Week 29 Legal and ethical contexts in my digital practice
Teaching is certainly a rewarding
profession, students ask me why I became a teacher. A student asked me this
very question just the other day and my first response I do it for the daily
challenges and the many, many rewards that I get from my profession. Going onto
to list the any examples one being the Geography field trips to many Natural Environments.
However, Hall (2001) suggests that societal changes over the last 50 years in
New Zealand in the public's expectations of teachers has changed and that we are
now facing ethical dilemmas that we never had in the past. One such dilemma is
the increasing use of digital technologies in our schools and our society.
Over the last decade that I have
taught there has certainly been a culture and thinking shift in how teachers
use digital technologies for learning in the classroom and the ideology of
flipped classrooms. In our own lives we use digital technologies for purpose or
pleasure. Purpose being completing professional reading, connecting with
professional subject learning communities through face book, communication to
students via email and Learning Management Systems. To pleasure, connecting
with family and friends through social media around New Zealand and Overseas.
But where do we draw the line? Is being contactable 24/7 an issue. How does
that impact on everyone in the educational community? is it adding to every
ones workloads. The new Code of Teachers to be released July 2017 Code 1’ Commitment
to the teaching Profession’ (Teachers Council, 2017) does not discuss the overuse of digital
technologies for teachers and I believe is open to all sorts
of interpretation.
So how do I address this dilemma in
my own practice?
I try to foster an environment by
telling my students not to email me after 9pm at night even this is far too
late in the evening, and tell them I will not respond until the next day. But I
understand that many students particularly Year 11 onwards work part time jobs
after school, so I have to be flexible sometimes, particularly in the weekend. When using my LMS system for
online submissions I ensure that I set folders to close 5pm for my Year 9 and
10 Students as I would not want them working late on assignment work adding to
their homework load from other subject areas, but also stress in general.
As a member of staff and Lead
teacher of BYOD in the faculty, I am very aware that not all staff have their
smart phones or (own a smart phone) connected to the school email server, and I
try very hard to remember that people have family, sports and other commitments
outside the work place, by organising myself to send emails if requesting a
response before 5pm and accept that I may receive the odd response later.
However
I know not all colleagues have the same view and I can only suggest that this
is an area that schools may need to focus on moving forward, perhaps our
schools need to look through the business sector lens or other industries where
work place expectations are high but not expected to work so much outside of
work place hours.
The British Education Secretary
back in 2015 suggested that teachers should not be expected to answer emails and
spend hours marking after 5pm every day. To combat teacher work load and
increase a declining recruitment and retention rate of British Teachers. (Espinoza, 2015). Perhaps a view that our New Zealand education sector
may need to consider, considering the teacher shortages in cities such as
Auckland.
References:
Hall, A. (2001) What ought I
to do, all things considered? An approach to the exploration of ethical
problems by teachers. Paper presented at the IIPE Conference, Brisbane.
Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers
Teachers
Council (2017) Our Code, Our ethics.
Espinoza, J., (2015, 26 July.)
Retrieved from:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11764027/Morgan-Ban-emails-after-5pm-to-help-teachers-cope-with-workload.html
It is a difficult question. I personally don't mind receiving emails and documents whenever, but I have in the past had colleagues who have been very vocal about what they saw as an invasion of their private lives. I have often wondered if their reaction is because they don't feel safe leaving emails to dealt with once they're back at work. The unusual time of sending somehow making the message higher priority than whatever's going on at that time? Before cellphone and email, we'd leave messages and expect to have them answered the next day, why are texts and emails different?
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter, I'm not sure why emails are different. I still check them all the time on my phone if I don't have my laptop open, and if it's an urgent response or task required I'll respond. I've got a young child sometimes I don't get to check my emails, so I figure if I struggle to check mine, others such as staff and students must do with their own commitments whatever they maybe outside the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steph. I think that is a great call about not checking your emails after 9pm. I actually deleted my school email account off my phone. I was forever responding which was cutting into my family time. We live in a world where we expect instant feedback whether its from texting or social media. It is a double edged sword, constantly check your emails and respond to students or colleagues which can intrude on your personal time or enjoy your own time and feel guilty for not checking.
ReplyDelete