Webcams Watching The Classrooms? 348
embarcadero writes "Webcams will be tuned to watch over 500 classrooms in the Biloxi, Mississippi school district this year, according to a story in USA Today. The goal is to make classrooms safer, but there's a lot of speculation about how the recorded info could be used for or against teachers in disputes or teaching reviews. I can just see Mrs. Waters pointing towards the camera, 'If I don't catch you cheating on this spelling test, that camera will! Don't even think about it.'"
oh please. (Score:5, Insightful)
Cameras will do anything BUT interfere with teaching. There are two possible scenarios: a) teachers begin to ignore the cameras and carry on as always or hopefully b) they will realize that the cameras are 100% coverage of their daily teaching and can be used for/against them during review time. They would hopefully improve their teaching and in-class behavior. This could only lead to a better teaching experience IMHO.
How many people have been in class and had a teacher watched by an administration member only to watch a COMPLETELY different teacher come through? Exactly.
I guess districts could possibly become complacent. Do businesses that monitor their cameras become complacent? No, I am pretty sure that they use them effectively for their purpose. I guess ANYTHING is better than a sticker that reads "all visitors must report to the main office."
Just my worthless
Re:oh please. (Score:2, Interesting)
True true, very true.
You haven't even began to mention that the students themselves will be more behaved overall.
That said, I think it's worth noting that students may feel more opressed than originally before with the knowledge that the "big people" in the office were watching. Personally, I believe that students already have a hard time concentrating and the associated stress of watching cameras could have a detrimental affect academically.
At least it'll mean the end of the hidden fun making and
Re:oh please. (Score:5, Insightful)
ever seen what a sheet of chewed paper can do to picture quality? *grin*
Re:oh please. (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, not anywhere NEAR the proportion of being intimidated by other students -- which this should provide a little help with.
Re:oh please. (Score:3, Insightful)
>Well, not anywhere NEAR the proportion of being intimidated by other students -- which this should provide a little help with.
That's exactly what I thought when I read about this. As someone who's suffered the sharp end of this, I'd have given anything to have cameras monitor the school. After all, bullies tend not to bully in front of teachers, and they rely on intimidating their victims into not saying anything.
Anything which
Re:oh please. (Score:3, Insightful)
This reminds me of what I was repeatedly told as a child was the "correct" way to handle a bully: "Go tell the teacher." I flabbergasts me today to think that someone would tell their kid such a hurtful and disabling lie. Running to the teacher doesn't solve the problem. Beat
Re:oh please. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:oh please. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:oh please. (Score:5, Insightful)
Now, onto the problems with cameras in classrooms. The biggest issue I see is that both the teachers and students know they are being watched all the time. This can lead to unatural or ineffective relationships between the teachers and students, as well as the students with eachother. When one knows they are being watched all the time they think about each action longer, they may change what they are doing because of the influence of the camera regardless of the change being positive or negative in the long run. You can count on some children facing higher anxiety levels and performing more poorly on exams.
The positives are that tax payers would have a better notion of what is going on in the class room, they would see how thier money is spent and teachers that suck would not have any more excuses. Oh wait though, tax payers wouldn't really see much of how thier money is spent because 90% of the supplies in the classrooms of quality teachers are there because the teachers sacrifice thier own pay to put them there.
Ok, I'm done being off topic and ranting. I don't think this will do any real good in our schools, I think it will cost a lot more money that the schools don't have to begin with, and I think that if we are going to give more money to schools this isn't how it should be spent. We need more money for library books, better text books, field trips to museums and other places of educational value ( the exploratorium in SF comes to mind). We need to be able to supply class rooms with every thing they need and pay teachers what they are worth. I strongly believe that if the pay was better the profession would attract better teachers.
Re:oh please. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:oh please. (Score:2)
Re:oh please. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:oh please. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:oh please. (Score:5, Insightful)
This could only lead to a better teaching experience IMHO.
