For my first
entry I have decided to focus on the Ethical and Moral definitions when it
comes to the internet, computers and teaching in a classroom.
To be Ethical, it
is to be “in accordance with the rules or
standards for right conduct or practice.” (Dictionary.com) It is to be honourable,
honest and virtuous. When in relation to the internet it is sometimes
questionable as to what is right and what is wrong. To be moral is to know the
difference between right and wrong and to know what the right thing to do is.
When we are sheltered behind a computer screen, what is right and wrong starts
to become unclear for some. The article “The internet and the death of ethics” (O'Reilly,
2010)
by Dennis O’Reilly discusses when is it too far when images or videos are put
on the internet to humiliate a human in a personal moment or embarrassing
moment and exploits them making them a victim of bullying and humiliation. Plagiarism is a huge issue as people pass off
someone else’s work as their own without giving them any mention. This then
questions what the right thing to do is and outlines just how easy it is to do
the wrong thing and cheat.
Link to Article: The Internet and the death of Ethics
The computer
Ethics institute has devised a list of the Ten Commandments of computer ethics.
These commandments “Entreat computer
users to treat each other with consideration and respect.” (O'Reilly, 2010)
From the YouTube video
“Internet Ethics and Young People” (Video, 2011) it can also be seen
that people do not always do or say the right things when they are hidden
behind the computer screen. People express their emotions before they think
about what they are writing and once it is written it is very hard to take
back. The things people write may not be true and are therefore not being
morally or ethically correct. The video talks about bullying and being bullied
over something someone blogged. The issue here is that no one knows if it is
actually true. This can become an issue especially in schools were students are
talking through their computer instead of face to face and a whole new
generation of bullying and miss use of the internet has started. As a teacher
of computers it is important for me to encourage the Ten Commandments of
computer ethics and encourage students to abide by these and use the internet
and their computer responsibly and ethically.
References:
Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Ethical. Retrieved February
22, 2012, from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethical
O'Reilly, D. (2010, October 12). The internet and the death
of ethics. Cnet .
Video, C. (2011, May 9).
Internet Ethics and Young People. Australia. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqK_AxYg4Mg
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