Lesson Outcomes:

1. Named examples of ICT Policies which

are applicable to teaching and
learning.
2. Discussed some issues that relate to
the ICT policy.
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 3. Networking Technologies
Definition of ICT Policy The best known of networking technologies is
The Oxford English Dictionary has defined internet, but has extended to mobile phone
“policy” as a course of action, adopted and technology, Voice Over Internet Protocol
pursued by a government, party, ruler, (VOIP) satellite communications and other
statesman. It is any course of action adopted forms of communications are still in their
as expedient or advantageous. Its operational infancy.
definition of policy is a plan of action to guide
decisions and outcomes.
1. Information Technology
This includes the use of computers, which has
become indispensable in modern societies to
process data and save time and effort. What
are needed will be computer hardware and
peripherals, software and for the user,
computer literacy. The DICT Roadmap
In our country, the Department of Information
and Communication Technology (DICT) has
formulated a roadmap to guide all agencies in
the utilization regulation and enhancement of
ICT. Each project has corresponding policy
statements and guidelines.
The New ICT Technologies:
2. Telecommunication Technologies
More recent technological innovations These include telephones (with fax) and the
increased the teach and speed of broadcasting of radio and television often
communications which can be grouped into through satellites. Telephone system, radio
three categories: and TV broadcasting are needed in this
category.
 The ICT for Education (ICT4E) is a program under the DICT that supports all the efforts of the
education sector in incorporating the use of ICT as well as in determining and gaining access to
the infrastructure (hardware, software, telecommunications facilities and others) which are
necessary to use and deploy learning technologies at all levels of education. Among the policy
recommended programs that have applications to education teaching-learning are:

ICT in education Masterplan for all levels, including a National Roadmap for faculty Development in ICT in
1 Education. A National Framework Plan for ICTs in Basic Education was developed.

Content and application development through the Open Content in Education Initiative (OCEI) which converts
2 DepEd materials into interactive multi-media content, develop applications used in schools, and conduct
students and teachers’ competitions to promote the development of education-related web content.

PhedNET is a “walled” garden that hosts educational learning and teaching materials and applications for use
3 by the Filipino students, their parents and teachers. All public high schools will be part of this network with only
DepEd-approved multi-media applications, materials and mirrored internet sites accessible from school’s PCs.

PhedNET is a “walled” garden that hosts educational learning and teaching materials and applications for use by the
4 Filipino students, their parents and teachers. All public high schools will be part of this network with only DepEd-
approved multi-media applications, materials and mirrored internet sites accessible from school’s PCs.
 The ICT for Education (ICT4E) is a program under the DICT that supports all the efforts of the
education sector in incorporating the use of ICT as well as in determining and gaining access to
the infrastructure (hardware, software, telecommunications facilities and others) which are
necessary to use and deploy learning technologies at all levels of education. Among the policy
recommended programs that have applications to education teaching-learning are:

eQuality Program for Tertiary education through partnerships with state universities and colleges (SUCs) to improve
5 quality of IT education and the use of ICT in education in the country, particularly outside of Metro Manila.

Digital Media Arts Program which builds digital media skills for government using Open Source technologies.
6 Particular beneficiary agencies include the Philippine Information Agency and the other government media
organizations, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, National Commission for Culture and Arts and other
government art agencies, State Universities and Colleges and other local government units.

ICT skills strategic plan which develops an inter-agency approach to identifying strategic and policy and program
7 recommendations to address ICT skills demand-supply type.
Some Issues on ICT and
Internet Policy and
Regulations

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 Global Issues

Access and Civil Liberties are two

sets of issues in ICT Policy which
are crucial to the modern society.
The other concern is civil liberties
which refer to human rights and
freedom.
These include
• freedom of expression
• right to privacy
• right to communicate
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• intellectual property rights.
Global Issues

Access of the Use of Internet and ICT. Access means

the possibility for everyone to use the internet and
other media. In richer countries, basic access to
internet is almost available to all with faster broadband
connections. There are still countries where access to
internet is still a challenge.

