Mobile phones used to record teacher baiting

The main concern with using mobile phones in schools in Scotland and, I guess, elsewhere, is that incidents 'created by students' (by this we would mean baiting of a teacher) might be recorded and published to YouTube. Scott flips the question on its head, and asks in these incidents whether the students, bringing really bad teaching to light publicly, are actually doing a service for education in their communities?

From my point of view there are a few problems with any video or audio. Firstly, we don't know the context before or after it's been shot, so it's impossible to know if we are simply observing a teacher at the peak of an extended period of particularly targeted and poor student behaviour. Likewise, we're unable to know if we are seeing a complete and prolonged breakdown of student-teacher respect and working relationship, a poor level of behaviour which has its roots in ineffective pedagogy. If it's the latter, I still have faith that most school management teams and colleaugues know where those problems lie and make sustained efforts to improve the experience of students in those classes. (I know that there are still too many that don't).

Over and above that, though, we also see disturbing video evidence here of misconduct and a lapse in the duty of care that each teacher has. On a personal note, and possibly a slightly controversial one, were I parent of a child in any of these classes I would be incredibly empowered with the video evidence to create substantial and swift change through the school management team.

What do you think - justifiable or untenable? Would a clip or two like this from your school make you think twice about using mobiles in your own classroom for learning?

Comments

[John Sutton]

It's tempting to take the positive spin on this. I agree that most poor behaviour in the classroom is down to ineffective teaching - my own view is borne out of the experience of teaching in some very tough primary schools. All too often I heard the comment "you can't do anything with these kids"; a profoundly depressing statement from profoundly unreflective (is there such a word?) teachers.

However, these clips will be taken out of context and they will be used to embarrass and shame (not to mention be dragged up in media hysteria). Are you really sure that your reaction would be one of empowerment, or as a parent, would you want to rush in and "sort it out"? Such evidence would be inadmissable in a court of law, I think and unfortunately I think schools would have no option but to take strong measures against children surreptitiosly recording teachers. What would the reaction be if it was teachers recording children in secret?

[Peter Parkes]

Balancing transparency with the need to let teachers 'get on with their jobs' is a tricky one, but surely this is an opportunity to bring otherwise disinterested parents into a conversation about their children's education?

On the other hand, it might just make the pushy parents pushier...

[Ewan McIntosh]

I think you're right, John. I would go in and "sort it out" (I plan on being the parent from hell ;-) The notion of parents as customers, though, which Don Ledingham has spun out rather well, would lead us to wonder whether pushiness in parents is a virtue. At least they're taking a stand on something in their child's life, no?

[John Sutton]

It's a tricky one, my littlun will be in reception in September and it kind of makes it all personal! I agree, totally in favour of parental engagement, just worried what sort of "engagement" an out of context phone vid might bring!

Incidentally, @digitalmaverick spotted this story http://tinyurl.com/3arr7l which highlights the issue of what teachers could consider to be private.

[David Kay]

Just as you should never believe everything you read in the papers, neither should you believe everything you see on TV or on You Tube. In video and audio recordings there is always an editorial decision that has been made whether consciously or unconsciously in terms of what particular message the person who filmed the clip wants to send out. There is also a privacy issue is it fair that someone (in this a case) a pupil records you at work without your knowledge or consent. Is this a bad teacher, or have they been shown out of context, or are they just having a bad day ...

[John Sutton]

You are absolutely right, David, but so much depends on the way the media decides to "package" a story as to what the public reaction will be.

