Standard VI: Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues

Standard VI: Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues guides technology leaders and facilitators through oftentimes chartered territory. Keeping abreast with the legalities of copyright and privacy laws can be a time-consuming task. Keeping decisions made in the realm of social and human issues such as digital equity, cyberbullying, and privacy considerations can be challenging as clear-cut guidelines are often nonexistent. Williamson and Redish (2009) highlight four specific issues that technology leaders and facilitators must be prepared to tackle: digital equity, student privacy, student online safety, and copyright laws.

Technology leaders and facilitators should make decisions through the filter of digital equity, considering such factors as computers and other digital tools per classroom, assistive technology to meet students' needs, professional development needs for teachers to ensure access, and access to technology for students and teachers that extend beyond the school day.

Technology leaders and facilitators are responsible at varying degrees of modeling safe computing standards such as keeping passwords protected, logon procedures secured, and securing student data as directed by FERPA.

Online student safety is required by CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act) and requires that schools and districts comply to laws designed to protect students' privacy and safety in online environments. Ensuring proper filtering software to educating students about the hazards of online environments and ethical behavior in online environments are the responsibilities that align with the job of technology facilitator.

Districts have specific guidelines and documents to help guide users, teachers and students, in their use of online learning environments. Internet Safety Policies (ISPs) spell out what measures the district takes to keep students safe. Acceptable Use Policies spell out the responsibilities of the users (the students and teachers). Technology leaders and facilitators are responsible for keeping the ISPs and AUPs current in light of the vastly changing online environment.

Two performance tasks specifically stated in Standard VI are adherence to copyright laws and the use of assistive technology. The other performance standards are more general . The technology leader assumes the role of researcher and shares results of research. The technology facilitator helps implement the research-based practices at the building level-informing teachers and students of current trends and responsibilities.

Standard VI address every essential condition set forth by ISTE, specifically focused on those conditions of shared vision, implementation planning, and engaged communities.

As a technology facilitator and/or leader in my district, more attention is needed in establishing an Acceptable Use Policy that is current and up-to-date and understandable by the student. We currently have students of all ages and grades sign the Acceptable Use Policy as well as their parents. Given the level of legal language in the document, very few users actually understand what their responsibilities as users of technology entail. Priority would be to word the documents so that they are comprehensible by the users and provide instruction as to how to ensure that users stay in compliance.