Legal And Ethical Issues Surrounding The Use Of Technology In Education

Introduction

We are living in the most complex era of human history, the rise of the technology and new digital media has changed the way of learning and teaching as well. There are a lot of legal and ethical issues surrounding the use of technology in education. Internet safety and privacy laws, Cyber bullying, and Plagiarism must be adhered to when considering using technology in the classroom. Most schools use the acceptable use policy" it's a policy a user must agree to follow in order to be provided access to a network or to the internet". In education facilities the acceptable use policy ensures that school computers are being used in a safe and appropriate manner there are guidelines to follow when implementing acceptable use policy.

Cyber bullying is one of the hot topics in our world today, it happens when kids bully each other through electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. Cyber bullying can create a climate of fear among students, inhabits their ability to learn, and could lead to other antisocial behavior. Cyberbullying messages and images can be posted anonymously and distributed quickly to a very wide audience. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to trace the source. parents and educators should work together to help students to create and increase their personal

The school can use the information to help inform prevention and response strategies.

• In many states, schools are required to address cyberbullying in their anti-bullying policy. Some state laws also cover off-campus behavior that creates a hostile school environment.

Plagiarism in the Internet age:

Plagiarism is the "wrongful appropriation" and "stealing and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions" and the representation of them as one's own original work (Wikipedia®, 2014) Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious violation of expected student behavior and may result in disciplinary action. The new technology and internet has offered ways of cheating. Students have been brought up around the new technology and are finding newer and better ways to use the technology to their advantages, finding new and increasingly devious ways to cheat.

Teachers need to be aware of ways to combat plagiarism, and be able to offer a clear definition of plagiarism to students, that may have acted as a deterrent to plagiarism, and discourage plagiarism in an academic environment.

Policy Recommendations:

• Telling students about the plagiarism detection software