Big Brother runs amok, again?

[Mgderf]

I truly hope I'm getting the wrong story, because this REALLY sucks if it's true.

My great-nephew goes to school in the Tippecanoe Co. Corporation. His mother told me recently that he would need a computer, a lap-top actually, to attend the 9th grade in the Tippecanoe School Corporation system in the upcoming year.

O.k., I understand the need to teach them computers. I decided I'd be a "great" Great-uncle, and try to provide him with a lap-top, since I know his mother would be hard-pressed to do so. I asked her what operating perameters were needed. "What does he need to be able to do?"
She said she had no idea, but she would find out and let me know.

I get a return call in less than 1 hour, and she is upset, I can hear it in her voice.
She said the school told her that this was a pilot program, starting next year. She said she was told that the students would not be allowed to provide their own computers. The students would be required to rent a lap-top from the school, at the generous rate of $75 p/ semester!
She said she asked why they would not be allowed to provide their own computers she was told that the school wants to install software onto the students lap-tops that allows school teachers/administrators to gain remote access to the students computers!??????! WTF- OVER???

I know there was a case recently, in the past year or two, regarding the same situation.

A teacher called police on a student because she "..observed him using drugs...". Turned out that the teacher had accessed the students computer web-cam, and the teacher watched as the 5th grade(?) boy ate and played with Mike & Ike candies, IN THE BOYS OWN BEDROOM!

The teacher had gained video access to a minor students BEDROOM!

I am not the most interwebs savvy. My searching Fu is weak indeed, but I know right from wrong when it's presented to me.

This STINKS! If it's true

Just curious, would you try to fight a program like this, or just pull your child and find an alternative?

 

[Mosinguy]

I'd do both, pull the kid AND fight it.

 

[Bapak2ja]

FIGHT IT!

 

[sepe]

Plain and simple, if the school is going to rent them the laptop and you don't want to worry about them having remote webcam access...a piece of duct tape over the camera would solve that. I actually haven't heard too many schools trying to do a program like this locally but it really wouldn't surprise me.

Either fight the program to try to opt out (if service was needed, the support from Dell would be better than from the school) or switch schools. No reason to sit there and be forced into something you don't agree with, if others are fine...it is what it is.

 

[perry]

I'd try to find out more about the program... Find out what monitoring program they use and look it up for yourself and see what it does.

What exactly can be monitored? Is the student and/or parent notified when something is being monitored? Usually this would be the student clicking on something to grant the access, or a popup window showing that someone is view the screen. There's also other logs and such that system administrators may need to see (is the hard drive dieing and throwing alerts in the Windows Event Viewer?)

I work in IT for a large corporation and we can send our employees a link that they click on and type in a code that allows us to share their desktop with them. That requires a non-trivial amount of work to allow that. From a support standpoint it is a lifesaver. I could see it being handy in a scholastic situation if a student calls the helpdesk for something technical related, or calls a tutor for help with some assignment on the computer. There are dozens of examples where this would be beneficial.. and if you're worried about the webcam being used, then a 1/2" piece of electrical tape can solve that problem (yes we've gotten laptops back with the cameras taped over...).

$75 doesn't sound that bad for a semester. Over 4 years that's $600, and I'd be surprised if they keep the same laptop for 4 years. And I bet the "warranty" is better than you would get without buying a premium warranty from the store. These are kids.. things will happen. Though, if you were willing to buy a new laptop then I think the cost factor probably isn't your biggest concern.

 

[revolvers&w]

Can't the kids turn the computer off when their studies are over?

 

[RockofStrength]

IMO the school can get bent. If they're going to mandate that the students must have a computer either provide it for free or let me use my own. the 75$ fee smacks of tuition, to me, because you HAVE to pay it or you will be unable to attend school. Tuition is forbidden in our State Constitution, if I recall correctly.

The monitoring thing isn't a huge concern even to my tinfoil coated head provided the student doesn't use the thing like his own personal laptop. Use it for school, shut it off, remove the battery, and shove it in the closet. So long as it's only being used as an easy-access tool to allow the students and teachers to have easier communication you shouldn't have to worry about any unknown features that could be used to spy on the kids provided the thing is off and the battery removed.

