Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Graduate Standard 4.5

“Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching“ (AITSL, 2014).

Adapting ICT-based strategies to learning activities (particularly online enquiry activities) creates the risk of student exposure to inappropriate content or social interaction, due to misuse of the ICT and/or a failure to implement strategies that support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT.

By implementing strategies that support safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT, we:

• “Maintain a safe and challenging learning environment” (VIT, 2015, 1.1b); and

• “Protect students from intimidation, embarrassment, humiliation or harm” (VIT, 2015, 1.2c).

Within my placement at Charles La Trobe P-12 College, I implemented a number of strategies to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in my lessons (and otherwise in my presence). This included:

• Maintaining and enforcing the school’s ICT policy;

• Clearly reiterating the ICT usage rules and consequences, prior to the ICT activity;

• Strictly prohibiting the use of ICT devices during lessons, other than as/if required for a learning activity;

• Strictly monitoring all students’ ICT usage by perusing the classroom, and/or rearranging classroom seating to afford myself a view of every student’s screen/monitor.

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By way of example:

Situation:

Year 8 Humanities (Geography) 2016, at La Trobe P-12 College.

Task:

The objective of this task was for students to consolidate and extend their understanding of the impact of geomorphological hazards, by adapting their newly acquired conceptual knowledge to a practical scenario.

Action:                   The practical scenario in this instance was a social media dialogue between friends. In order to maintain a safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT:

• I clearly reiterated the rule of appropriate ICT usage, and the consequence of inappropriate usage;

• I pre-arrange student desks into rows facing the front of the class, in order for me to have a clear view of all monitors/screens from the back of the class; and

• Directed the students to a mock social media application, known as ‘Fakebook’, (located at http://www.classtools.net/FB/home-page ), which does not provide students with the ability to communicate or interact with others online.

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Results:

The activity was successfully, insofar that students engaged with the activity and produced work to a satisfactory standard, within an environment that provided opportunities for safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT.

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Evidence:

Activity instructions and extract of personal reflection.