Having seen teaching politics first-hand, I don't fully agree. Quite often, administration has one specific thing in mind, and any deviation from this expectation is a black mark against a teacher. I know of a principal at one of the local school who is always suggesting:
- teaching methods which are horribly outdated
- demonstrations using equipment that is not available or, in some cases, hazardous
- topics which fall outside of the curriculum or, often, in completely different subjects
In this case, it's not a problem with the teacher, but with the head-honchos who think they know what's best. Obviously, poor teachers will be caught with these cameras, but so will some of the good ones.
Re:oh please. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:oh please. (Score:2, Insightful)
This ought to be exciting... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:This ought to be exciting... (Score:3, Insightful)
CSPAN does cover the HoC on occasion. Having seen both the U.S. Congress and the House of Commons on CSPAN, I can definitely say that watching the HoC is infinitely more entertaining than watching my own congress. They're more concise, less constrained by false decorum, and not afraid to call 'bullshit' when needed.
The idea that Mr. Blair has to periodically submit himself to fairly brutal question-and-answer sessions there is something that I wish we could implement in the U.S.
if it weren't for parents... (Score:3, Interesting)
Sometimes that's OK, but usually that teacher is worse. Bland, unengaging, etc in fear that they might do something controversial. I think best-case is they just get used to it, a la "The Real World."
I've seen the other side though, and with the damned lawsuit-happy parents, the school would find itself perpetually in court.
lets make the classroom a panopticon jail (Score:2)
Re:oh please. (Score:5, Interesting)
Really? Why on earth do you think that? You seem to be presuminng that good teaching is not against the rules. In my limited HS teaching experience (11th & 12th grade English) I regularly had to bend the rules to deliver the education the kids actually needed, instead of what the Powers That Be required. For instance, I had a HS Senior reading at a 4th grade level; I decided to assign her special material much below grade level to try and meet her where she was and get her to advance -- as opposed to pretending there was no problem and passing her just to make myself look good (which is how she made it to 12th grade with a 4th grade reading level, to begin with). I mention that because it was the least egregious case of rule-bending for the sake of education I can remember.
I presume that you think most teachers are slackers who need to be forced to really do their jobs. Actually, I mostly agree with that! But I hardly think surveillance will work; it mostly will cause them to slack off in ways which make them look busy: assigning reams of mindless redundant exercises, responding to questions with punative "assignments" meant to discourge future questions, etc. It's remarkably easy for a teacher to invent ways of appearing "educational" and "hard-working", which are just ways of goofing off.
Re:oh please. (Score:2, Interesting)
But sometimes a bit of digression is very healthy and can allow students to learn more than sticking to "the book" will.
Furthermore, piling work on so that students are doing
Re:oh please. (Score:4, Insightful)
And I am sure you think most teachers are slackers because they get paid too much, have cushy jobs, have no supervision, and are just there to collect a pay check?
Give me a break. You claim to have some teaching experience so you should know what it is really like. Not only is teaching difficult to do well (it is very time consuming), but public school teachers are underpaid. Parents whine about providing any support for the schools and treat them as a babysitting service. Students who have a clue care about their education, but this is not the majority. Most don't care a whit about what they are supposed to be learning and don't put any more than the bare minimum effort into it, if that. Since their parents equally don't care, the students can get away with it. Administration is only concerned with keeping parents happy and not in trying to support the teachers in any way. So teachers who want to do a good job have a really hard and thankless job to go to everyday.
When you create a working environment like that, you get two types of teachers: those you really really like teaching and are willing to put a lot of extra unpaid and uncompensated work into it, and those who gladly play the babysitter role the parents expect them to play. The latter will hand out worksheets and administer tests every once in a while to maintain the pretense that this is school and they are teaching something, but they certainly don't care about what they are "teaching." Thankfully my high school experience was mostly with the former, teachers who cared enough about their subject to deal with the poor working environment and associated politics. I came out of high school with a pretty good education, but I was lucky because budgets were being slashed left and right. By the time I graduated there wasn't much of anything left because there wasn't any money to pay for it.
I really hate the way people are so willing to criticize teachers and their teaching when they have no idea what the working environment is like.
