Technology Use Scenario #1

TeachThought. (CC) 2016.

Scenario: Sean decides to create a website that is a parody of his school's website. Sean uses the same website style as the school, but makes up stories and misinformation about the school, such as features about weekend drinking parties. Because he is in the class that makes changes to the real website, he is able to direct people to his website instead of the real one. The principal, Ms. Martinez, finds out about the change when an angry parent calls to complain about a story on the website mentioning her daughter. Ms. Martinez contacts the school technology- support person, Mr. Jones, and requests that he remove the parody site. She also asks Mr. Jones to find out who is responsible. 

It is quite evident upon reading the first sentence, that Sean is not being appropriate. To be a digital citizen, it is important to keep your digital footprint as clean as possible, which is something that Sean is not keeping in mind. It is also important as a online user to be respectful of others, just because you are typing from behind a screen, that does not mean your words are not effecting someone else. Sean has conducted wrongful behaviour by creating a parody that is misleading others, posting false, offensive and hurtful content, spreading awareness to the site and by using the class meant to promote his school in negative ways. TeachThought blog talks about 20 rules to abide by to be a good digital citizen. Sean has failed to consider his digital footprint, has not considered the people that he may be hurting in creating his parody site and has made his site personal by attacking people and his school. On top of that, he did not properly think out the consequences of his actions to not only himself, but the people he has written about. Sean should have first thought out how he would feel if someone were writing untrue words about him and what would happen to him as a student if he went through with his idea. That alone should have prevented him from creating this site, as I think none of this should have ever happened if he properly thought out the repercussions. 

I want to know if you have any ideas of what Sean should have done differently or if you agree with me that there was not one thing that Sean had done right. He was committing identity theft in stealing an institutions identity, slandering their reputation. I would also like to know how you think Ms. Martinez should punish him and if there are any ways to avoid this situation in the future.