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Running head: ETHICAL PRACTICES 1

Ethical Practices of Technology Usage

Dana Borowiec

EDU697: Capstone: A Project Approach

Dr. Keith Pressey

April 28, 2013

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Ethical Practices of Technology Usage

The transition from a read-only web to a read-write web marked a turning-point in

history, creating life-changing experiences for all. Blogs, wikis, and social communities offer

new ways for individuals to publish work, as well as interact through platforms for teaching and

learning. In addition, online collaboration continues to create new professions and new methods

to present information to a changing world. Blogs and wikis offer creative tools to design a basic

theme and can allow freedom of movement for instructors, allowing for updates and new

assignments. They provide an opportunity for reflection and learning, offer ways to collaborate

with fellow-students, and contain support which manifests in the form of feedback from peers

and instructors (Richardson, 2010, p. 10). Students standards heighten with the realization of

their work being viewed by the public and blogs, wikis, and social communities offer new ways

for individuals to publish work, as well as interact through platforms for teaching and learning.

The prior MATLT Program course activity that demonstrates attainment of Program

Learning Outcome 5 to exemplify ethicalpractices of technology usage is reflected through

the EDU651 class: Collaboration and Learning in a Virtual Environment. One of the

assignments was to create a blog or wiki; I chose to do both, linking both of them together, but

focused more on the blog for the sake of this assignment. The link:

http://danasblog4class.blogspot.com/

The wiki was already shown to the class in the Introduction and the wiki activity was

detailed, revolving around To Kill a Mockingbirdby Harper Lee (1962). The blog is something

that I created a year ago and chose to periodically update as I moved through this degree

program. The last entry had been made in October 2012; however, I posted a blog this morning

explaining the lapse of entries.

http://danasblog4class.blogspot.com/http://danasblog4class.blogspot.com/http://danasblog4class.blogspot.com/

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The blog is designed to provide a glimpse into this program but I have used it for more

than once class. My video that I created for EDU652 is also posted, although I uploaded the

video to You Tube, as well. The actual blog is the redesigned activity. I changed my profile to

reflect my new position with Department of Defense; my profile previously reflected my

position with Fort Huachuca and the Department of the Army. My Masters program blog is not

my first or only blog.

Writing for pleasure is something I have not had much time to do as I maintain balance

between work and classes. Many changes have taken place and those changes are in the

subtleties of tone, sentence-structure, logic, and fine-tuning a design that others may not see. My

inclination is to remove my video because of the length and lack of synchronicity in a few

places. However, the blog details a journey with every entry and to remove evidence of that

journey may infringe on the ethical practices which dictate this assignment. The integrity lies in

knowing when to stop revising, at times.

Online communities continue to grow, some outlive others, but the evolution of this type

of collaboration continues. Businesses and schools are utilizing it. In fact, a trend of providing

free materials for online education exists. I have learned more about wikis and blogs, and I

realize that some discomfort of discovery is to be expected. Wikis and blogs can provide tools

for projects and a collaborative work space to enhance the learning process through active

learning, social interaction, and the construction of knowledge . . . [and] is dependent on a rich

and relevant context (West and West, 2009, pp. 21-22). The Constructivist theory perpetuates

this idea when merging an enriched lesson plan through context and content (p. 22). In addition,

Learners build personal interpretation of the world based on experiences and interactions

(Dabbagh, 2006). If the instructor assumes the role of provider for the context in which learning

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can occur, then the application of content through a wiki, blog, or any other means, will naturally

promote the learning process.

The structure of the lesson plan can easily reflect through a digital commons. According

to West and West (2009), contextual learning takes place as readily through a wiki as anywhere

else, if the educator considers four key behaviors: Being open, Peering, Sharing, and Acting

Globally (p. 23). The openness to receive feedback from others, releasing the ego, realizing

diversity and alternative approaches should be welcomed by each student. Receiving the peers, a

willingness to work with teams, yet be self-motivated enough to work outside the classroom are

essential for any type of success (p. 23). The exchange of ideas, goals, and rewards should be

embraced, and remembering the global boundary of the wiki classroom brings responsibility

even prideto complete a polished product (p. 23, pp. 27-29). These behaviors and skills

promote integrity and trust between peers, and between educators and students.

Remembering Blooms Taxonomy when creating a successful wiki project will enable

the educator to create a project within those boundaries. Exhibit 2.1 of, Using wikis for online

collaboration: The power of the read-write web (West and West, 2009, p. 33) provides a

thorough table of reference that combines Knowledge Construction, Critical Thinking, and

Contextual Application. When defining a wiki projects desired outcome, the objective can

contextually apply knowledge that has either been gathered individually or provided through the

wiki. Either a direct or indirect outcome can articulate expectations to students; using a wiki can

support the structure (p. 37). Using wikis will enhance and support both the educator and the

student.

Blogs and wikis offer creative tools to design a basic theme and can allow freedom of

movement for instructors, allowing for updates and new assignments. They provide an

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opportunity for reflection and learning, offer ways to collaborate with fellow-students, and

contain support which manifests in the form of feedback from peers and instructors (Richardson,

2010, p. 10). Students standards heighten with the realization of their work being viewed by

the public and blogs, wikis, and social communities offer new ways for individuals to publish

work, as well as interact through platforms for teaching and learning.

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References

Dabbagh, N. (2006). Instructional design knowledge base. Retrieved from

http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htm

Danas Blog. (2013). Retrieved fromhttp://danasblog4class.blogspot.com/

Danas Wiki. (2013). Retrieved fromhttp://danasmuse.pbworks.com/

Richardson, W. (2010).Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd

ed.). Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

West, J. A. & West, M. L. (2009). Using wikis for online collaboration: The power of the read-

write web. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htmhttp://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htmhttp://danasblog4class.blogspot.com/http://danasblog4class.blogspot.com/http://danasblog4class.blogspot.com/http://danasmuse.pbworks.com/http://danasmuse.pbworks.com/http://danasmuse.pbworks.com/http://danasmuse.pbworks.com/http://danasblog4class.blogspot.com/http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htm