Most people, if forced to work in such an environment, wouldn't stand for it, but for some reason those same people can easily turn a blind eye to schools.
Take some time to think about current educational policies in place and the results of those policies before you post disparaging comments about teachers, most of whom are not paid much more than the poverty line.
Re:oh please. (Score:3, Informative)
Direct supervision and coaching are something very different from surveillance. You may be right, but nobody's suggested using the Biloxi webcams for giving teacher any sort of supervisory feedback -- only security monitoring. Essentially this system is being set up so it is more likely only to be used against teachers -- the tapes will only be reviewed if there is an allegation of a problem -- than for their professional benefit.
I don't necessarily ha
Re:oh please. (Score:5, Insightful)
Cameras will do anything BUT interfere with teaching.
Excellent!
You'll be ready to have that webcam installed in your workplace next week, then?
You'll be quite pleased when needless inefficiencies and complacent behavior (eg, posting to Slashdot) is readily abandoned as you become aware of being watched.
Show the parents (Score:5, Insightful)
This sort of thing shouldn't be for the benefits of the police or the administration... it should allow the parents to keep an eye out for their kids. I know if my parents had an idea the kind of crap I soaked up as a kid, I would have had a much easier young life. This being a hang out for geeks, I'm sure lots of you know what I'm talking about
Re:oh please. (Score:3, Informative)
You are attached to a phone (so you can't go anywhere further than the phone cord).
You are logged into a computer that has Internet tracked (including access to see exactly what is on your screen at any given time).
You are logged into a time server to keep track of your "clock punches".
You are logged into a phone so that every keypress on the phone is tracked.
You are recorded for QA purposes which are listened to at regular intervals to check yo
Re:oh please. (Score:3, Insightful)
When I was in high school, I worked for a lumberyard at a job that was almost as bad, but thank something I took the time to get an education...
Teachers are professionals: expected to be leaders, coaches, activity organizers, surrogate parents, disciplinarians, and a dozen other things I can't think of right now. You start treating them like children (like that call ce
Re:oh please. (Score:3, Interesting)
I believe that the public has a right to information about how the teachers are doing. These cameras will not help that in any way. If they are made available to the public then the teachers and students will be unable to work simply knowing that everyone is watching. If it is restricted to the principals then it is, at best a medium for review blackmail, a
Crap! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Crap! (Score:3, Funny)
This is true, read: NOT a funny post (ok, maybe the second part is an attempt).
Life imitates Casino (Score:5, Funny)
-B
Big Brother is Watching YOU (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Big Brother is Watching YOU (Score:2)
You can watch these webcams on the net (Score:5, Funny)
Any other slashdotters managed to view these high school webcams?
It won't work. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:It won't work. (Score:2)
Anyway, I agree with those saying that this has potential uses. However, the potential abuses are enormous. Schools can't even keep their antiquated computer labs running. And they ex
Spam! (Score:2)
Re:Spam! (Score:2)
An interesting question: (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:An interesting question: (Score:2)
Minor correction... the age mandated is 16 (at least in Idaho).
neurostarRe:An interesting question: (Score:2)
2) They already have daytime curfew laws for juveniles in many localities (again, not a federal law).
Re:An interesting question: (Score:2)
150 Cameras Per School? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:150 Cameras Per School? (Score:3, Interesting)
I know I would have personally taken some of them out if I was in that school.
I wouldn't want to be watched all day.. if I wanted to be watched all day, I'd go to work.
ChiefArcher
Do you hear me? (Score:3, Interesting)
Of course anything can be abused, though, so that's a moot point.
I tried this is my 7th grade classroom (Score:4, Interesting)
One-to-one (Score:5, Insightful)
The advantages of having a video camera in situations such as these are obviously very great. There is no longer the requirement for more than one teacher (or pupil) to be present. I know these one-on-one sessions certainly helped with my electronics a couple of years ago before they introduced these new rules. Hopefully they'll be able to benefit future students too!
Sounds fine to me (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm not sure but I believe that schools qualify as public property so the kids aren't being invaded.
