Standard+4

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers: a. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources b. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources c. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information d. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools

It seems that something needs to be done that will allow teachers more access to teaching tools. At Austin, we currently have too many restrictions that are preventing us from utilizing what I'm learning. Myself and the other teachers from AASD now have some "unassigned homework" to do so we can unlock our blogs, wikis, and other great tools at school. According to blog author Chris O'Neil, "...we have laws and regulations in place designed to protect children's safety (the Children's Internet Protection Act [CIPA]) and the privacy of our children (the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act [COPPA])." There is obvious research and data to show that using 21st Century skills and higher order thinking skills will greatly improve the quality of education the students receive. Let's allow them to use it and take off and run with it.