Module+3+Reflection


 * // Reflection Prompt: //** Reflect on what you plan to do to address the equity and ethics issues when applying technologies. You may share with us about what you have been doing by addressing these aspects and what you will change after learning in this module.

The issue of equity when applying technology pervades all areas of learning. Without fair access to technology, a "digital divide" is formed, separating those of income, class, and culture into categories of "haves" and "have nots". Those with limited access to technology (including low-budget schools as well as students), must find creative ways to use what little they have. Everyone must think of technology equity in every aspect of teaching. Teachers must accommodate students who have limited access to it. As stated in the Handbook of Technology Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Educators book, "While equity of access to ICT is not a subject area taught by teachers, it is central to the teaching effectiveness of lessons that incorporate technology, and therefore should be an important component of every teacher's pedagogical knowledge base" (2008). Ethics plays an important role in technology as well. Lessons must take into account students' diverse backgrounds, cultures, methods of learning, and modes of communication. Teachers must use technology ethically, modeling respect for others' intellectual properties and ways of thinking.



I was caught me off-guard while reading these chapters of equity and ethics. Coming from a background of college employment for many years, I viewed students as self sufficient, self financed, and able to provide and use their own technology. Almost every student has a cell phone, every other has a laptop, and all know how to use software applications such as Word or PowerPoint to create content. The readings indicated that equity is not assumed, that many schools suffer from low funding and students whose families cannot afford to provide adequate technology for learning. When I take the time to get to know individual students, I realize that equity is a problem at the college level, too. Some students do not have home computers and must stay late at the college to complete assignments. Others may have computers or laptops, but cannot afford (or do not know how) to keep them properly maintained. When their machines fail from disrepair, they are academically devastated. Ethics plays a role in this as well. Some teachers use one mode of teaching with technology and herd students along the same lesson plan. They do not realize that students learn in different ways, that they want (and need) to be challenged. They need "let loose" to pursue learning in directions that mean most to them. Even though I have been working at the college for years, I am now viewing technology use and learning methods in a different light.

In the technology support department where I work, we provide basic support for students who have technological problems on personal equipment. If a student's laptop has a virus, for instance, we tell them where to download anti-virus software and send them on their way. This leaves students bewildered, as most don't have a clue how to install this software, scan their machines, and what to do if/when viruses are found. Our department functions this way because of lack of human resources. In this scenario, students do not have equitable support for the technology tools they need to use, partly because my department doesn't have equitable finances to support them. This becomes a vicious cycle.

In terms of ethics, Standard IV of NETS-T makes it clear that technology can and must adapt to the diversity of each student. Williamson and Redish admonish that "technology facilitators and leaders must consider how to use digital-age learning tools to empower students with different learning abilities, learning styles, and achievement needs" (2009). When I sit at the back of a lab to work on computers and passively listen to the teacher, I cringe at the "one size fits all" method of teaching, that technology is only used to present the same, channeled learning with a different medium. Technology should be used to generate new pedagogical methods, allowing students to take control of their own learning. It seems that teachers do not realize what untapped potential that technology has to afford, so they treat it like a tape recorder and simply push buttons to make it suit their needs with existing pedagogies.



What can I do about these issues of equity and ethics in the environment where I work as a support technician and technology facilitator? I feel that providing support for student equipment is paramount to some other tasks in my department, that the reason we are not providing a sincere level of support is because we do not realize its importance to the college's mission. I intend to speak with the administrators in my area to revisit our support policy. The goal is not to hire more support personnel, but to reprioritize who and what we support. In the area of ethical use of technology in the classroom, I will find ways to open the minds of teachers to new pedagogical methods that involve technology. Our college has a number of committees that meet on a regular basis, including a "Continuous Improvement" committee which I am a member of. I will suggest to the committee that we need to offer workshops that use TPACK as its framework, connecting technology with pedagogy especially. We also offer "brown bag" seminars which are single-session workshops in the same vein. I feel that workshops are the best way to reach teachers on how technology can be used to empower students, not simply jazz-up traditional lesson plans.

I was interested in reading the chapters on equity and ethics; the case study connected the content in tangible ways and was just as interesting. What I pulled away most from this module is that equity and ethics issues pervade every use of technology on a minute-by-mine basis during planning, instruction, and assessment. We as facilitators and teachers must be aware of the implications of using technology, to be vigilant and respectful of those who provide and use it.