| The introduction of computer technology into the classroom brought many challenges to teachers, students, administrators, and parents. With the belief that computers can help learners to achieve better, educators are shaping curricula to include technology use in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to rise to the challenge and adopt computers in their day-to-day activities. First, students experienced using computers in drill and practice activities only, but the fast developing computer technology brought into the classroom a world of information easily accessible in a way never imagined before.; Learning to use computers in the classroom is certainly a new challenge to teachers and students, but the use of computer technology in an ethical manner represents a difficult task. Issues of illegal copying of software, breaking into someone else's personal files, damaging other's work, violating copyright laws, and other unethical practices are all new dimensions of computer users' misbehavior.; The purpose of this case study was to examine the experiences, behaviors, and problems of a teacher and students as they identified and attempted to deal with ethical issues involving computer technologies. The researcher attempts to answer questions such as: 'What ethics-in-technology issues arise that the teacher deals with? How are the issues dealt with by the teacher? How do students respond to the teacher's strategies?' Some of the issues discussed involve the unethical use of the Internet, plagiarism, accessing someone else's files, hacking, and other related problems.; This study took place in a high school computer classroom. The participants in the study included the teacher and 23 students. The research methods were qualitative in nature. Observations recorded as fieldnotes, interview transcripts, and documents were part of the data collected. These data were analyzed using a coding system that made patterns emerge and helped in defining two main categories: events and strategies, and societies.; Finally, this study brings into focus the question of computer ethics and how it ought to be addressed and carefully planned for with the purpose of helping to shape caring individuals who can use critical thinking in their professional careers. |