I'm all about transparency in stuff that taxpayers pay for and maybe this will actually improve the quality of teaching. No more filmstrips 4 days a week if their bosses can se
Already Done... (Score:2, Interesting)
http://www.atech.org/faculty/snyder/
This is not good. (Score:5, Interesting)
Anyways, back on-topic. If your boss threatened to point cameras at you in your workplace and fire employees who he observed slacking wouldn't you be concerned? If your employer did so at least you would have the option of leaving due to privacy concerns, schoolchildren do not have this option.
I would also like to know how secure this system is. The article claims that the video can be viewed from any computer on the internet with proper authentication. There are serious security implications here, and schools have had notoriously lax security policies in the past.
Re:This is not good. (Score:3, Interesting)
If your boss wants to watch you, your emails, your net activity, whatever, that's their perogative.
I don't like it as much as the next guy, but that's not the point here.
Re:This is not good. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:This is not good. (Score:2)
Of course, your friend simply could have said "No", at which point the cop can't do a damned thing short of arresting her (and then he's on very shaky ground). Similarly, you have the right to refuse any search request not backed by a search warrant.
It's important to know your rights in situations like this -- and yes, I did know that in high school, so I don't view her age as an excuse.
Re:This is not good. (Score:2)
Re:This is not good. (Score:2)
Integrity and honesty (Score:4, Interesting)
This is exactly what I stand for. You don't trust me, I'm gone. Simple as that. And even in this economy I have done that.
Re:Integrity and honesty (Score:3, Insightful)
One more reason to opt out (Score:5, Insightful)
I already have real reservations about confining my kids for six or more hours a day to a classroom filled only with people their own age, to suffer (mostly) uninspired teaching in regimented fashion, in exchange for dubious literacy. Now I have to worry about them being trained from their earliest years to accept a surveillance society, too.
I can't escape the feeling they could do vastly more productive and useful things with that time on their own. Spider Robinson wrote an excellent piece [theglobeandmail.com] about this in today's Globe and Mail.
Re:One more reason to opt out (Score:2)
Actually I would wager the Private schools are more likely to use things like this, since they have fewer laws *restricting* their use and more money to buy the equipment. Like uniforms and such - they probably *already* have cameras... Just a theory, as the only thing know about private schools is that I can't afford to send my kids to one *AND* pay taxes...
Re:One more reason to opt out (Score:2)
It is worth the 10-20K per year to send my girl to a school that is much more accountable to my needs. Oh, and I won't have to worry about them cancelling 3 weeks of school because they can't count the money coming in and going out (technically the state legislatures problem, not the local school district, but the effects are t
Sudbury (Score:2, Interesting)
Also, John Gatto [johntaylorgatto.com] has some good ideas about contemporary schooling and its problems.
Identifying Future Terrorists (Score:2)
When they tried this... (Score:4, Funny)
Here's what happened - my roomie stole the actual camera and used it to monitor the hallway for police/RA's when we were drinking.
Obviously not a huge problem in high school (the use) but I'm sure some will get stolen.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm all for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
Some may argue that a teacher should be able to handle all students, but with 160 students to keep track of, one can't be both teacher and psychologist to all of them.
I think the presence of cameras will restrain those likely to cause disturbances in class, and will be a tremendous aid in dealing with those who don't belong in a traditional classroom setting. Of course this is from personal experience only. I have no idea what the academic literature says about the idea.
* Not to say that the three kids (from different classes) I frequently kicked out weren't bright - they just made it impossible to get through a lesson with the rest of the students. In some situations pragmatism needs to trump "no child left behind" - if it's a choice between one student not learning a lesson or 20+ not learning...
Re:I'm all for it. (Score:2)
Wonderful hacking opportunity.... (Score:5, Funny)
Simple geeky parade. (Score:5, Funny)
Of course, if you get caught, you can always moan about that terrible pain in all the diodes in your left side...
Coming LIke A Freight Train (Score:2)
It will start hitting the fan when the most shrill of parents evaluate teachers based on political criteria rather than on whether little Johnny or little Joanie is being taught to think critically and rationally and to evaluate evidence unemotionally.
