One of the messages from the Mindlab course is how effective the use of digital media can be as educational tools. The opportunities in online learning open up pathways of engagement and can assist in building strong working relationships between students and teachers in ways that would not be available in previous years. However, with this there are inherent dangers also.
Teachers are required to be "of good character and fit to be a teacher" in order to be granted a professional Practicing Certificate and, accordingly, there is an associated code of ethics that are applied. The most recent Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession (NZ Educational Council, 2017) places most emphasis on classroom practice and strong Whanau relations, however, it makes clear that teachers have a "trusted position" and ensure an environment which is "safe".
More complicated situations have arisen in professional email conversations. Having been responsible for a sports code in the school, I had the awkward situation of a student being expelled from our school and ending up playing for another school (in the same competition) he hadn't registered for. Parents had complained. The awkwardness in this situation was that, despite knowing the reason for his expulsion, I wasn't officially meant to know (having not been at his tribunal) nor was I allowed to discuss it. Yet, in my email conversation with the other schools representatives I was requested to convey reasons why he had left as a means of justifying my complaint for his playing for the other school. The ethical issue here being one of privacy and confidentiality.
According to Hall (2001), societal changes have altered the ethical expectations of teachers. He argued that public perceptions of children have changed, seeing them as individuals with legal rights. Following on, suggested a process where ethical considerations can be made on any given situation.
In my own experience, commonly used social media such as Facebook are rife with challenges. Having had a number of students, over the years, request online friendships I have made it a personal policy to always refuse. Sometimes I explain this directly to the student in person, out of politeness and a wish not to offend by rejection, but the understanding is that it compromises the student/teacher relationship and blurs the line between the professional life and private life for both teacher and student. Whilst having good relations with students is important, there are other channels for it and it's still important to establish the parameters - in the same manner a teacher would do on a school trip.
In using this process, I can identify that the problem was one of student privacy verses the integrity of the competition he was in. The priority must given to the student in this instance. So while discussions of his eligibility could be discussed in a neutral sense, but personal details of previous judgments made by educational boards couldn't. Emails are particularly dangerous as they are easily transferred to a wider audience, with little control, and are effectively a permanent record. Moreover, in order to ensure ethical context, I was also obliged to communicate to parents directly about the situation before continuing. This being the ethical decision.
References:
http://teachersandsocialmedia.co.nz
http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Attitudes-values-and-ethics/What-ought-I-to-do-all-things-considered
http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers
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