Page 70 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Cooperative Education

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Cooperative Education
ETHICS IN THE COOPERATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM
Cooperative education provides varied opportunities for students to learn about ethical issues, explore ethical standards, and demonstrate ethical responsibility as it relates to the workplace. Cooperative education involves students in real-life situations that may require them to develop an understanding of ethical issues such as intellectual ownership, the use of copyrighted material, plagiarism, the appropriate and inappropriate uses of websites and electronic devices, and confidentiality.
As students’ progress in their cooperative education experience, they develop an under- standing of ethics that deepens as they acquire skills, knowledge, and habits of mind related to education and career/life planning – that is, as they learn about themselves, through their interactions with others and through the practice of reflective thinking.
In cooperative education, students may need to make ethical judgements concerning issues, claims, or events in the classroom or community component. Teachers may need to help students in determining the factors to consider when making such judgements. In addition, teachers provide support throughout the course, helping students become aware of potential ethical concerns and of appropriate ways to address them.
Students in cooperative education may need guidance to ensure that they respect the dignity, privacy, and confidentiality of other workers during the community component and of other students during the classroom component. Because of the unique learning environment related to the community component, it is important that teachers and placement employers and supervisors know and follow policies and guidelines regarding confidentiality and be aware of professional boundaries, so that they can provide appropriate guidance to the students.
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