Safe and Ethical Use of
Technology
By
Eric Brents
Online Computer Safety
• Passwords: Keep your online id and password private. Do not share with friends!
• Personal Information: Never give out your phone number, address, or school information.
• Careful what you post: Nothing online is completely private.
• Online only: Never agree to meet somebody from the Internet.
• Don’t share photos: Never exchange photos with somebody you don’t know.
• Bullying: Tell your parents if somebody is being mean or making you uncomfortable online
• Protect your Computer: Always have an updated virus protection program.
• Web Surfing: Browse areas of the Internet appropriate for children.
• Exiting: Remember, you can log off the computer at anytime!
Offline Computer Safety
• Disconnect your computer from Internet when not in use.
• Check the capability of your Firewall on your router and computer.
• Anti-virus software is a must, make sure yours is up to date.
• Continually update your computer and the software.
• Keep passwords hard to guess, use a combination of letters and numbers.
• Use a decent browser like Google Chrome, proven to be one of the most secured.
• Don’t trust Public Wifi! Never enter personal information over Wifi.
• Never leave your computer unattended.
Social Networking Don’ts
• Don’t be fake, be
yourself!
• Don’t share sadness…
• Don’t be that know-itall!
• Don’t go on social
media just to avoid
other tasks.
Social Networking Dos
• Be positive and model good
behavior.
• Be selective, you don’t have
to respond to every post.
• Don’t forget to meet with
actual people from time to
time.
• Do check your privacy
settings.
• Promote yourself and your
accomplishments
Ethical Use of Internet Material - Videos
• When using online videos, only use enough of the video so it does not replace the real thing.
• Always cite the source you obtained the video from.
• State why you are using the video and encourage comment from the viewer.
• Do not alter or change the clip for personal reasons.
• Students can use up to 3 minutes, but cannot exceed 10% of the movie.
Ethical Use of Internet Material - Music
• Students can use up to 30 seconds of a song, but cannot exceed 10%.
• Music can not be changed in any way.
• Look to use music from royalty free sources.
• Obtain permission from the creator before using the song.
• Consider public domain sources.
Ethical Use of Internet Material –
Printed Materials
• Internet materials are allowed to be used when the creator is using the source to comment of
critique a subject.
• Printed materials can be used in news reporting.
• Certain materials can be used for educational purposes.
• When creating a parody of a subject, printed materials can be used.
• Always cite the source; author, article title, date it was published.
Copyright Guidelines
• Copyright law gives the owner of the work the rights that prevents other people from copying your
work and altering it in a way you may not approve.
• When using another’s work, be sure to give credit to the author/creator.
• In some cases, a request to use the work must be submitted in writing.
• Copyright protects the following:
• Literary Works
• Music – including lyrics
• Dance routines
• Graphic arts – including sculptures, graphics, and pictorials
• Motion Pictures
• Sound recordings
Methods for Checking Plagiarism
• Plagiarism is the copying of another’s work and claim it as your own. Checking for
plagiarism has been made easier through the Internet.
• There are many websites available for plagiarism checking, here are a few of them.
• Copyleaks.com
• Duplichecker.com
• Paperrater.com
• Plagiarisma.net
• Plagiarsimchecker.com
Proper Citation Methods
• There are a few widely accepted methods of citing sources;
• APA – American Psychological Association style is preferred for science and social
science documents. Contains double-spacing, one inch margins on all four sides, and
uses 12 point font (Times New Roman).
• MLA – Modern Language Association style is used for literature documents. The
citation is placed directly after the quoted phrase using parenthesis.
• AMA – American Medical Association style is used for medical documents. This citation
requires numerical citation of each quote being used. A numerical list must be
provided.