Watch magazine

Beginner Teacher’s Guide to Ethics

 Watch  Magazine  MAY  2014  

 What  does  ethics  look  like  at  school?  How  does  the  Australian  Curriculum  incorporate  ethics?  How  does  ethics  connect  to  learners?  

Overview  of  

General  

Capabili>es  in  

the  

Australian  

Curriculum  

Links  to  useful  

websites  

Editor’s  Note  

Welcome to Mays edition of Watch magazine. This month we focus on ethics and how the Australian Curriculum has incorporated ethics into key learning areas. As this is a special edition for beginner teachers we hope that even the most experienced of us can get some new information. Enjoy! Yours truly, Lydie V & Fono O Editors

“Educa?ng  the  mind  without  educa?ng  the  heart  is  no  educa?on  at  all.”    ―  Aristotle  

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General  Capabili?es  in  the  Australian  Curriculum  

The  Melbourne  Declara?on  on  Educa?onal  Goals  for  Young  Australians  (MCEETYA)  outlines  that  all  young  people  in  Australia  should  be  supported  with  the  right  tools  to  become  successful,  confident,  crea?ve  learners  that  will  be  equipped  with  the  right  skills  to  live  and  work  successfully  in  the  21st  Century.        It  iden?fies  key  learning  areas  that  are  essen?al  for  21st  Century  learners.  These  general  capabili?es  are  literacy,  numeracy,  ICT,  crea?ve  and  cri?cal  thinking,  social/emo?onal  learning,  ethical  understanding,  and  intercultural  understanding.      Literacy  looks  at  the  skills  needed  to  interpret  and  use  language  confidently  as  well  as  the  ability  to  communicate  effec?vely  in  society.  It  involves  students  in  reading,  speaking,  wri?ng,  print,  visual  and  digital  texts,  and  being  able  to  use  these  in  different  context.        Numeracy  is  the  ability  for  students  to  recognise  and  understand  the  role  of  mathema?cs  in  the  world.        Informa?on  and  Communica?on  technology  allows  students  to  develop  a  good  understanding  of  ICT  and  be  able  to  use  it  effec?vely  to  access,  create  and  communicate  ideas  as  well  as  collabora?vely  and  solve  problems.  With  the  rapid  change  in  technology,  ICT  will  be  able  to  give  students  the  knowledge  to  get  the  best  out  of  digital  technologies.      Cri?cal  and  crea?ve  thinking  as  a  capability  equips  students  with  the  ability  to  generate  and  evaluate  knowledge,  clarify  concepts,  look  at  all  possibili?es,  consider  alterna?ves,  and  solve  problems.  Students  will  learn  to  be  self  mo?vated  and  be  able  to  evaluate  their  own  learning.        Personal  and  social  capabili?es  look  at  how  students  develop  personal  and  social  rela?onships.  Students  develop  a  sense  of  self  worth,  self-­‐awareness  and  op?mism  for  the  future  and  assist  in  building  healthy  rela?onships  in  society.                                                                                                                                                        con?nued  page  4è      

“The  Australian  government  wants  a  curriculum  that  delivers  what  students  need  for  their  future,  what  parents  want  

and  what  the  na9on  requires  in  our  increasingly  compe99ve  and  globalised  

world.”  Christopher  Pyne  

“The  new  na9onal  curriculum  has  been  produced  by  experts  who  have  worked  to  ensure  it  is  balanced.”    Julia  Gillard  

www.australiancurriculum.edu.au  

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Con?nued  from  page  3  (General  capabili?es)    Ethical  understanding  helps  students  to  iden?fy  the  nature  of  ethics,  inves?gate  ethical  concepts,  and  build  up  strong  values  and  character  traits  that  allow  them  to  become  ethical  students  and  ci?zens.  With  the  rise  of  new  technologies  students  in  the  21st  Century  have  new  demands  in  ethical  behavior  when  it  comes  to  the  online  world.        Intercultural  understanding  is  for  students  to  value  their  own  cultures,  languages,  and  beliefs  and  being  able  to  accept  the  diverse  cultures  around  them.  They  learn  to  engage  with  a  diversity  of  cultures  and  recognise  the  uniqueness  of  everyone.  This  is  a  fundamental  skill  in  equipping  a  mul?cultural  society  for  the  future.      The  General  Capabili?es  cover  everything  needed  for  students  to  be  able  to  manage  their  own  well  being,  relate  to  others,  make  informed  decisions,  be  ethical  ci?zens  who  embrace  diversity  and  individual  who  work  towards  the  common  good  of  the  society  they  are  in  locally,  regionally,  and  globally.    

