Any piece of writing that involves the question of ethics is not simple, given the reality that there is no single right way of thinking about ethics. This was the case in writing the Ethical Reasoning: Technology in Education essay. Writing the paper involved a critical thinking process and decision making, especially in relation to what to include or leave out in such a short essay. It was also necessary that the information included was relevant and communicated the right message to the audience. Generally, the entire process of writing involved answering critical questions, five of which will be explained in this paper.
Additionally, to make this important decision, it was necessary that I interrogated by purpose and ensure that the information I included in the paper met this purpose. Basically, the purpose in writing this essay was to convince my peers and educators that use of technology in education was highly beneficial and also ethical. Thus, this would impact on the choice of information and the direction I assumed in the argument. For instance, it was necessary to consider all the benefits of technology in education, such that I would argue to the contrary in any argument suggesting that use of technology in education is unethical. It would also be necessary to convince any part of the audience that believed in the unethical nature of technology in education. I had to put up a claim and defend it using the most relevant and convincing evidence.
There are various reasons for why these three sources were used in the essay. Most important, the three have important information relating to the use of technology in education and critical thinking. The article by Barahal was critical in informing the entire critical thinking process in writing the essay and generally, in suggesting how technology has enhanced critical thinking among educators. The other two were used in supporting the benefits and ethical standing of technology in education. Credibility of the sources played a critical role in the choice of these three sources among hundreds of others that would provide the same information required. In a scholarly article, there is no room for guesswork, speculations or expert opinions; everything should be backed by scientific research. It is therefore justified to argue that the articles were very significant source of information on the topic.
While there are very many sources on the subject, it was necessary that the essay was informed by scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles. This would be a report of a research that has undergone a peer review process, to prove credibility, and published in a credible journal. The content of the articles was elaborate, with the literature reviewed revealing the benefits and ethical position of technology in education. The findings in these articles are supported by a number of other studies carried out in the area of education and technology, further proving their relevance in the essay.
There were various challenges evident in the process of writing the Ethical Reasoning: Technology in Education essay. Among them, and already mentioned, was the process of filtering the information available from the myriad of sources; the decision on what to include and leave out. Before beginning the essay, it was important to obtain the necessary sources, which would involve reading a huge body of information on technology and education. However, I learned about filtering the information sources required for the essay. This is how I overcame this challenge. It would be unnecessary to go through all the information sources on technology in education while all I needed were the ethical implications of technology in education. Using the key words: ethical impact, benefits, technology and education, I was able to filter down the sources to only three. I also had a challenge condensing the vast information to fit the short essay, which was solved by staying on focus; the ethical side of technology in education.
Once I had assumed a single focus in doing the essay, I found out that it would easily flow. After the challenge in identifying a focus and gathering information, I realized that it would take only a few hours to bring them down on paper. It was easy to write the ideas, which flowed smoothly as long as I had the necessary information and after identifying the sources to use. This dispelled my anxiety that I would find it confusing bringing the ideas to paper having realized the vast information on the same topic. Generally, the secret was in prior preparation to know what information will go to which part of the essay.
In conclusion, from writing the Ethical Reasoning: Technology in Education essay, there are various elements that have been brought into perspective. Most critical is the aspect of critical thinking in doing any academic task. All scholars should be critical thinkers, as not all writing is good writing. Critical thinking is the only way to writing a document that is appealing to audience at the college level; college professors and college students.
Works Cited:
Barahal, Susan L. “Thinking About Thinking: Preservice Teachers Strengthen Their Thinking Artfully”. The Phi Delta Kappan (2008): n. pag. Print.
Cisneros, Jes R. “History Of Education Society”. History of Education Quarterly (2009): n. pag. Print.
Spaulding, Cheryl L., and Daniel Lake. “Interactive Effects Of Computer Network And Student Characteristics On Students’ Writing And Collaborating”. The High Schoold Journal 76.1 (1992): n. pag. Print.
