Stephen Downes, an information philosopher (my characterization) and blogger, whom I respect greatly, has seen fit to criticize my recent entry, where I featured an Information Code of Ethics for teachers and students. I want to thank this Canadian academic for all of his criticisms and enormous contributions. Questioning blogs and even disagreeing helps to make blogging what it is best at — conversation. So thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about this a little more.
Among his statements, Downes said,
I personally think that a code of ethics is not useful, because if one believes in the ethics, the coded is not needed, and if one doesn’t, the code will not be followed.
On the outset, I agree with this statement. But as my friend, Terry Freedman, says in a comment,
You’re right about the code of ethics (cf Shankara, which I will blog about on http://www.ictineducation.org), but I don’t see how your position actually helps anyone working in schools.
I’m sure I’ve told this story before, but I think that it is also in the nature of a blog that we can repeat things. Several years ago, during a shuttle ride from an airport to some conference facility, I found myself sitting beside of Donna Miller, a project editor for Linworth Publishing. Out of the conversation that we had, I found myself in a book writing agreement to produce a manuscript about technology in schools.
As I worked on the project, I increasingly came to believe that what I was writing about was not technology, but literacy, the basic skills requires to accomplish goals using information. I was learning, through my research and planning that it was the dramatic changes in the nature of information that is impacting us, more than the dramatic changes in technology. So the project evolved into a literacy book called, “Redefining Literacy for the 21st Century.”
It became obvious to me, as the manuscript grew, that the power of information and the enormous personal power that information skills afford their users, demand considerations that were not so important in a published print information environment, and that these ethical considerations were not being taught as part of standard curriculum in most schools.
I began to write a code of ethics, but quickly realized that I’m not smart enough to do what I wanted to do. So I tried to think of a community of people who were already practicing contemporary literacy. It didn’t take long to realize that one professional community is already Exposing Truth, Employing Information, and Expressing Ideas Compellingly — journalists. Their job is not merely to be able to read, but to find appropriate information, decode it, evaluate its value, organize it, process it, and plan for the most effective format that the message should take.
I suspect that most would agree that journalists should follow a code of ethics, and upon investigation, I found that the Society of Professional Journalists had established a Code of Ethics on their web site that followed, amazingly, the structure that I was presenting to general contemporary literacy. After some correspondence, the association’s executive editor gave me permission to adapt their code of ethics for a document that I could make available to schools.
The first three elements are almost identical. I added a forth element to address spamming, malicious hacking, and viruses.
Again, I agree with Downes conclusion that we don’t really need a code of ethics. However, in school, our job is to teach and to help students to learn. And I suspect, as much as I might not like it, that in this time of rapid change, somethings do need to be shown and explicitly taught, as well has helping students to discover.
2¢ Worth!
I replied to Terry on Friday. http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=35533
I make the point that while values should be taught, they should not be codified. “When something like ethics is codified, then this gives people room to be ‘ethical’ by watching for loopholes or playing legal games.”
Hi David,
I am sure Mr. Downes was only subconsciously paraphrasing Benjamin Disraeli who said, “When men are pure, laws are useless; when men are corrupt, laws are broken.”
Ethical codes, one would hope, guide professional practice. They are neither for the sinner nor the saint, but for those who wish to act in ethical manner and need to know how to do so.
There are a variety of very good computer ethical codes that have long been available. The most respected, IMHO, is the 10 Commandments of Computer Ethics . ISTE has recently written a Code of Ethics for Members which was adopted at its June 2005 Board Meeting. (I can’t locate this online, but I am happy to email a copy to anyone interested.)
Perhaps in the long run, David, we all write our own personal code of ethics, hopefully based on the thoughts of others who have also tackled this issue. My own is quite simple and I call it the 3 Ps of Ethical Technology Use:
1. Privacy – I will protect my privacy and respect the privacy of others.
2. Property – I will protect my property and respect the property of others.
3. a(P)propriate Use – I will use technology in constructive ways and in ways which do not break the rules of my family, faith, school, or government.
Keep writing and teaching about ethics, sir! You have the ear of many educators right now and can do much good.
Doug
As a middle school technology teacher who teaches ethics my biggest problem is when I tell a child that downloading or copying materials (songs, dvds) is wrong, they say my parents do it and they say it is ok. Although I read them articles where parents are fined, it doesn’t change their minds. What if there are groups in society that don’t acknowledge the validity of your ethics?
I’ve posted more in depth on my blog, but here are the main points:
1. Differentiating a code of ethics from the morality behind it is a false dichotomy.
2. People play games whether or not there is a code of ethics.
3. Rules are prototypes, and exceptions are opportunities for learning.
4. Morality is not constructed de novo but on the basis of interactions with external sources, such as family, community, social institutions, culture, and their representative codes.
