I can get where Harshman is coming from but using cameras for evaluations, at least for now, is still a bad idea for a couple of reasons. The first point comes from Former Boston school Principal Kim Marshall who told Christian Science Monitor:
Could you do [the evaluation] by looking at the camera? Yes, but I think it's far better to get into the classroom...and talk to the kids and look at the work they are doing. [A camera] might become an excuse for the principal to just sit in the office...looking at the screen."
As discussed in class, face-to-face communication is the richest form of communication a person can find. A camera is good for capturing close up images of the person being recorded, but lacks the spontaneity and the emotion of a face-to-face interaction. Not to mention it creates a better environment on the whole. For example, face-to-face interaction allows you to reduce your anxiety with the other person and determine what, if any, relationship you want to have with this person (kudos to anyone who can remember this theory without looking).
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| Karen Gotlieb and her daughter, Savanna Williams, on The Early Show. (CBS) |
Another reason cameras should not be used is it can destroy relationships between the people in the education setting if used incorrectly. Lower Merion High School in PA illustrates what can happen if technology falls into the wrong hands. In 2009, Merion issued laptops to their students for educational purposes. What Lower Merion High School failed to mention to their students was administrators were using the webcams in those laptops to spy on their students. One student filed a lawsuit in February 2010. The reaction to the case was nothing short of an uproar. Students expressed their disgust and many worried the school was watching them around the clock.
Whether or not schools in Wyoming will be ethical in their camera use remains to be seen. For right now, it is probably for the best cameras remain out of the classroom and schools stay away from turning into a setting that resembles Orwell’s classic novel.
Wow! Both posts were strong and had a slight personal flare yet were very informative and fact-based! You had in-text links, block quotes, and multimedia, all of which you used well. Personally, I love the ending line about Orwell's class novel! Sometimes I think we are in line for something like that to happen in the future. But I like the allusion; it fit perfectly with the topic of the post.
ReplyDeleteYou also did a good job of curtailing any disagreement with your argument by saying that you understood Harshman's view but then you offered another view that was backed up with a source.
A suggestion for a future topic could be something about how some schools are spending money on those smartboards which are no different than projecting a computer screen onto a whiteboard. Or you could talk about electronic textbooks- the pros and cons. They could break, freeze, get wet, cost more but they are light weight, can be updated, and you can search terms within the textbook.
Good work!!
Great topics. I agree completely that cameras should not be used in reviews of teachers. It makes them feel like they are always being watched, which can lead to a constant pressure and stress.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed how you presented both sides of the argument and also remained neutral to it.
Your wording is nice and easy to read through. I liked the style of your blog. It has great links to other information to back up you writing.