Running head: ISSUES IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY 1

Issues in Educational Technology

Jacenta Maynor

EDU352: Foundations of Educational Technology

Instructor: Patsy Reece

17 Dec 2018
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Issues in Educational Technology: Safety Issue

The issue I chose to research is the safety issue associated with using advanced

technology. I found this issue on the Prezi "Issues that Shape Educational Technology." These

safety issues can be anything from students' privacy, accessing inappropriate material, and

cyberbullying through social media. I think this is an important issue because our world is

becoming more advanced and interconnected through technology. Students might not

understand the need for safety controls now but, hopefully, through learning about the dangers

and impact of the internet, they will appreciate policies in place to protect them.

Safety of our students is more than just making sure they are in a safe physical

environment. Students are growing up in a globally interconnected world. There need to be

systems in place to ensure students' privacy is maintained and that they do not have access to

inappropriate material. Many schools in the local school district use Google Apps for Education

(GAFE). This set of applications include email accounts, shared drives, and class forms. One of

the main reasons these apps are utilized is that they are available free. Marty Bray (2016), states

that "one of the challenges that educational technology directors face when adopting GAFE is

the perception that Google mines student data." The use of search history and ‘cookies' to track

internet users' preferences has been a hot topic lately. GAFE does not my students' data for

advertising, but it does collect the data to make improvements to usability.

Privacy and mining of data are two aspects of safety and educational technology. The

safety of a student using the internet and other technology is not just the job of an educator but

also the parent. This should be a joint effort. Sometimes, parents might not understand the many

different aspects of safety issues with computers. So, there needs to be an emphasis on teaching

students about online safety. One article I found, "The Influence of Teaching Methods on
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Learner's Perception of E-Safety" states that "according to the British Educational

Communications and Technology Agency, education and training play an essential role in

providing the basic support learners need to avoid e-safety risks" (2017). When thinking about

this, I feel that it is essential that students be taught about the safety concerns with using the

internet. This will help them be aware of malware/spyware, identity theft, and many more safety

concerns.

I found many different articles about the safety of technology in the classroom. I have

included links below for you to explore. I like the article "School Internet Safety: More than

"Block it to Stop It" because it talks more about teaching why internet safety is important and not

just making the site inaccessible at school. Just because students cannot access certain sites at

school does not mean that they will not try to access it at home. I am struggling to see how

safety and technology are not important. I am sure that people could argue that safety on the

internet is common sense, but I know that sometimes it is not that easy. I know that my husband

likes to say that I don't think of the common-sense answer sometimes because I like to over-

analyze. This could be the same for internet safety. It is also important for teachers to be aware

of how they are portrayed on the internet. One of the sources I found, "Appropriate Uses of

Modern Technology: Classroom Tips," it says that "Teachers in Florida, Colorado, Tennessee and

Massachusetts have been dismissed and suspended because of the content of their social

networking sites" (American Federation of Teachers, 2010). Everyone including students,

teachers, parents, and employees, need to be aware that social media and their internet usage can

be factors in their lives, not just online.

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References

American Federation of Teachers. (2010). Appropriate Uses of Modern Technology. Classroom

Tips. American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED516936&site=eds-live&scope=site

Bray, M. (2016). Going Google: Privacy Considerations in a Connected World. Knowledge

Quest, 44(4), 36–41. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-

library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1092263&site=eds-

live&scope=site

Melgosa, A., & Scott, R. (2013). School Internet safety: more than "Block-It to Stop It."

Education Digest, (3), 46. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-

library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.350611748&site=eds-live&scope=site

Todd, M. (2012, November 19). Issues that shape educational technology. Retrieved from

http://prezi.com/6fz_r2bpduqb/legal-ethical-issues-of-educational-technology/

Dobias, V., Sery, M., & Smandl, V. (2017). The Influence of Teaching Methods on Learners’

Perception of E-safety. Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in

Practice, (2017), 253. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-

library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.1f7697d9b34962a5ced44d13d28a13&site=eds-

live&scope=site