Ethics    Dic>onary  defini>on    (Noun)    Moral  principles  that  govern  a  person's  behaviour  or  the  conduc9ng  of  an  ac9vity        

Ethical  Understanding    Ethical  understanding  is  the  iden?fica?on  and  inves?ga?on  of  ethical  concepts,  values  and  individual  behaviour.  It  is  the  understanding  of  how  reasoning  can  assist  ethical  judgement  and  how  our  own  values  and  behaviour  can  influence  others.  In  the  Australian  Curriculum,  students  develop  ethical  understanding  which  will  help  them  manage  ‘context,  conflict  and  uncertainty.’    

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Rationale What  does  ethics  look  like  in  a  classroom?  The  phrase  ‘live  what  you  preach’  or  ‘walk  the  talk’  comes  to  mind  when  thinking  of  ethics  and  children.  It  is  of  utmost  importance  for  teachers  to  uphold  and  model  for  their  students  what  professional  ethics  looks  like.  This  includes  ethical  behavior,  exploring  rights  and  responsibili?es,  and  being  able  to  make  ethical  decisions  and  ac?ons.  The  following  ra?onale  will  outline  the  key  aspects  of  ethics  in  a  public  school  and  ethics  in  a  Chris?an  se`ng.    One  of  the  key  aspects  is  educa?ng  students  on  what  ethics  is  in  the  classroom.  In  a  professional  se`ng  an  effec?ve  educator  is  able  to  put  into  prac?ce  and  model  what  ethics  looks  like.  This  is  achieved  by  incorpora?ng  ethics  in  to  every  aspect  of  the  teachers  life.  If  the  teacher  is  living  an  ethical  life  then  modeling  won’t  be  difficult.  But  if  they  are  living  one  thing  and  teaching  another,  then  there  is  a  conflict  in  behavior  that  children  will  pick  up.      We  as  educators  need  to  equip  students  with  the  skills  needed  to  live  and  work  ethically  in  the  future.  They  need  to  be  able  to  explore  values,  rights,  and  responsibili?es  in  social  and  legal  areas.  This  is  achieved  by  examining  values,  rights,  and  responsibili?es  in  social  and  legal  areas.  They  need  as  many  opportuni?es  as  possible  to  iden?fy  what  ethics  looks  like  and  how  it  relates  to  their  learning.    Reflec?on  on  ethical  issues  is  also  important.  Jus?ce,  right  and  wrong,  freedom,  truth,  empathy,  goodness  and  abuse  cover  core  ethical  issues.  Students  need  to  be  able  to  go  through  a  thought  process  where  they  can  give  valid  reasons  behind  certain  behaviors  and  will  ensure  that  they  have  a  full  understanding  of  what  is  acceptable  and  what  isn’t.  Then  they  will  be  able  to  make  sound  judgments  on  ethical  issues  and  in  turn  be  able  to  prac?ce  what  it  is.    In  a  Chris?an  se`ng  ethics  should  remain  the  same.  The  same  concepts  above  should  be  incorporated  in  Chris?an  schools.  Where  it  differs  would  be  that  in  a  Chris?an  se`ng  basic  ethics  stem  from  biblical  values.  The  ten  commandments  outline  moral  behavior  and  ethics  and  of  course  the  modeling  of  Jesus  who  showed  that  the  most  important  thing  was  to  love  God  and  love  each  other.  If  love  outlined  everything  we  do  then  we  wouldn’t  be  dealing  with  so  many  ethical  dilemmas.      Therefore  it  so  vital  that  teachers  ins?ll  the  values  that  they  are  keeping  into  their  classrooms  so  that  it  causes  a  type  of  chain  reac?on.  This  is  where  ‘do  unto  others  what  you  would  have  them  do  unto  you,’  the  golden  rule  will  be  in  prac?ce.  Ethics  will  then  be  able  to  stem  out  from  our  school  in  to  society  and  beyond.  

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 Early  childhood  (4-­‐6  years  old)  Ø  Founda?on  Year  students  draw  upon  past  familiar  situa?ons  and  their  own  values  to  make  

ethical  decisions.  For  example,  discussing  familiar  situa?ons  that  illustrate  the  concepts  of  kindness  or  caring.  At  this  point,  Founda?on  Year  students  are  capable  of  expressing  their  own  view  upon  a  ethical  maier  but  may  be  unaware  of  alternate  views.  (Level  1)  

Ø  According  to  Piaget,  children  at  this  age  consider  rules  as  fixed  and  absolute.  They  also  base  their  moral  judgements  mostly  on  the  consequences  of  ac?ons.  For  example,  one  person  breaks  15  cups  in  order  to  help  someone  and  another  person  breaks  one  cup  in  order  to  steal  to    steal  cookies.  The  young  child  will  believe  that  the  first  person  did  worse.(Stage  1)  

