms. Ivanov’s confrontation with racially charged materials in her inbox highlights ethical responsibilities educators have when handling inappropriate content (Question 3). The primary principle she should uphold is to identify, address, and report any inappropriate materials and images. This serves to create a safe and respectful educational environment for all students.

Question 4 poses a significant concern about maintaining professional boundaries. Sharing personal vacation photos over school email exemplifies a blend of personal and professional communication that can lead to potential ethical pitfalls. Educators must navigate these boundaries carefully to model professional conduct for their students.

When concerning medical records in Question 5, Ms. Clark should prioritize student confidentiality when she finds out sensitive health information. Disclosing details from these records, even to acquaintances, could breach ethical standards and violate privacy laws governing student information.

In Question 6, the unintentional sharing of email contacts potentially risks the rights of third parties. Dr. Clayfin's exposure of her inbox in a classroom setting, without awareness of the repercussions, calls for continued training for educators on privacy and the ethical use of technology in the classroom.

As for Ms. Nikos and Mr. Kowalski's discussion regarding online resources, it's essential to respect intellectual property rights and ensure that any digital resources used in classrooms have appropriate licenses (Question 7). Publicizing that a web-based tool can be used freely is beneficial, but it is vital to confirm its licensing status beforehand.

Effective promotion of technology in education lies within clear endorsement from leadership, as seen in Question 8. Encouraging professional development workshops for teachers significantly enhances their technological competencies, fostering an educational environment where technology enhances learning.

Ms. Langston’s choice not to respond to a student’s text message delineates the careful separation of personal and professional relationships (Question 9). Text messaging blurs boundaries and can lead to situations where the educator may feel pressured to respond inappropriately.

In Question 10, Mr. Mathis's monitoring of student-created content reveals his commitment to recognizing potential issues that arise from technology use among students. This vigilance can help prevent instances of cyberbullying or harassment.

When Mr. Zhang searches through John’s social media to find evidence of drug use (Question 11), he risks violating John’s right to privacy. This action raises questions about how far a teacher should go in safeguarding student well-being while respecting their personal boundaries.

Lastly, relating to the bullying incident involving Sally and Kate (Question 12), Ms. Kline has a fundamental duty to address issues that extend beyond the school’s physical borders. Bullying, particularly cyberbullying, can severely impact a student's mental health and safety; hence, school administrators must intervene and provide support to affected students.

References

  • Blazer, C. (2021). Technology Use in Schools. Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

  • International Society for Technology in Education. (2020). ISTE Standards for Educators. ISTE.

  • National Education Association. (2019). Preparing 21st Century Students for a Global Society. NEA.

  • U.S. Department of Education. (2019). The Importance of Technology in Education. ED.

  • Harris, J. (2018). The Digital Teacher: The Ethics of Technology in Education. Education Week.

  • Center for Digital Education. (2020). Best Practices for Technology in Education. CDE.

  • Hollandsworth, R., Dowd, A., & Donovan, A. (2017). Online Learning: The Impact on Student Success. Journal of Educational Technology.

  • Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2016). Checking for Understanding: Formative Assessment Techniques for Your Classroom. ASCD.

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  • Common Sense Education. (2021). Digital Citizenship Curriculum. Common Sense Media.