Standard Four | Social, Ethical, and Human Issues

The competent teacher will apply concepts and skills in making decisions concerning the social,
ethical, and human issues related to computing and technology. The competent teacher will
understand the changes in information technologies, their effects on workplace and society,
their potential to address lifelong learning and workplace needs, and the consequences of
misuse.

Description:

This artifact is a welcome handout that was prepared for high school students during my
student teaching. The handout explains that there are various ways to contact me if
assistance is needed for class. I provided students with an email address, a Facebook page,
and a Twitter page, all created for specifically for teaching (as opposed to my personal
accounts of each type). This handout explicitly informs students that while technology is
important to education today, it must also not be abused. There is a stipulation on the
handout that explains the consequences for using these means of communication
inappropriately.

Meeting the standard:

I feel that this artifact meets Standard Four because the concepts surrounding mass
communication methods and technology seem to be growing and ever changing. While I have
demonstrated that I can use technology with my teaching, I also must be able to regulate how
this technology can be using, especially in communication between teacher and students. I
know the impact that email, Facebook, and Twitter have had on my own life and realize that
those changes will be reflected through schools. In order to ensure that these resources are
not misused, tools, like this artifact, must be able to ensure that technology is being used in a
responsible manner.

How this demonstrates my development as a teacher:

As I develop as a teacher, I realize that even at a young age, that many technologies have
grown beyond my own personal knowledge. This artifact demonstrates that I not only
acknowledge the presence of new technology that could be used for classroom purposes, but
realize the potential misuse of those resources. As new technology enters the classroom, I
must be able to dictate what will offer the most advancement to my students while doing so in
a safe and secure environment.
Monday, January 31, 2011

Hello Students (and Parents),

My name is Mr. Delinski (Mr. D.), and I have the pleasure of student teaching at Centennial High School with
Mr. Woods. I am studying to be a middle and high school Social Studies and Math teacher at the University of
Illinois. I am originally from Peoria, Illinois and worked for one year as a teacher’s aide and coach in the Peoria
area before entering this program.

I will be at Centennial for a very short seven weeks, and after sitting in on Mr. Woods’ class for my first week, I
can tell you that I am truly looking forward to teaching at Centennial. I have already met many excellent
student and faculty members.

I will be teaching Sociology and U.S. History during my stay at Centennial and hope that it will be a great
experience for all. To ensure that, I have one guiding principle for my teaching:

RESPECT.
I will respect you for who are and in return,
I also ask that you have respect for yourself, your fellow classmates, and me.

There are several ways to contact me if you need assistance with anything:

 Email: mr.delinski@gmail.com
My Policy: If you send me an email by 6 PM, I will respond to it, otherwise you’re probably out of luck. This
email address is dedicated specifically for my teaching.
 Facebook and Twitter:
o twitter.com/MrDelinski
o Facebook: Search: MrDelinski’s Classroom

MY POLICY: I realize that these sites can pose a number of problems for many different reasons; however, I
have dedicated my Facebook and Twitter accounts specifically for use by my students. I will post homework
assignments, reminders for upcoming quizzes, documents used in class that can be printed off at home, etc.
I must also say that you MUST EXERCISE APPROPRIATENESS when using these sites. If I see any comments
which are inappropriate or disrespectful, I will delete them and ban you from the site. If necessary, I will
also inform Mr. Woods and any other authority figure deemed necessary about the situation. Remember:
What you post on these sites can be seen by everyone, so please be careful.

 Phone: (217) 351-3951

This number is for the main office at Centennial. If you need to contact me here, please ask for Mr. Woods
and he will direct the call to me.

All of this said, I really enjoy teaching and have faith that this will be a great first experience as a full-time
educator. I look forward to a great six weeks!

Thank you!

Joe Delinski