Module+3

After the readings of the chapter on social, ethical, legal and human issues as well the chapter on equity of technology, I've realized that some of the practices,policies and procedures that I consider common sense are put into place for very important reasons. I also learned new information that will change the way I do things in my classroom. During this module I learned that many teachers take for granted the technology that some students do not have access to at home. In my classroom I am very aware of this issue and I allow time in class to complete assignments that require technology as well as after school hours for students to stay and complete work. I learnerd about the Family Educational Tights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, a law that I am sure at some point I learned about, but have forgotten the terms of the law. In my classroom not to show make another student's grade available for another student to see out of courtesy, I did not realize that there was a law that required this of everyone. I also learned about the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) of 2000 that forces districts to take important measures to block inappropriate content from students. There are times when I become frustrated with the filtering and blocking our district does, I realize now that this is the law and I need to appreciate it instead of resenting it. I was surprised to learn about how little I knew about the Copyright Act of 1976. I am sure when this law was enacted, those who defined the terms never knew how much information would become available, literally at the tip of our fingers, in only 34 years. You can bet that I will be showing this law to my students before the next project to show the "copy and pasters" that they are commiting a crime. I am going to continue offering the extra time to complete assignments in class as well as offering time after school. I am also going to talk to our After School Program Director and see if we can implement an after school time slot for academic computer lab time to complete assignments. I am going to figure out a professional and non-offensive way to approach my administrator who feels that posting student grades is an effective motivation strategy. It may be for some, but not for everyone and it is against the law. I am also going to create a handout to pass out to my students outlining the Copyright Act of 1976, to illustrate the importance of creating your own work and not copying, pasting and claiming the owrk as your own.
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