Ethics in our Technologically Advanced Schools

In the modern school environment, it is becoming increasingly important for administrators, learning communities, teachers, and families to deal with shifts in educational principles.  This is due to the fact that multifaceted and multicultural value systems are coming to be addressed in practice in the classroom. This shift in the overarching social, cultural and practical framework for modern education is further challenged by the fact that technological advancements like the ipad and iphone mean that students and educators have to adopt and learn at a faster pace than ever before, and interact with society on a global scale. As Frick has suggested, “school administrative decision making requires more than the mechanical application of existing rules, regulations and various levels of school and school-related policy” (p. 51).

As a result, school principals have come to develop a newfound interest in character education, moral education, and the ethics of care and justice. This interest is linked to the knowledge that children need to have a foundation in learning how to make moral and ethical life decisions grounded in values of responsibility and respect.  (Sergiovanni, 1996) This is in turn connected to the recognition of the erosion in time and commitment that parents have to address these ideas in practice. This means that educators and administrators have an obligation, in part, to address these values and ethical principles through a caring school environment and curriculum.

What is important is that we keep ethics on the table in school forums and updated with the latest technology that is emerging in our technically adept students. 

Sergiovanni, T. J. (1996) Moral Leadership. Jossey-Bass Publications.

What obstacles if any are you seeing in ethics in your school environment?

What supports of combatting ethical ills in your school community have you found enriching?