ethical class room

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Ethical classroom

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Social_and_Cultural_Foundations_of_American_E

ducation/Chapter_1_Supplemental_!aterials/"hat_does_it_mean_to_be_ethic

al_in_practice#$F_1

"hat %oes &t !ean 'o (e Ethical in )ractice*

By: Natalie Jackson

Ethics is defined as the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral

choices to be made by a person by Yahoo! Education dictionary definition. But what

does this mean? his chapter will outline what it means to be ethical in practice and

some of the innoations being made toward becoming ethical in practice in regards to

education.

eachers deal with what is considered to be ethical eeryday in their careers as the

educators of future generations. "hen teachers hae a dilemma within themseles as

to what is ethical or not# they must reali$e that they hae to do what is best for the

student and the class as a whole. %ne ery real ethical dilemma with teachers is

whether or not to teach the way that they prefer to teach or teach the way their

students prefer that they teach. his ethical dilemma is not &uite so hard to decide

between because it is# in the end# up to the teacher to teach the way that he'she prefers

to teach. (t would be more ethical to consider all the alternaties to teaching different

ways in order to benefit the students. )oweer# the teacher makes the ultimate

decision in how to teach the ob*ecties that he'she wishes to get across.

Effectie teachers tend to respect their students and their ability to learn +Brothers.

,--/. he most important way that a teacher can ethically respect their students is to

not only let them learn what needs to be learned# but teach them in a way that makes

them want to learn. (f teachers take into account what can be gained by each student

from haing a loe of learning along with learning what should be learned# they could

then begin to grasp what can be accomplished by the student in the future. Ethically

teachers need to reflect upon their re&uirements for students and e0amine the

positioning of courses within the student1s program.

%ne of the first things to consider in being ethical in the classroom is contact between

students and faculty. his helps to keep students motiated and inoled in what theyare learning +2hickering# 3amson# ,-4/. his also helps students to think about their

own alues and future plans +2hickering et al# ,-4/.

5nother important aspect of ethics in the classroom is deeloping reciprocity and

cooperation among the students. 6earning tends to be enhanced when it is like a team

effort +2hickering et al# ,-4/. his also enhances student social skills and helps them

to become actie in a classroom setting. 7haring their own ideas enhances students

thinking and deepens understanding +2hickering et al# ,-4/.

he ne0t thing to consider in ethical teaching is encouraging actie learning. "hen

students talk about what they are learning or they write about what they are learning#

it helps them to associate it with their daily lies +2hickering et al# ,-4/. his aspect

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helps students to grasp what they are learning by applying the ob*ecties

to what they already know and are comfortable with.

(t is also important to gie prompt feedback when teaching ethically.

7tudents need appropriate feedback on performance to benefit from

courses +2hickering et al# ,-4/. 5ssessing the performance of a studenthelps them to know what they hae learned# what they still need to know#

and how to assess themseles +2hickering et al# ,-4/.

eachers should also know how to emphasi$e time on task to be ethical in teaching.

7tudents that learn how to manage their time can be better e&uipped to handle further

classroom situations and can learn how to get the priority of learning at the top of

their lists. (f high performance for all is re&uired# students can learn the best way to

manage their time effectiely +2hickering et al# ,-4/.

eachers should also communicate high e0pectations. he more a teacher e0pects# the

more they will get from their students. his becomes a self8fulfilling prophecy whenteachers can watch their students accomplish what they could not do at an earlier

time. (f students beliee that they are e0pected to do well and feel the confidence that

they can# most times they will surpass what you think they can do.

eachers should also respect dierse talents and ways of learning. Not eery student

learns the same way. "hile some students en*oy test taking and working alone# others

like to do multiple choice &uestions and interact with their classmates. he most

effectie way and ethical way of handling this problem are to teach in all forms to

benefit eery student talent in the way that they learn. his will enhance the way that

eery student learns and also open new doors to students that learn in one particular

way and not another.

(n conclusion9 students# faculty# and board members must work together in order to

benefit what makes a classroom an ethical place to be taught in. (f eery person

inoled in this would be willing to try new approaches and learn new techni&ues#

eeryone would benefit from its outcome. eachers need to ask themseles what is

more important: being comfortable with how they hae always taught or teaching in a

way that helps their students to learn better? (f you had to be ethical in teaching

practice# which decision would you make.

http://www.theseminal.com/+,,-/1,/,/shouldethicsbetaughtinpublicschools/

with litter and roadrage? "hat is the purpose of courtesy and respect when dealing

with total strangers? "hy is whistleblowing and samaritanism preferable to minding

our own business? "hy should we obey the law when we can get away with breaking

it?