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 Some examples are the following:
1. Individual rights are given up in order to
Issue No 1: Freedom of Expression have access to electronic networks. Microsoft
and Censorship Network’s (MSN) contracts provide protection of
individuals. However, Microsoft reserves the
rights, in its sole direction, to terminate access
• Under international human rights convention, all people to any or all MSN sites or services.
are guaranteed the rights for free expression. However, 2. Censorship restricts the transmission of
with the shift from communicating through letter, information by blocking it or filtering the
newspapers and public meetings to electronic information. Blocking is preventing access to
whole areas of internet based upon the
communications and on-line networking, a need to look “blacklist” of certain Internet address, location or
into how these new means modifies the understanding of email addresses while filtering is sifting the
freedom of expression and censorship. packets of data or messages as they move
across computer networks and eliminating
• The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights those considered “undesirable” materials.
provides that everyone has the right to freedom of 3. Defamation actions may be used to silence
thought, conscience, and religion, likewise the critics. This action deters the freedom of
right to freedom of opinion and expression. expression.
However, there are practices that violate these
provisions in the use of internet.
 Issue No. 2: Privacy and Security

• Privacy policies are an issue. Most commercial sites have a privacy policy. When someone uses a
site and clicks “I agree”, it is as if you have turned over private information to any authority that
may access it.
There are several types of privacy as shown by the following examples:
1. For most, privacy means “personal privacy” the right of individuals not to have their
home, private life or personal life interfered with.
2. Privacy of communication refers to the protection from interference with
communication over the phone or internet. Respect of privacy of communications is an
essential prerequisite for the maintenance of human relationship via technological
communications media.
3. Information privacy is related to the use of computers and communication systems
which are able to hold and process information about large numbers of people at a high
speed. It is important to ensure that information will only be used for purposes for which it
was gathered and will not be disclosed to others without consent of the individuals.
Issue No. 3: Surveillance and Data
Retention

• The use of electronic communications has enhanced the development of indirect surveillance,
there is no direct contact between the agent and the subject of surveillance but evidence of
activities can be traced. The new and powerful form of indirect surveillance is dataveillance.
Dataveillance is the use of personal information to monitor a person’s activities while data
retention is the storage and use of information from communication system.

There is very little that can be done to prevent surveillance. What can
be done is to change the methods of working to make surveillance
difficult. This is called “counter surveillance” or “information security” if it
refers to computers and electronic communication.
Issue No. 4: E-pollutants from E-
waste

Large amount of e-waste is generated by ICT. These are particular, terminal equipment's used for
computing (PCs, laptops), broadcasting (television and radio sets), telephony (fixed and mobile
phones) and peripherals (fax machines, printers, and scanners).
The accumulated e-waste is due to rapid turnover of equipment due to rapid improvement of
software. While material waste can be destroyed by crushing, toxic material brought about by the
different equipment requires utmost management.
The quantities of e-waste are increasing in both developed and developing countries. A very
dismal state is that there is a significant amount of electronic waste than has been shipped from
industrial countries to developing countries, using less environmentally responsible procedure.
Remedies include standardization and regulatory measures to increase the life cycle of
equipment before they become obsolete. Efficient extraction of toxic components and requiring the
recycling by both consumers and equipment vendors are selling must be required.
 There are great implications of this lesson to both the teachers who are teaching and the learners who are
learning. A few of these are as follows:

● For the Teachers and Teaching

Guide the teachers on what they should teach that relate to ICT, and how to teach it. Since ICT
development comes so rapid and fast, teachers might be overwhelmed by its rapid speed. Temperance in its
use is a caution that should be looked at.
Technology should never replace any human teacher. The tools are support instructional materials
for the teachers which are available for use. The teacher should learn how to appropriately use them. The
human touch of the teacher is still a vital component in teaching. Teachers should always be reminded that
there are always limitations in the use of the different gadget and tools.
There are rules and regulations that govern the use of technology. Caution should be observed to
protect individual privacy. As teachers, you must be aware that the use of technology may jeopardize your
privacy and security.
All the issues and many more shall be part of the teaching content as each teacher will be encouraged to use
technology in teaching.
The learners of the 21st Century are even more advanced than some of the
teachers. However, learners still need guidance on how to use, regulate
technology use. As there are positive and negative effects of technology
use, learners should know the difference. Learners should not only know
the benefits of technology use, but they should also know how they can be
protected from the hazards that technology brings to their lives. Learners
should take advantage of the potential of learning support they can derive
such as the development of higher order thinking skills, the development of
learning communities through collaboration, the enhancement of skills to
manage the valid resources as 21st century learners and many more. Both
teachers and learners should be mindful of the e-waste that are being
thrown away to the land and to the atmosphere.