Personally, I think every parent that supports video camera monitoring in schools should receive the consequences.
Forty years from now, thinking it not at all unusual, their children will install similar cameras in the nursing homes, on the sidewalks, in th
so whats the problem ? (Score:2)
wouldn't something like this potentially HELP that problem ? no kid is going to punch someone in the nose in clear view of a camera.. no teacher is going to incorrectly single out a child when the people that matter are watching.
i would have loved it if there were cameras watching all the crap that went on at scho
I like this idea. (Score:5, Insightful)
A lot of kids (myself included) come away from the public school system with a REALLY negative attitude, since kids are basically allowed to beat the snot out of each other and no one does anything. The resulting perception is that authority figures are cold, ineffectual, and utterly apathetic. This might help alleviate that problem.
Wishful thinking (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Sue (Score:2)
And parents generally are too busy/apathetic/etc. to do so.
The "bad side" already happened... (Score:2)
I'm seeing lots of jokes about checking out kids over the webcams. But it's not nearly as funny when it actually happens. [news.com.au]
In this case, the lack of even minimal concern for privacy and security was truly staggering. If I was a parent, I would be suing their asses off too.
This was a You Can't Do That on Television skit. (Score:5, Funny)
The teacher points out a new surveillance camera designed to monitor the kids' bad behavior. The kids point out it could also monitor the teacher's bad teaching, and the teacher runs over to cover it with his jacket.
Public access solves privacy issues (Score:5, Insightful)
In my high school, about twenty security cameras have gradually been implemented in places where it's likely a student might have something stolen -- outside lockers, in the library, in the parking lots. There are still major hallways uncovered (the kids who make out in the halls probably don't mind being taped, anyway). Tapes are 48 hours long and there isn't much of a retention policy because of storage issues.
But the issue that saves these from being destructive is that the monitor with the digital feed from the cameras is available to any interested student; it's in the office in a highly visible place. If we really didn't like the cameras being there (as, I suspect, these kids may not appreciate having cameras -everywhere-, although that seems an exaggeration), then the students would complain. Students who complain to parents who complain to school board members, or students who complain to student governments (to be honest, those aren't really effective until college) can have a significant impact on public policy.
The broad term for this kind of open access and full disclosure of monitoring is "transparency". Transparency, and the system of taxpayers who encourage accountability, will destroy this system if it is misused and will support it if it helps. Cool.
Most of the kids......... (Score:2, Interesting)
If you ask me the Board of Education is doing nothing but wasting money that could be used elswhere in the school on cameras that will do nothing but make good targets for vandels.
Thinking it through (Score:5, Interesting)
So the teacher ends up in a no win situation where they can't really do anything substancial to prevent one or two kids for ruining it for everyone.
Add a camera and instantly - the teacher has an overwhelming argument supporting proper punishment or banishment for the out of control kids. So the psycho kids will get the punishment / attention they need and the other kids get an environment where they can actually learn.
But... you have to wonder what kind of effect it would have on a child to be effectively raised in a constantly monitored environment. If "Friend Computer" or "Big Brother" watches you your whole youth - how agressively are you going to champion your freedoms as an adult? Does America really need a whole generation of people raised to simply - passively - accept being monitored? Can you imagine how different you'd have turned out if you never got away with anything as a student?
There are some merits to the idea of monitoring classrooms. However, there are, if you really think about it very few circumstances that would apply to all classrooms at all times.
What about a program that allows cameras to be brought in on a temporary basis if there is reason to suspect that they are needed? Something like that, implemented correctly would probably cost less, be more effective and wouldn't create an atmosphere where children are raised in a state of constant intrusive monitoring.
Just my opinion, I'll admit I haven't let the idea sink in yet.
That's a lot of data to store (Score:3, Insightful)
For shame (Score:2, Insightful)
From my experience in public schooling teachers by far have no more authority to discipline children for fear of the "avenging mother" syndrome.