Relationship of ethics to developmental stages

Middle  childhood  (6-­‐13  years  old)  Ø  According  to  Kohlberg,  children  

at  this  stage  are  more  realis?c.  They  recognise  that  rules  are  not  absolute  and  there  are  more  than  one  view  handed  down  by  authori?es.  (Stage  2.  Individualism  and  Exchange)  

Ø  Piaget  also  states  that  these  children  base  their  ethical  judgement  on  the  inten?ons  behind  ac?ons,  rather  than  the  consequences.  (  Stage  2)  

Ø With  the  awareness  of  views  other  than  their  own,  Year  6  students  inves?gate  the  values  and  responsibili?es  within  the  community  and  the  influence  of  social  media  upon  ethics.  They  also  examine  the  range  of  possible  interpreta?ons  within  ethical  dilemma.  For  example,  unpacking  biased  research  findings.  (Level  4)  

Adolescence  (13-­‐19  years  old)  Ø  According  to  Kohlberg,  at  this  stage  ‘morality  is  seen  

more  than  simple  deals.’  They  believe  in  living  up  to  the  expecta?ons  of  the  family  and  behave  in  ‘good’  ways.  Good  is  seen  as  whatever  helps  others  and  brings  approval  from  friends  or  peer  group.  (Stage  3.  Good  Interpersonal  Rela>onships)  

Ø  Students  in  Year  10  are  involved  in  the  study  of  a  more  in-­‐depth  approach  towards  ethical  understanding.  They  inves?gate  and  analyse  the  reasons  behind  clashes  of  belief  and  the  subjec?vity  behind  decision  making.  They  also  deliberate  over  a  global  scale,  such  as  the  conflic?ng  rights  and  responsibili?es  of  laws  over  the  world.  (Level  6)    

1.  hip://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/kohlberg.htm  2.  hip://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm  3.  hip://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/290691/Ethical-­‐behaviour.pdf      

Links to useful websites

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Ethical  understanding  is  organised  into  three  elements.        Exploring  values,  rights,  and  responsibili9es    This  involves  students  considering  and  interpre?ng  points  of  view  in  an  ethical  context.  It  consists  of  examining  values,  and  exploring  rights  and  responsibili?es  in  social  and  legal  areas.      Understanding  ethical  concepts  This  involves  students  recognising  and  exploring  ethical  issues  and  concepts  and  understanding  it  in  different  contexts.        Making  ethical  decisions  and  ac9ons  This  involves  students  reasoning  in  making  ethical  decisions.  They  analyse  the  reasoning  behind  situa?ons,  thinking  about  the  consequences  and  being  able  to  reflect  on  the  ethical  ac?on.  Students  need  to  be  able  to  ar?culate  understanding  of  ethical  responses  in  social  se`ngs.                      

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Retrieved  from  A.C.A.R.A.  (2014).  Australian  Curriculum.  from  hip://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/  on  23  May  2014  

A  table  demonstra?ng  how  this  capability  links  into  Key  Learning  Areas  

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If only… If I could wish upon a star I would wish for an ethical world. Where you say what you mean and you do what you say All the time. Not just sometimes, Or whenever you feel like it. Where young minds are still sponges But they only get all the good stuff In reality though, we live in a world of struggles Filled with ethical dilemmas Where we see injustice everyday ‘How do we make a difference?’ We say Do we make a stand or stand by? Because how we deal with them is the key. It will either make or break someone’s future Fono Osa          

Unity Poem I dreamed I stood in a studio And watched two sculptors there. The clay they used was a young child’s mind And they fashioned it with care. One was a teacher, the tools he used Were books, music and art. The other, a parent, worked with a guiding hand And a gentle, loving heart. Day after day, the teacher toiled with touch That was deft and sure.   While the parent laboured by his side And polished and smoothed it o’er. And when at last their task was done, They were proud of what they had wrought For the things they had moulded into the child Could neither be sold nor brought. And each agree they would have failed If each had worked alone. For behind the parent stood the school And behind the teacher, the home. Unknown Author  

Where do you find your inspiration?

My Impact as a Teacher I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or dehumanized. by Haim Ginott

Top 5 books every teacher should read!

1.  The  world  according  to  Mr  Rogers  Important  things  to  remember                      Fred  Rogers  

2.  Chicken  Soups  for    the  Teacher’s  Soul  Jack  Canfield  &  Mark  Victor  Hansen  

3.  The  Freedom  Writers  Diary  Erin  Gruwell  

4.  The  Element  How  finding  your  passion  changes  everything    Ken  Robinson  with  Lou  Aronica  

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5.  Other  people’s  Children  Lisa  Delpit  

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