At school we recently had an issue with a member of staff, who is also a parent, after they posted photos on Facebook of her child and their friends whilst on a school trip. As a member of staff and a parent the issue becomes blurred. As a parent why shouldn't she be able to post picture's of her child? But on the other hand, as a member of staff, where the BOT have decided not to engage in social media activity, does this put her in breach of the schools cyber safety agreement?
The school requires parental permission for children's photos to be posted on the school website or on class blogs. A number of parents have expressed concerns over their children being on the web and do not want their child's photos posted to social media sites, such as Facebook or Twitter. Whilst this was an innocent post by an enthusiastic mother help on a school trip it has the potential to breach privacy and parental trust. Upon seeing this post the head of the ICT team spoke with the member of staff in question and explained the school policy around photo permissions. She then spoke with the senior management team about the potential need for a social media policy that outlines the BOT's stance on the use of social media in school.
Future Actions:
Establish a social media policy that all members of staff agree to adhere to.
Activity 11
As teaching professionals we have a code of ethics to follow outlined by the NZ Teacher's Council. This code states that we will “establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of Äkonga” (Educational Council n.d). Both applied ethics and professional ethics are guided by morals. The morals each individual upholds are influenced by ones upbringing, individual beliefs and core values.
Applied Ethics
Collste (2012) refers to applied ethics as "reflecting on moral dilemmas and moral problems in different social contexts" (p.26). Applied ethics is based on theory and method. It has grown in existence due to the demise of the church as the over-riding moral compass for society.
Professional Ethics
Professional ethics on the other hand is "based on the the practice of a profession" (Collste, 2012, p.27). They relate to the morals that an organisation upholds in their workplace. They are used to establish a code of expected behaviour amongst a group of people. They will often guide the workplaces expectations and code of conduct. It is this established code that can be called upon when an individuals actions are deemed inappropriate.
Both applied and professional ethics relate to area of education.
The world of education is changing quickly and applied ethics is becoming more valid. "New moral problems facing society as a consequence of new technologies" (Collste, 2012, p.19). This is especially evident as technology in schools continues to increase. Whilst not an entirely new concept, technology in schools is becoming more mainstream and individualised. It continues to increase with such speed that schools often lack the "moral and legal concepts and principles to address them" (Moor, 1985, cited in Collste, 2012, p.19). Technology is being designed to link to what is perceived to be a good life and the values we place on this. As a result "technological developments become an ethical challenge" (Collste, 2012, p.26).
The decision to use technology in our practice creates an ethical impact. When we as a school stipulate the type of device students should be using, we are automatically influencing their developing value and beliefs system.
As teaching professionals who have a major influence over the impressionable students in our classroom we need to remember the following...
"The good or virtuous professional is the one who has the capacity and the desire to live up to the standards to make the right decisions in problematic situations. This capacity is acquired through reflective practice" (Collste, 2012, p.31).
Collste, G. (2012). Applied and Professional Ethics. Retrieved
from https://app.themindlab.com/media/7319/view
Activity 12
Teachers within the New Zealand education system are committed to attaining the highest of standards of professional service (Education Council, n.d). Every day we interact and collaborate with students, colleagues, parents, whanau and the members of the wider community. These interactions are governed by the following four principle:
- Autonomy to treat people with rights that are to be honoured and defended
- Justice to share power and prevent the abuse of power
- Responsible care to do good and minimise harm to others
- Truth to be honest with others and self.
(Education Council, n.d)
In your opinion are ethical codes of conduct reflective of societal norms or essential principles of humanity?
The above principles are all interconnected and reflect the basic principles of being a good citizen. So, yes I would agree that the code of ethics is reflective of societal norms. However, the societal norms that one adheres to are ultimately influenced by their upbringing and core value and moral belief system. Within New Zealand society every individual has the right to autonomy and freedom of speech. However, all members of society are expected to conduct themselves within the realms of the law and the code of ethics which we follow strongly align to the messages given by other parts of society.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a Code of Ethics?
In your own field to what degree are ethics concerned to protect individual rights and the what degree do they exist to minimise organisational risk? How is the balance between the two distributed?
- Students
- Parents/whanau
- Society
- Teachers
(Education Council, n.d).
For parents, society and teachers the interests of the learner are at the core. The code of ethics is designed to protect both the students in our classes as well as the teachers. I believe they provide parents and society with clear guidance on how each party is expected to behave. Therefore they act to both protect an individual's rights as well as minimise organisational risk. When one party jeopardises this code there are steps outlined to deal with the ethical dilemma. While the code of ethics is designed to be balanced between an individual's rights and the teaching profession, the statements are all based on what teachers will strive to do. Nowhere in the document does it outline what is expected of parents/whanau in the education of their children. Therefore I feel that the code of ethics outlined by the Education Council are more biased towards the rights of an individual.
Education Council. (n.d). Code of ethics for certified teachers. Retrieved
from http://www.educationcouncil.org.nz/content/code-of-ethics-certificated-teachers-0
Education Council. (n.d). Ethical Decisions. Retrieved
from http://www.educationcouncil.org.nz/content/ethical-decisions
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