[Suzie Boss]

Ewan,
Seems like this example needs to be part of the bigger conversation about what we could be doing with mobile devices now that everybody has one handy. Check out what MobileActive is up to--described in this post: http://www.edutopia.org/mobile-phone-technology-global-change
Cheers,
Suzie

[F. Hamre]

As a teacher of 17yo boys (mostly) behaving sometimes like what these videos show, I would LOVE the parents to attend one of my classes. Much of what I see and hear is simply immature, and taken out of context it could be quite shocking. But I have a good and positive dialog with my pupils, and classes are actually quite "nice" most days. I know for a fact that teachers have been filmed in class at our school, without their knowledge. Some of this has been out on Youtube, but administration has somehow gotten it removed. Other films have been discovered on pupils mobiles when they are sent to the headmaster (or similar person).
I for one try to treat the pupils with respect (hard as it may be sometimes), and never put myself in a situation that taken out of context would give a very bad picture of me as a teacher. Easy to say, very hard to do.
I don't know about other countries, but I'm quite sure that in Norway, filming someone without their knowledge is forbidden by law, and the pupils in question could face legal action against them.

[Drew Buddie]

Ewan,

I am perturbed by this post of yours- not by your take on it, but by the issues it raises. I very much applaud you for raising the question, but I feel here is one case where technology goes too far when in the hands of some individuals. In one of the blogs you link to with 7 video clips I saw only one which showed a teacher acting disgracefully (and who knows what drove him to be like that, as he himself says - as others have said CONTEXT is so important - and the pupils do shut up when he 'loses it' what does THAT tell us?). I have been QUOTED out of context in the past by a pupil to her parents which was bad enough, but to be filmed saying it would have caused even more issues I fear.

In the clips in the blog concerned all I really saw was a host of disrespectful boorish pupils who were not filming it for the 'social sensibility' reasons hinted at, but rather to humiliate and degrade the teacher concerned. The famous clip of the man shouting at the class to listen to the national anthem - who knows what the backstory is - maybe he's ex-forces with friends who've died? Maybe he's been told off by school management that his class are disrespectful to the anthem and he's got to sort them out? There's all sorts of background that could be relevant there - none of it EXCUSING his shouting, but rather EXPLAINING it.

I don't often disagree with your point of view, but on this occasion I cannot see how in any way what those pupils have done should be applauded in any way. It's hard enough being a teacher as it is and usage of the devices like this is all the more reason for colleagues to put up barriers about the use of mobile technology in lessons.

What I'd like to see is did those pupils ever film GOOD things, learning etc going on in the classroom? If all they shot was confrontation and argument then I think their motivation for shooting the footage is clear.

[Wm Chamberlain]

I don't consider my class a private space. Therefor, I don't mind being transparent. I think that any tool can be misused. The lack of respect the students have for the teacher is the issue. Administrators need to listen to the students when they complain about problems with teacher and they need to listen to teachers when they complain about problems with students.

These kids did not take their favorite teacher and decide to make them look stupid. They chose someone they didn't respect. The school administration is responsible to sort out the situation because the classrooms are obviously broken. They are responsible to determine where the problem is.

[Betty]

Hidden cell phones should not be used as a form of evaluation. If the administrators feel that there is a problem, all they have to do is click on the intercom system and listen to any teacher at any time.

[Ewan McIntosh]

All interesting evaluations on the problem, and this is what I was hoping for. Context seems to be emerging as all-important. Secondly, I hope that my post isn't taken out of the context of the blog - to provoke discussion. Yet, even I in writing this proposition have managed to exclude context in favour of coming to an inference.

Is there any way to treat this subject without the emotion and self-reference that any teacher, any parent and any student would be drawn into? Is there a way to 'research' the rights and wrongs of misuse.

On a final note I would that, of course, I'd hope mobiles were not used irresponsibly in the first place. I am, however, keen to find out why they are used irresponsibly in the first place.

Thanks for the comments - keep 'em coming!

[Lynne]

Ewan
I found this post very depressing and felt a great deal of sympathy for the teachers involved and also sympathy for the children in behaving that way. I think the bottom line is that the teacher baiting would go on anyway with or without the mobile. The mobile is therefore not the issue but the decline in basic manners/respect and low level disruption to children's learning. I'm sure we can all think of similar insntances in our own education..

[David Gilmour]

I would be incredibly empowered with the video evidence to create substantial and swift change through the school management team.

If this was a one off, in one school, you might be right - but it's not. This is evidence of a systemic problem that manifests itself world-wide; the student videos just have the effect of making it highly visible in a new way.

