Journal # 7 Developing Ethical Direction

Developing Ethical Directions By Mike S. Ribble and Gerald D. Bailey Learning & Leading with Technology Volume 32 Number 7 Pgs. 36-39.

Helping students to recognize their own internal compass will help them to become good digital citizens. Learning to recognize right from wrong practices on the Internet are not inherent but must be taught. Everyone is born with an internal compass but adults need to teach children how to find and use it. Through the analogy of a compass, students can be taught right from wrong even when many around them chose the wrong action. Students will not always agree on what is right or wrong. Most students who don't choose the right do so because they have not been taught the principles of good digital citizenship, or how you behave when using technology. In order for students to learn about the potential danger of misusing or abusing technology they will need the use of a 21st century digital citizenship compass. The process of developing good citizenship skills is not simply to have an acceptable use policy (AUP) but requires much dialogue and discussion. Technology issues don't always have easy answers. Students will sometimes claim that there are shades of gray involved in the issues. The compass metaphor helps students to analyze the concept of technology use an abuse. The digital compass has the following directions: Wrong; Whats the Big Deal?; As Long As I Don't Get Caught; It's An Individual Choice; Depends On The Situation; I Don't Know; I Am Not Sure It's Wrong; and Right. Teachers need to review and understand students opinions and to guide them toward appropriate technology use. Exploring the reasons why students answer will lead us to pose other questions. Brainstorming consequences for abusing or misusing technology can also help students. Having students develop a set of digital citizenship behaviors that can be posted and used as a code will help students, and discussing what can be done to help other students and adults to understand the concept of digital citizenship. The digital citizenship compass does dictate a set of right and wrong behaviors but helps students to recognize that there are gradations of understanding when it comes to technology use and abuse. This help teachers to encourage stimulating dialogue and self reflection among students. By having students reflect on the concept of true north as well as other compass directions, teachers can help students understand appropriate technology use.

Questions
1. What other way can we help students to become good digital citizens?
We can encourage parents to help their children remember to make good choices and discuss the consequences or right and wrong choices.

2. How can we help students to understand the benefits of good digital citizenship?
We can teach students that when people respect copyright laws and realize that peoples livelihoods depend on that respect, they will reflect on the future benefit for their own lives.