)opefully most of us hae ready answers to these &uestions. )oweer# spend a few

weeks in irtually any 5merican city and you1ll learn that most 5mericans do notseem to hae answers# or at least their answers differ significantly from mine. ublic

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schools are the establishment best able to standardi$e our


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o a large e0tent# ethical behaior# which is simply finding the balance between self8

interest and group responsibility# is largely# but not entirely# learned behaior standing

in opposition to an instinctNot surprisingly then# many middle and high school

students today will tell you that they themseles determine# as does eery other

indiidual# the standards of right and wrong.7tudents must commit to broadening

their own understanding of ethical issues by seeking to better understand the ideas ofothers.(t is necessary to build this into a sense of community within the class# and

to encourage each student to participate energetically and cooperatiely.

iatoria isn1t the only one who considers the lack of ethical discussion in public

schools a missed opportunity. 5ttorney ichael 7abbethhas been collaborating with

Dener public schools since ,-- to incorporate ethics training into elementary

school classes. he (nstitute for 3lobal Ethicshas also deeloped materials to help

teachers include ethics in their curricula for grades F8G. hese deelopments indicate

a growing receptieness# among both educators and normal citi$ens# toward including

ethics training in the public education system.

he applications of ethics teachings are abundant. Cor e0ample# imagine the benefits

of a widespread discussion of enironmental ethics in public schools. )ow different

would our children1s collectie sense of enironmental stewardship be if they were all

e0posed to basic enironmental concepts in con*unction with ethical notions of

communal obligation and responsiblity? +Resources ARE scarce and finite. Humans

DO have the ability to exhaust these resources and destroy their own environment

beyond habitability. Who, then, is responsible for stoppin this from happenin!/

)ow different would their sense of professional# political# and social interity be if

history and litterature classes e0plored ethical &uestions of *ust cause# proportionality#

intention# and authority? +What was so "wron# with invadin $oland! %ould

Dostoevs&y's Ras&olni&ov have been me!/

)ow better prepared would our children be for the medical or technological debates

of the future if ideas behind freedom of choice# indiidual soreignty# and sanctity of

life were discussed in an open# frank manner in science class? +Are we responsible for

the conse(uences of our inventions! How can you )ustifiably control life*threatenin

overpopulation!/

)ow would their outlook on crime and citi$enship change if when they were taught

about goernment and democracy# they were challenged to consider what elements ofright and wrong are legally codified# and why? +Who do laws serve, and why should +

obey them! What riht have + to violate them, or to try to chane them! +f somethin

isn't illeal, why miht it still be wron!/ 5nd so on.

5mericans hae historically opposed teaching ethics in schools# prefering to leae its

discussion to families and religious establishments. "e assume bringing ethics into

public schools iolates parents1 rights to structure their children1s moral upbringing

themseles# or threatens the ideal that church and state should not only be separated in

public schools# but that neither one religion nor secularism should be promoted at the

e0pense of any other belief system.

H
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/profdev055.shtmlhttp://www.education-world.com/a_curr/profdev055.shtmlhttp://www.globalethics.org/services/edu/eds.htmhttp://www.globalethics.org/services/edu/eds.htmhttp://www.education-world.com/a_curr/profdev055.shtmlhttp://www.globalethics.org/services/edu/eds.htm


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)oweer# it is precisely because schools represent a distinct# non8familial# non8

religious setting that they are the ideal place for introducing community ethics. ublic

schools are where students from different economic# racial# religious# and family

backgrounds come together for conditioning that is common to all of us +e0cluding

people educated in priate schools/ and thus represents a ital medium for instilling a

standardi$ed# collectie# uniersal sense of society8wide ethics.

5 society1s collectie sense of ethics affects its attitude toward eerything from

returning incorrect change to global warming. Yet# in a society as dierse and

dynamic as ours# instilling any collectie ethic will re&uire that we harness the most

uniersal form of public outreach: our public education system. 7chools offer us the

best means not only of offering our children knowledge# skills# and social

conditioning# but of encouraging their transformation into better# wiser# and more

righteous players in a ast and eer changing society.

The current wake of scandals, financial laundering and annexurebetween some politicians, bureaucrats and business men have raisedserval issues on the question of leadership and ethical values, saidProf.J.D. Agarwal, Director, ndian nstitute of !inance. Dr. Agarwalemphasised a strong need of ethics for leaders in general, and businessleaders in particular. According to him there is a great need foremphasising and teaching of ethics in the courses on businessmanagement.

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http://www.iif.edu/director/biosketch.htmhttp://www.iif.edu/director/biosketch.htmhttp://www.iif.edu/director/biosketch.htmhttp://www.iif.edu/director/biosketch.htm

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