Blog Post #8

    Before this assignment, I had never designed my own website before. I was also oblivious to the fact that teachers could make their own websites, but it makes sense now to have for student and parent navigation. The design principle I used the most when designing my website was CRAP (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity). I used contrast to make my headings and subheadings appealing and stand out, as well as make the text color easy to read against the background. I used repetition to repeat the use of 2-3 font types and colors to make sure my website was not too boring but also not too chaotic. I used alignment to ensure my paragraphs, headings, and images were in an organized alignment and not all over the place. Finally, I used proximity to place my text and visuals appropriately without being too close together or too far apart. As a future educator, website design links can be used to help students or other teachers gain inspiration and insight when creating digital projects. You can find my teacher website QR code on the right hand side, below my Instagram Feed.

    QR codes have been used often in the classes of some teachers I have previously had. As a future elementary educator, I will probably not use QR codes for students often as they will not have personal phones or devices to scan with (with the exception of our class iPads or computers). However, QR codes can be beneficial for parents. For example, if I host a Meet the Teacher night where parents can come in and meet me with their students, I may display a QR code on the board or on a physical flyer for parents to scan and utilize. 

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    (Generated by ChatGPT) Case Study: Ethical Use of Technology for Teacher Productivity

Background
Mrs. Kim, a third-grade teacher, was struggling to balance the time demands of lesson planning, grading, and student feedback. She was excited when her district introduced new productivity software, EduEase, designed to help teachers streamline tasks like grading, attendance, and lesson planning. The platform uses AI to provide suggested grades, give feedback on student work, and even track student engagement through activity logs. Mrs. Kim saw this as a great opportunity to improve her productivity and invest more time in face-to-face teaching.

Challenge
While using EduEase, Mrs. Kim encountered several ethical dilemmas. One involved privacy concerns: the software could analyze patterns in students' activities outside of school hours, such as study time at home, which was accessible to Mrs. Kim and could potentially influence her perception of a student’s engagement. Additionally, EduEase’s grading suggestions were based on algorithms that Mrs. Kim did not fully understand, and she noticed that some grades it assigned seemed inconsistent with her own assessment of the students’ work.

Dilemmas

1. Privacy and Consent
   Mrs. Kim worried that the software might overstep boundaries in monitoring students’ home activities, and she questioned whether this information should influence her teaching decisions. Would it be ethical to use this data if it could offer insights into students needing additional support?

2. Dependence on AI for Grading
   Although the AI-powered grading was efficient, Mrs. Kim wondered if relying on AI too much could lead to a loss of personalized feedback that her students valued. If the software occasionally misjudged a student's performance, was it ethical to follow the grading suggestion simply for the sake of efficiency?

3. Transparency and Algorithmic Bias
   Mrs. Kim had limited knowledge of how the AI’s grading algorithm worked and was concerned about potential biases it might harbor. Could students with different learning styles be unfairly assessed? She wanted to ensure fairness but also needed to be mindful of her time.

Actions Taken

Mrs. Kim decided to take the following steps to address these concerns ethically:

1. Consulted with School Administrators and Parents
   She discussed the privacy implications with school administrators and encouraged transparency with parents, explaining what data the software gathered and how it would be used.

2. Adjusted Grading Practices
   Mrs. Kim balanced the software’s grading suggestions with her own assessments. When she noticed discrepancies, she reviewed the student’s work personally to ensure fair and accurate grading.

3. Requested Training on AI Bias and Algorithm Use
   Recognizing her limited understanding of the AI’s inner workings, Mrs. Kim asked for training sessions on the software’s algorithms to make informed choices on when and how to apply the automated suggestions.

Outcome

By balancing technology use with her professional judgment, Mrs. Kim found she was able to use the software ethically and productively. Her students continued to receive personalized feedback, and parents appreciated the transparency around privacy issues. Mrs. Kim’s actions fostered trust among her students, parents, and administrators, establishing a balanced approach to tech use that improved her productivity while maintaining ethical standards.

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Upon reading the case study generated by ChatGPT, it is apparent that the EduEase generative platform that the district introduced to Mrs. Kim was not ethical if not used with the proper caution. It was good that she decided to draw upon dilemmas and concerns and address them as needed. She wanted to ensure reliability, neutrality, and privacy amongst her teaching and grading practices and researched EduEase to maintain these aspects. Mrs. Kim was able to build trust among students, teachers, and admin by taking the proper precautions.