Mr. Garrison: Ethical Dilemmas In The Classroom

Introduction
The decisions and actions we take our rooted in our inherit values and beliefs, which stem from an ethical code of conduct we adhere to. Ethics is a “set of principles that guide our attitudes, choices, and actions” (Donlevy, 2015) and influence our interpretation of past events. Ethics is important for educators, as it provide them with a set of guiding principles to represent their profession and themselves. This provide teachers with a framework to make decisions that influence the education and welfare of their students, and allows them to also rationalize and justify their decisions when confronted by students, parents, collogues, and administrators. Ethics allows teachers to justify their work and meet the criteria of the

Garrison is teaching his Grade 10 Social Studies class about Globalization (Alberta Education, 2014). One of the outcomes Mr. Garrison wants his students to understand is that different cultures permeate across society through the use of technology. To accomplish this outcome, Mr. Garrison has arranged with another teacher abroad to have their classrooms connect. Students will pair off with someone in the international class to teach each other about their cultural customs by using technology (e.g. online pen pales). One of Mr. Garrison’s students, Stan Marsh, has parents who do not agree with the use of technology at such young age for forming relationships with online strangers. They believe that this sort of activity will promote inappropriate use of technology in their son, which goes against the values of their family. They expressed their concern to Mr. Garrison and requested that he not participate in the activity. Against the wishes the parents, Mr. Garrison has decided that Stan Marsh will participate in the activity. Mr. Garrison argues that the activity is necessary for his students to develop technological literacy and appreciation for other cultures. Furthermore, he uses Inspiring Education (Inspiring Education, 2015) to argue his point that this activity will help Stan Marsh develop into an ethical

General happiness.
If Mr. Garrison chooses to accept the wishes of the parents, than the parents benefit as their wishes and beliefs are respected. The teacher also demonstrates respect for diversity and sets an example for his students by acknowledging other peoples’ values and beliefs, and not placing his own above others.
Based on the Utilitarian approach, the positives outweigh the negatives with regards to society and the general happiness of those involved when Mr. Garrison accepts the wishes of the parents. Arguably, having one student not participate in the activity will not bias the views other people and society may hold towards different cultures. The student can also achieve the curriculum outcomes through other sources of information that the teacher should provide for them.
Long-term consequences.
There are no long-term consequences when the teacher chooses to accept the wishes of the parents involved (see General Happiness). However, the long-term consequences of ignoring the wishes of the parents result in them loosing faith with the education system, which can have a profound negative impact on the student’s