FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 6, 2001
CONTACT: Pam Calegari, ISTE, 541.346.2403
                     Pat Walsh, The Ulum Group, 541.434.7021

NEW BOOK HELPS TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS ADDRESS
COMPUTER ETHICS, ETIQUETTE, AND SAFETY

Keeping children safe in today's virtual world requires as much care and caution as protecting them from real world perils. Even so-as we're learning anew-we can't completely wall off the threats of 21st century life. We can, however, help young people recognize the often-murky dangers of pornography, hacking, and hate speech, and equip them with the values and strategies to make responsible choices as they explore the cyber frontier.

A new book from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) shows how. Computer Ethics, Etiquette and Safety for the 21st Century Student, by Dr. Nancy Willard, makes visible the hidden moral, social, and security issues that technology brings to everyday life. It specifically addresses

· Ethical and legal topics, including copyright infringement, plagiarism, and computer security violations (hacking)
· Etiquette, including disrespectful speech, flaming, harassment, and violations of privacy
· Safety, including accessing or publishing harmful material such as pornography and hate literature.

Despite the urgency of these issues, the book maintains a light and positive tone that is suitable for students in middle and high school grades. Age-appropriate lesson plans and classroom activities-as well as solid grounding in theory-extend the audience to teachers, parents, librarians, teacher educators, policy makers, and others interested in children's safety and character development.

--MORE--

NEW BOOK 2-2-2

Author Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D., who directs the Responsible Netizen Project at the University of Oregon, has written extensively on legal and policy issues related to Internet use in schools. She also has extensive professional experience as a Special Education teacher, an attorney focusing on computer and copyright law, and a consultant to school districts. Most recently, Willard has been researching how children's moral reasoning develops in technology environments. This research has identified eight key strategies or ethics tests (such as the Golden Rule and Front Page tests) that help young people make sound, sensible, and safe decisions when confronted with the virtual world's real dilemmas.

Such understanding is urgently needed, according to Peter N. Smith, who directs the Cybercitizen Partnership, a program launched in 1999 by the Department of Justice. "Make no mistake," he writes in the book's foreword, "we are talking about an ongoing, concerted effort that will require parents, teachers, corporations, and institutions to work together to create a generation of ethical cybercitizens. Nancy Willard's book is an important part of that battle."

Computer Ethics, Etiquette and Safety for the 21st Century Student, by Nancy Willard, is available for $34.95 from the International Society for Technology in Education, 480 Charnelton, Eugene, OR 97401. For additional information, call 800.336.5191 or visit ISTE at www.iste.org

###

Computer Ethics, Etiquette and Safety for the 21st Century Student

Nancy Willard, author
Dr. Nancy Willard is a recognized authority on issues related to responsible technology use. Her background includes a master's of science in special education and experience as a teacher of students with behavior problems; a doctor of jurisprudence and legal practice in the area of computer law and copyright; and more than eight years of experience in providing consultation and evaluation services to school districts in the development and implementation of technology programs. Dr. Willard's research of issues related to K-12 Internet use policies, A Legal and Educational Analysis of K-12 Acceptable Use Policies, has been made available on the Web and is a recognized resource for districts throughout the country. Dr. Willard is director of the Responsible Netizen Project, a new initiative of the Center for Advanced Technology in Education (CATE) at the University of Oregon, Eugene. She is also a member of the Cybercitizen Advisory Council.

International Society for Technology in Education, publisher
The International Society for Technology in Education is the premier nonprofit organization in educational technology, serving a worldwide membership of leaders and potential leaders in the field. ISTE is dedicated to promoting appropriate uses of information technology to support and improve learning, teaching, and administration in K-12 education and teacher education. The organization provides members with information, professional development, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of incorporating computers, the Internet, and other new technologies into their schools.

Home of the National Educational Technology Standards Project (NETS) and the National Center for Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3), ISTE also represents and informs its membership regarding educational issues of national scope in the U.S. through ISTE-DC. ISTE supports a worldwide network of affiliates and special interest groups, and provides members the latest information through periodicals and journals.

An organization of great diversity, ISTE leads through presenting educational technology books and programs; conducting hundreds of professional development workshops, forums, and symposia; and researching, evaluating, and disseminating findings regarding educational technology on an international level. The organization's Web site, www.iste.org, contains coverage of the many topics relevant to the educational technology community.