 

[! twitty]

The monitoring thing is rediculous none-the-less. But I must say that the the $75 per semester for a laptop is cheap. Anyhow, if they can monitor your every move it is pure bs.

 

[Piobair]

There was a case in Pennsylvania last year in which the school system took over 30,000 photos of students, and 27,000 screen shots. And no, there was no notification that the school has this ability. No charges were filed.

In Indiana, the computer would just be added to the annual book rental fees. Nothing to do with tuition.

 

[DRob]

Remote access

If you use a company-owned computer at work, you can bet the farm they can monitor every keystroke. Standard software for businesses. As far as video or photos from a remote location, I think that's pretty questionable.

I'd try to find out a lot more before I got wound around the axle over this. You know the rumor mill has no brakes!

 

[Suprtek]

I can certainly understand having concerns about this situation. However, I believe it can be used as a good lesson for your great-nephew. I guarantee this won't be the last time he will need to be aware that others may be able to see what he is doing with a computer. Teaching him how to use the technology responsibly and in a way that protects himself could go a long way to helping him in the future. I am in no way justifying any improper monitoring that may or may not happen in this situation. I'm simply saying like others have that there are ways to avoid these problems and teaching him early may be a good idea. I have a laptop issued to me by my employer that I am free to take home for personal use. I choose not to do so for the very same reasons you are concerned about here. Any work related stuff I need to do at home can almost always be done on my home computer and transferred via email or thumb-drive. Whenever my work computer is accessing the web, it is filtered (and logged) by my employer's network. If I took the computer home, it would not be subject to the same filtering and anything that ended up on that computer whether it was intentional or not could be used against me if it violated any company policy. These are the kind of things your nephew could benefit from knowing. This does not address the issue of the fees involved but IMO that's not really the most important issue here anyway.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Let the kid use the school one (as required) for the school work, and teach him to turn it off and put it away the instant he's done, then get out the personal one you got him, to do what he wants. Teach him about spyware and big brother. Teach him how to defeat them. Make him a revolutionary. The world will be better for it.

 

[beararms1776]

Not sure but I think the only way to get remote access is if it's plugged into your interweb at home. Are they wanting these laptops to remain on school property and in the classroom?

 

[jblomenberg16]

Time to loosen up the tinfoil. I don't think the school system is trying to bust any kids here, just doing what many large companies already to that have a large fleet of laptops being used by employees. They use remote access to provide IT help, and ensure that the computors are being used for business (or in this case) school use.

 

[Expat]

I think Goshen was giving the kids laptops to use from some Obama money they got.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

If it's Obama money, the fear is justified.

 

[Dirtebiker]

IMO the school can get bent. If they're going to mandate that the students must have a computer either provide it for free or let me use my own. the 75$ fee smacks of tuition, to me, because you HAVE to pay it or you will be unable to attend school. Tuition is forbidden in our State Constitution, if I recall correctly.

The monitoring thing isn't a huge concern even to my tinfoil coated head provided the student doesn't use the thing like his own personal laptop. Use it for school, shut it off, remove the battery, and shove it in the closet. So long as it's only being used as an easy-access tool to allow the students and teachers to have easier communication you shouldn't have to worry about any unknown features that could be used to spy on the kids provided the thing is off and the battery removed.

So, book rental is tuition? Unconstitutional?

 

[RockofStrength]

So, book rental is tuition? Unconstitutional?

Well according to Piobair (post#9)

In Indiana, the computer would just be added to the annual book rental fees. Nothing to do with tuition.

I wasn't even aware schools used book rental fees, so I'm going to go with his assessment as he appears to be better informed than me.

 

[Dirtebiker]

I think Goshen was giving the kids laptops to use from some Obama money they got.

Would that be the famous " stash" of his?

 

[Dirtebiker]

Well according to Piobair (post#9)



I wasn't even aware schools used book rental fees, so I'm going to go with his assessment as he appears to be better informed than me.

Then you didn't go to school here, correct? We've had book rental fees as long as I can remember, and I graduated way back in the 1900's!