If anything the teacher should be able to turn the camera on the students at will to show how "little johny" is actually a little loud mouth mother fucker.
Also whatever happend to just having the principle audit a few classes e
My issue (Score:3, Insightful)
Kids in school really get the short end of the rights-stick. Remember how your parents always used to tell you that "school is your job?' well, let's look at it from a work-place sort of view:
They are forced to sit at desks. They can have their belongings searched, they have to ask to use the bathroom. They are constantly micromanaged. Imagine if you were subjected to the same things in your workplace. You'd quit in a second.
Adding cameras to schools is not going to solve any problems- teachers will be more stressed out about performing well, kids will have the fear of an eye constantly watching them, and administrators will have one more piece of power over the kids.
I predict major backlash, but it's going to be one of those things that no one picks up on... I am of the opinion that cracking down on kids more and more is what leads to things like Columbine. Kids are people, and they should be treated as such.
Educational Decree Number Thirty (Score:3, Funny)
Its all about acceptance (Score:5, Insightful)
Then as adults they will be more accepting to even deeper privacy and rights violations.
Astonishing (Score:3, Insightful)
Great. (Score:3, Insightful)
What, they suddenly dont like the idea? I cant imagine why.....
As a father of school kids...NO WAY (Score:5, Insightful)
Not only no, but hell no
Fuck no
No goddammed way
over my dead body
The school board and I would rumble over this
Shall I explain myself?
These cameras will do no good
Asshole kids, bent on destruction, will still do it, cameras or no cameras. They do not care. Other kids will be made to feel under suspicion all the time. Teachers will feel pressured. You can't 'force' someone to be a good teacher. Either they are, or fire them. Hey...here's a concept. Pay them a respectable wage.
"Oh, but times have changed! Columbine, drugs, hazing..."
BULLSHIT.
These cams would not stop a Columbine incident. Metal detectors don't, how would cameras?
You know what is needed? Competent teachers and administrators. School district in Mississippi spends 2 million on cameras in the classroom. At $40,000 per, thats 50 teachers. How much good could 50 well paid teachers do? A lot more than some silly cameras, that do not enhance the teaching experience. They can only (possibly) punish the true assholes that do not care. The true assholes will do whatever it is they do with or without cameras.
This concept has so much opportunity for abuse it's not funny. Schools, being quasi-government organizations, will be forced to investigate every little infraction, perceived or real. Instead of letting the teacher and administrators handle things.
What? Incompetent teachers? Crappy principals? Pay them a better wage, and maybe we'll get some competent ones.
The further possibilities of abuse abound. Where are these cameras? In every classroom? OK...no funny stuff going on there. In the bathrooms? In the gym locker rooms? Riiiight. YGBSM. How soon until he cam feed gets hacked?
A bully, bent on hassling some other kid, will simply wait. You gotta go to the bathroom sometime. Or after school.
This will solve nothing
Cameras cannot turn a bad teacher into a good one, nor change the course of an asshole kid. Only human interaction can do that. And cameras are anything but 'human'. Have cameras stopped shoplifting? Not a chance. Have they stopped redlight running? Again, no. Would you feel comfortable under the camera every day, all day, at work? I wouldn't. Then why is it OK to do this to kids?
Give up some freedom, for some perceived security....well...you can see where that goes.
Again...
No
No way
Fuck no
No goddamned way.
A better solution.. (Score:3, Interesting)
Compulsory school only came about in the mid 1850's. It's time to get rid of the system. I suggest reading some of John Taylor Gatto's books to find some more information and better answers to the questions about education.
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
A Different Kind of Teacher by John Taylor Gatto
Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto
RTFA. (Score:5, Insightful)
I assume that means that there isn't a general website where people can view the feeds.
Re:How is this evil? (Score:2)
Yes I know, students aren't paying much in terms of taxes.
Oh wait, except sales tax, which oops is often exactly what funds schools. As a matter of fact, teenagers tend to shop most... they cause their parents to spend billions and generate all that tax revenue. Money the parents wouldn't have spent otherwise. And they get jobs themselves and spend money they earn. Why exactly is it nobody is respecting these teens wh
Re:How is this evil? (Score:3, Insightful)
Because they don't vote. Even the ones old enough to, don't.
