Module 2: Lesson 1: Policies and Issues on internet and Implicatrions to Teaching and Learning

           Globalization is a reality and ICT has become a fundamental part of the process. A network society is one in which the entire planet is organized around telecommunication networks of computers. The powerful use of network has broken boundaries, provided opportunities for inclusion and collaboration. However, there will also be a struggle for those who do not have access or those who are excluded, marginalized and powerless. Thus a need to establish policies in the use of ICT is imperative.

As the Department of Information, Communication and Technology (DICT) says: “The future has arrived. Now we have to ensure that we have a place in it.”

Definition of ICT Policy

          The Oxford English Dictionary has defined “policy” as a course of action, adopted and pursued by a government, party, ruler, statesman. It is any course of action adopted as expedient or advantageous. Its operational definition of policy is a plan of action to guide decisions and outcomes.

The New ICT Technologies:

        More recent technological innovations increased the teach and speed of communications which can be grouped into three categories:

1.  

     Information Technology – includes the use of computers, which has become indispensable in modern societies to process data and save time and effort. What are needed will be computer hardware and peripherals, software and for the user, computer literacy.

2.   Telecommunication Technologies – include telephones (with fax) and the broadcasting of radio and television often through satellites. Telephone system, radio and TV broadcasting are needed in this category.

3. 

      Networking Technologies – The best known of networking technologies is internet, but has extended to mobile phone technology, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) satellite communications and other forms of communications are still in their infancy.

The DICT Roadmap

         In our country, the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) has formulated a roadmap to guide all agencies in the utilization regulation and enhancement of ICT. Each project has corresponding policy statements and guidelines.

         The ICT for Education (ICT4E) is a program under the DICT that supports all the efforts of the education sector in incorporating the use of ICT as well as in determining and gaining access to the infrastructure (hardware, software, telecommunications facilities and others) which are necessary to use and deploy learning technologies at all levels of education. Among the policy recommended programs that have applications to education teaching-learning are:

1.   ICT in education Masterplan for all levels, including a National Roadmap for faculty Development in ICT in Education. A National Framework Plan for ICTs in Basic Education was developed.

2.   Content and application development through the Open Content in Education Initiative (OCEI) which converts DepEd materials into interactive multi-media content, develop applications used in schools, and conduct students and teachers’ competitions to promote the development of education-related web content.

3.   PhedNET is a “walled” garden that hosts educational learning and teaching materials and applications for use by the Filipino students, their parents and teachers. All public high schools will be part of this network with only DepEd-approved multi-media applications, materials and mirrored internet sites accessible from school’s PCs.

4.   Established Community eLearning Centers called eskwela for out-of-school youth (OSY) providing them with ICT-enhanced alternative education opportunities.

5.    eQuality Program for Tertiary education through partnerships with state universities and colleges (SUCs) to improve quality of IT education and the use of ICT in education in the country, particularly outside of Metro Manila.

6.   Digital Media Arts Program which builds digital media skills for government using Open Source technologies. Particular beneficiary agencies include the Philippine Information Agency and the other government media organizations, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, National Commission for Culture and Arts and other government art agencies, State Universities and Colleges and other local government units.

7.   ICT skills strategic plan which develops an inter-agency approach to identifying strategic and policy and program recommendations to address ICT skills demand-supply type.

           All the seven programs were guided by the roadmap that embeds policy statements that relate to education specifically in the enhancement of human development for teaching and learning.

Some Issues on ICT and Internet Policy and Regulations

● Global Issues

           Access and Civil Liberties are two sets of issues in ICT Policy which are crucial to the modern society. The other concern is civil liberties which refer to human rights and freedom. These include freedom of expression, the right to privacy, the right to communicate and intellectual property rights.

          Access of the Use of Internet and ICT. Access means the possibility for everyone to use the internet and other media. In richer countries, basic access to internet is almost available to all with faster broadband connections. There are still countries where access to internet is still a challenge.

Issue No 1: Freedom of Expression and Censorship

          Under international human rights convention, all people are guaranteed the rights for free expression. However, with the shift from communicating through letter, newspapers and public meetings to electronic communications and on-line networking, a need to look into how these new means modifies the understanding of freedom of expression and censorship.

          The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, likewise the right to freedom of opinion and expression. However, there are practices that violate these provisions in the use of internet.

Some examples are the following:

1.   Individual rights are given up in order to have access to electronic networks. Microsoft Network’s (MSN) contracts provide protection of individuals. However, Microsoft reserves the rights, in its sole direction, to terminate access to any or all MSN sites or services.

