Students have found new ways to demean and embarrass their classroom teacher. In a digital age where students invariably have mobile phones at their disposal, teachers are often filmed without their knowledge and broadcast world-wide without their permission.
Take this prank, that for reasons unknown to me has not been banned from YouTube. Not only is it allowed to remain, regardless of the hurt and embarrassment it must have caused the teacher, but children from all around the world have been given the opportunity to comment on it. Apparently they think this is hysterical. I most certainly do not:
At least Canada are doing something about it:
It’s called being “YouTubed” and the Internet is full of hundreds of videos of students either badmouthing their teachers or provoking them to explode in class, then recording the fireworks and posting it to the Web.
And parents have also gotten in on the action, posting videos where they verbally attack their kids’ teachers or post allegations against them.
But teachers have begun to fight back. On Tuesday, 800 delegates at the annual meeting of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario voted unanimously to urge boards and schools to establish clear policies around the unauthorized use of digital recordings and photos taken by students.
Teacher Dave Buddell told CTV News on Wednesday night that he occasionally Googles his name.
“I’ve been online and looked around,” he said. “You do see instances where teachers have been filmed obviously without their consent.”
To me, there is a gaping double standard when it comes to education and social media. Teachers are being told that it is not legal to conduct lessons and give support through mediums like Twitter, yet students are allowed to put horrendous videos like the one above without so much as a “please explain.”
It’s simply not good enough!
Topical Teaching 