5. Besides rules, we might consider stories for encoding ethics.
6. Besides rules and stories, the school itself must enact the ethics it wishes for its students to embody.
[URL=http://www.whitenz.info/impianto] impianto [/URL] impianto [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/ovulazione] ovulazione [/URL] ovulazione [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/porno-gratis] porno gratis [/URL] porno gratis [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/shop] shop [/URL] shop [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/about] about [/URL] about [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/production] production [/URL] production [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/numeri] numeri [/URL] numeri [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/fine] fine [/URL] fine [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/vivere] vivere [/URL] vivere [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/cancro] cancro [/URL] cancro [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/sperma] sperma [/URL] sperma [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/auguri] auguri [/URL] auguri [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/jolly] jolly [/URL] jolly [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/program] program [/URL] program [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/friends] friends [/URL] friends [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/scheda] scheda [/URL] scheda [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/bear] bear [/URL] bear [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/panasonic] panasonic [/URL] panasonic [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/appunti] appunti [/URL] appunti [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/1996] 1996 [/URL] 1996 [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/grazie] grazie [/URL] grazie [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/davide] davide [/URL] davide [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/digital] digital [/URL] digital [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/tuning] tuning [/URL] tuning [URL=http://www.whitenz.info/bros] bros [/URL] bros
[URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/add-adhd-test] add adhd test [/URL] add adhd test [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/libro-gratis] libro gratis [/URL] libro gratis [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/mamma-mia] mamma mia [/URL] mamma mia [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/presidente] presidente [/URL] presidente [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/cannavaro] cannavaro [/URL] cannavaro [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/suicidio] suicidio [/URL] suicidio [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/sardinia] sardinia [/URL] sardinia [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/dizionario] dizionario [/URL] dizionario [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/rafael] rafael [/URL] rafael [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/esso] esso [/URL] esso [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/yahoo-musica] yahoo musica [/URL] yahoo musica [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/playboy] playboy [/URL] playboy [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/aquila] aquila [/URL] aquila [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/arte] arte [/URL] arte [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/mondiali] mondiali [/URL] mondiali [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/sandri] sandri [/URL] sandri [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/genova] genova [/URL] genova [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/musica-video] musica video [/URL] musica video [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/nudo] nudo [/URL] nudo [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/pirlo] pirlo [/URL] pirlo [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/loghi] loghi [/URL] loghi [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/video-musica] video musica [/URL] video musica [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/gioia] gioia [/URL] gioia [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/filme-porn-gratis] filme porn gratis [/URL] filme porn gratis [URL=http://www.wallpapvkers.info/mp3-musica] mp3 musica [/URL] mp3 musica
[URL=http://www.socideta4.info/donato] donato [/URL] donato [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/pop-up] pop up [/URL] pop up [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/lusso] lusso [/URL] lusso [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/turistici] turistici [/URL] turistici [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/recorder] recorder [/URL] recorder [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/gratis-video-porno] gratis video porno [/URL] gratis video porno [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/lungo] lungo [/URL] lungo [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/casse] casse [/URL] casse [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/mega] mega [/URL] mega [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/where] where [/URL] where [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/roland] roland [/URL] roland [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/cavalieri] cavalieri [/URL] cavalieri [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/wild] wild [/URL] wild [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/cover-cd] cover cd [/URL] cover cd [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/fotografico] fotografico [/URL] fotografico [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/aperte] aperte [/URL] aperte [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/musica-free] musica free [/URL] musica free [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/tecnocasa] tecnocasa [/URL] tecnocasa [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/gonna] gonna [/URL] gonna [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/pace] pace [/URL] pace [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/merano] merano [/URL] merano [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/visitare] visitare [/URL] visitare [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/imperatore] imperatore [/URL] imperatore [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/video-gratis-porno] video gratis porno [/URL] video gratis porno [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/pino] pino [/URL] pino [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/contact] contact [/URL] contact [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/soccorso] soccorso [/URL] soccorso [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/1-formula] 1 formula [/URL] 1 formula [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/battisti] battisti [/URL] battisti [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/snowboard] snowboard [/URL] snowboard [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/bosco] bosco [/URL] bosco [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/richard] richard [/URL] richard [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/ristorazione] ristorazione [/URL] ristorazione [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/borgo] borgo [/URL] borgo [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/dubai] dubai [/URL] dubai [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/jammin] jammin [/URL] jammin [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/preview-review] preview review [/URL] preview review [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/beretta] beretta [/URL] beretta [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/right] right [/URL] right [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/general] general [/URL] general [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/sound] sound [/URL] sound [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/final] final [/URL] final [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/baia] baia [/URL] baia [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/videoclip] videoclip [/URL] videoclip [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/altervista] altervista [/URL] altervista [URL=http://www.socideta4.info/arco] arco [/URL] arco
[URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/molise] molise [/URL] molise [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/crociera] crociera [/URL] crociera [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/forza-italia] forza italia [/URL] forza italia [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/comprare] comprare [/URL] comprare [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/dual] dual [/URL] dual [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/wireless] wireless [/URL] wireless [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/sanzioni] sanzioni [/URL] sanzioni [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/valuta] valuta [/URL] valuta [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/architetti] architetti [/URL] architetti [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/fratelli] fratelli [/URL] fratelli [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/epoca] epoca [/URL] epoca [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/corpo] corpo [/URL] corpo [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/lombardia] lombardia [/URL] lombardia [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/delibera] delibera [/URL] delibera [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/tinto-brass] tinto brass [/URL] tinto brass [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/borse] borse [/URL] borse [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/genoa] genoa [/URL] genoa [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/novara] novara [/URL] novara [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/image] image [/URL] image [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/winamp] winamp [/URL] winamp [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/riforma] riforma [/URL] riforma [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/giocare] giocare [/URL] giocare [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/spartiti] spartiti [/URL] spartiti [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/records] records [/URL] records [URL=http://www.piscinej351.org/basilica] basilica [/URL] basilica