Were I a politician I would NEVER worry about pissing off the 18-to-29 demographic because there are simply no consequences (unless the issue has broader traction among older voters).
Re:How is this evil? (Score:4, Interesting)
The public school system can be as fascist as the educators wish and the administration will allow.
That is why this would be a great thing.
I actually took the extreme step of bringing a tape recorder to class in 8th grade, to document the laziness, stupidity, outright incompetence, churlish and childish attitude, and inappropriate language of one of my teachers. (
Or, rather, those were the things that it documented. I only brought it in to prove to my counselor, who had accused me of not "challenging myself", that I was in fact not being challenged by the class, and that the principal *should* approve my request to be skipped to the 11th grade, so I could enter college (post-secondary). In particular, the teacher's claim that you absolutely *had* to be moving at approximately 170,000 miles per hour, or a similarly ridiculous speed, to escape the pull of earth's gravity -- in a ROCKET. (confusing rocketry with ballistics). This was a science teacher.
I refused to agree with her -- simply refused, VERY politely, even resisting my normal urge to be smarmy, just told her that I thought she was wrong, but I respected her opinion, and left it at that.
For that, she sent me to The Office. And I had it all on tape.
Guess what? It's against school policy to admit any form of student record of an account except their own memory. They wouldn't even listen to the tape, even though I had thoughtfully fast-forwarded it to the pertinent section of tape, where we disagreed. 'They' being the counselor, the vice principal, or the principal. Since being sent to the office resulted in detention time from the vice-principal, and since the science teacher could give me a 0 for the day both in attendance and participation, it had very real consequences for me.
The point of this story?
If *they* were doing the recording, and were using it for purposes of review and resolving incidents between teachers and students, they could not avoid reviewing it. They couldn't just wish it away if they were making a policy of using the audiovideo. I mean, it's not that the principal or vice-principal were real assholes -- THEY would have removed any detention time and removed it from my record. If they would have been able to listen to the tape. But they couldn't -- the teachers evidently demanded this, either informally or via union, I don't know.
I mean, it seems like a small thing. But that kind of thing is happening to my little brother all over again, and the kind of frustration that causes -- on top of all of the OTHER things that schools do to screw you up -- can really make kids stop trying in school.
I find these cameras more welcome in a public school than I do in football stadiums or airports. As you so rightly pointed out, in school, we KNOW our rights are limited.
Most parents will approve (Score:3, Insightful)
There are VERY legitimate privacy problems here, but students almost always lose on privacy issues in schools when the subject is brought to court. The paradox here, is that they HAVE to be there, unless their parents can afford to send them to a private school. They have no choice. The state, under force of arms, can force them into the classroom for their own
Re:I can defeat this. (Score:3, Interesting)
On second thought, if you're not smart enough to do well on a test without cheating, maybe the camera amounts to a little test all by itself. (Watch the hilarity as little Johnyy is called to the principal's office to see a blown-up, enhanced photo of his face, taken by the webcam just before he put tape over the lens.)
Re:I can defeat this. (Score:3, Funny)
Back in the time when VCRs were a rarity, and being the IT department made you the custodian of the lone VCR in the (fortune 500) company head-office (there wasn't even a fax machine!!!), I was once asked to cart the contraption to the boardroom. Once I plugged it in, I wanted to test it, so the suit there reluctantly let me watch
Re:Privacy (Score:3, Insightful)
Wait until the implantable ID chips take off. You'll see the military using it to track their soldiers, prisons using it
Re:Privacy (Score:2)
Re:MicroEMP? (Score:2)
Mod me a troll but... (Score:3)
What the fuck is wrong with parents these days? Oh wait, it's because of all the paedophiles. Yeah, you know those paedophiles that never existed ten years ago but just magically appeared in the forest along with the pixies and the fairies. Now they're lurking at every s
Re:We had cameras at our school (Score:3, Interesting)