2.   Censorship restricts the transmission of information by blocking it or filtering the information. Blocking is preventing access to whole areas of internet based upon the “blacklist” of certain Internet address, location or email addresses while filtering is sifting the packets of data or messages as they move across computer networks and eliminating those considered “undesirable” materials.

3.   Defamation actions may be used to silence critics. This action deters the freedom of expression.

Issue No. 2: Privacy and Security

          Privacy policies are an issue. Most commercial sites have a privacy policy. When someone uses a site and clicks “I agree”, it is as if you have turned over private information to any authority that may access it.

There are several types of privacy as shown by the following examples:

1.   For most, privacy means “personal privacy” the right of individuals not to have their home, private life or personal life interfered with.

2.   Privacy of communication refers to the protection from interference with communication over the phone or internet. Respect of privacy of communications is an essential prerequisite for the maintenance of human relationship via technological communications media.

3.   Information privacy is related to the use of computers and communication systems which are able to hold and process information about large numbers of people at a high speed. It is important to ensure that information will only be used for purposes for which it was gathered and will not be disclosed to others without consent of the individuals.

Issue No. 3: Surveillance and Data Retention

          The use of electronic communications has enhanced the development of indirect surveillance, there is no direct contact between the agent and the subject of surveillance but evidence of activities can be traced. The new and powerful form of indirect surveillance is dataveillance. Dataveillance is the use of personal information to monitor a person’s activities while data retention is the storage and use of information from communication system.

         There is very little that can be done to prevent surveillance. What can be done is to change the methods of working to make surveillance difficult. This is called “counter surveillance” or “information security” if it refers to computers and electronic communication.

Issue No. 4: E-pollutants from E-waste

          Large amount of e-waste is generated by ICT. These are particular, terminal equipment's used for computing (PCs, laptops), broadcasting (television and radio sets), telephony (fixed and mobile phones) and peripherals (fax machines, printers, and scanners).

         The accumulated e-waste is due to rapid turnover of equipment due to rapid improvement of software. While material waste can be destroyed by crushing, toxic material brought about by the different equipment requires utmost management.         

         The quantities of e-waste are increasing in both developed and developing countries. A very dismal state is that there is a significant amount of electronic waste than has been shipped from industrial countries to developing countries, using less environmentally responsible procedure.

          Remedies include standardization and regulatory measures to increase the life cycle of equipment before they become obsolete. Efficient extraction of toxic components and requiring the recycling by both consumers and equipment vendors are selling must be required.

Implications to Teaching and Learning

        There are great implications of this lesson to both the teachers who are teaching and the learners who are learning. A few of these are as follows:

● For the Teachers and Teaching

1. Guide the teachers on what they should teach that relate to ICT, and how to teach it. Since ICT development comes so rapid and fast, teachers might be overwhelmed by its rapid speed. Temperance in its use is a caution that should be looked at.
2. Technology should never replace any human teacher. The tools are support instructional materials for the teachers which are available for use. The teacher should learn how to appropriately use them. The human touch of the teacher is still a vital component in teaching. Teachers should always be reminded that        there are always limitations in the use of the different gadget and tools.
3. There are rules and regulations that govern the use of technology. Caution should be observed to protect individual privacy. As teachers, you must be aware that the use of technology may jeopardize your privacy and security.
4. All the issues and many more shall be part of the teaching content as each teacher will be encouraged to use technology in teaching.

For the Learners and Learning          

        The learners of the 21st Century are even more advanced than some of the teachers. However, learners still need guidance on how to use, regulate technology use. As there are positive and negative effects of technology use, learners should know the difference. Learners should not only know the benefits of technology use, but they should also know how they can be protected from the hazards that technology brings to their lives. Learners should take advantage of the potential of learning support they can derive such as the development of higher order thinking skills, the development of learning communities through collaboration, the enhancement of skills to manage the valid resources as 21st century learners and many more. Both teachers and learners should be mindful of the e-waste that are being thrown away to the land and to the atmosphere. 

 Reflection:

In this lesson, we have to be aware of some issues and the implications of technology that might be applicable for using technology. After this topic was discussed and explained I realized that technology is very important to as as a part of our lives. It is very important to understand every policies and issues regarding technology. It is not only for communicating with each other but for many effective used for teaching. This topic is not only for teachers and learners but to all people who used technology to be aware of some policy to protect their privacy. It tells us to be more knowledgeable when using technology. 

Application:

In this generation, we are closely using technology in everyday we do. A 21st century learners that technology is very common to us as a part our lives. So as a future teacher, I will apply what I've learned in this topic. I will use it as a guide for them for using technology. I can be their instructor for good. ICT policy is important to know for them to be aware as a technology literate.