From reading the teacher magazine article "Pa. School Settles Web Spying Lawsuit" I was disturbed. The school was trying to locate missing laptops based on their finding devices on the computer but in doing so took many pictures of the student without their knowledge based on the webcam option on the computer. They agreed to pay $610,000 for the two lawsuits but what else was done? Who was the person in charge of looking for these computers and why did they take over 400 photos in two weeks?
If the school is willing to lend out laptops to students to use, than they need to be trusting of the students. If they are missing one they should know who has taken it or if they don't than just use the located device to find it. Do not take any pictures of the student, you know that even taking a picture in class is wrong unless you have the students permission. Technology and its advances are becoming so incredible that you need to be careful of what you are doing and how you are using them, otherwise you could get yourself or your district into big trouble like this Pa. school did.
I don't feel like $610,000.00 is a lot of money based on the circumstances. From what I know, this is an isolated case. I wish the courts would have set a greater example and awarded the families more money. Hopefully, someone lost his or her job! If someone outside of education had taken pictures of students using a computer---there would be much greater consequences. It is all very creepy!
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