That visibility could, in turn, be an asset in generating support for significant, systemic improvements in the wider community.

We're not used to that kind of openness in our schools, but there are many jobs where it's nothing new to be visible while you work.

Perhaps one answer is complete openness? Webcams in nurseries are nothing new, after all. In-class webcams would cut out the middleman, and destroy the market for surreptitious clips.

Clearly raises just a few internet safety issues, of course, but these risks could be managed.

[Pat]

I don't have a problem with this because I believe we should not act any differently if we aren't being observed than when we are being observed. This can be done by cell phone or video camera. In fact, I have videotaped my class the first 2 months. Students usually monitor their own behavior when they know I can replay the tape for admin or parents if necessary. Admin has backed me up on this. By the end of 2 months, students don't pay any attention to the camera and I forget to hit the record button. Parents are welcome at any time (without an appointment) but admin requires an appointment so I tell parents they can make one with admin and just pop in to my class. I feel teachers should be transparent and open with parents and admin.

[fearghal]

These clips are frightening. They clearly display some shocking classroom practice, but they also indicate a worrying trend in the use of mobile phones.

Although I obviously can not justify the behaviour of the teachers in the clips, I do not feel that this justifies the use of mobile phones in the classroom. If the pupils have issues with their teacher, there are many more appropriate ways of dealing with them - which pupils are very aware of. I do not believe for one second that the pupils who have recorded these clips have done so to highlight issues they have with their teacher in order to improve relations.

One of the most fundamental differences between these clips and the example outlined of videoing your lessons and generating an atmosphere of an open classroom, is consent. These teachers have not consented to this and it is therefore unethical, inadmissible and I would argue, counter productive.

It is obviously a different prospect when you approach this issue from the mindset of a parent. I would obviously be very shocked and concerned to see these clips on my child's phone. However, I believe I would be very disappointed in my child for dealing with this issue in this way. I would obviously follow up the incident with the school, but I would also expect my child to be dealt with for their behaviour.

Does this lead me to question the use of phones in the classroom? Absolutely. Not because I behave like these teachers, but because it gives pupils the ability to record/photograph teachers & pupils without their consent very easily and discreetly.

[Thomas Sheppard]

I am not happy with the views expressed in this post. There is no justification for baiting a teacher! And I totally disagree with the naive opinion that most incidents of misbehaviors in a classroom are the results of bad teaching. What are you going to blame for the misbehaviors of students that occur outside the classroom?

The use of mobile phones in the classroom is an interesting idea but there are some things we need to consider. I know of incidents where students baited a special needs student to get a reaction and then used their cell phone to record it and place on YouTube. We teach young people that are learning how to be adults. We need to teach them how to use technology responsibly. The primary purpose for using technology in the classroom is as a tool to enhance learning. That is where our focus must be not on the irresponsible use of it.

Gee, I wonder how it would be if we viewed this issue as a need to support teachers rather than as an opportunity to tear them down.

[Ewan McIntosh]

Thomas, nothing in my post is tearing teachers down and everyone who has commented so far would agree with you in this:

"We teach young people that are learning how to be adults. We need to teach them how to use technology responsibly. The primary purpose for using technology in the classroom is as a tool to enhance learning. That is where our focus must be not on the irresponsible use of it."

Support for teachers, though, requires knowledge and understanding of the issues around the abuse of technology. This is what we're trying to get to the bottom of here. Is SCott McLeod's original post justified in questioning not only the abuse of the technology but potential abuse of the position of unbridled power exerted by some of these teachers, unaware that the world was watching?

Back to the debate...

[Shirley Campbell-Morgan]

I absolutely agree that we should embrace new technologies and educate our young people to use them responsibility. But watching these videos turn my stomach! As a parent of 2 young people who have been through the school system, I would be disgusted and ashamed if I thought they had any involvement in these kinds of behaviours. The only evidence I can see in the videos is of breakdown in society and would use them to discipline the perpetrators!