Saturday, March 17, 2012

Crime scene investigation and teaching

Slice of Life #17
So, what do crime scene investigators and teachers have in common?
Nothing at first glance. After all I have never worked in a school where we had murder, or any other major crime. We have never needed "major crime squad" at our school.
So, what do crime shows on TV have that I would like to have also?
GADGETS!!!!
Just think, the pencil that flew across the classroom when you turned your back to write a word on the board. Who threw it? Nobody is admitting. I start imagining the fingerprint scanners and the steam boxes I have seen in CSI shows. I would like to put the pencil in the steam box, get the fingerprint and send the student who threw it to the office. Or maybe a secret recording device linked directly to my smartboard (it is called a smartboard after all).
How about the papers that look very much alike? Who actually wrote the first one? Couldn't I have one of those tracing gadgets that track when that paper was first written?
What bout bullying? Couldn't we have secret audio recording devices installed in multiple locations, and then match the voices with the database that schools would keep of every student? No, I guess we can't. I am not sure I would even want to. I think all this technology would just increase teachers' workload. But, I have to admit that it is fun to think about these gadgets and what role they could play in schools.
I believe that I will stick to talking with my students, using old fashioned techniques determining the cheaters--when necessary. After all, I believe that deep down all my students want to do their own work all the time. So, I guess I will just watch the crime shows on TV and NOT bring their influence into my classroom.

6 comments:

  1. I would love a hidden camera to know who keeps using (wasting) our paper to check what color the marker is. Hey, we've only had this discussion 12 times this year so far. And the marker's color is NOT a mystery. It's the color of the lid! No one will admit it. Many will place blame on someone. I guess that's the only gadget I would want right now.
    Fun post! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Your subject caught my attention immediately. I am a high school teacher. Here I will share one of my experiences with my first group. At the moment I was drawing a DNA on the blackboard, one my students sat up fire to a wall paper. I agree some of them behave like criminals.

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  3. I love the investigation shows. (NCIS is my favorite!) I would love Abby to figure out who shot the paperwad across the room. I would love Gibbs to interrogate to find out who threw the pencil at me. I would skip the recording device; I hear enough things I don't want to hear without it!

    I enjoyed your slice; it allowed me to imagine what I would do!

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    Replies
    1. Mrs. C, you are right, I hear too much. I better skip the recording device!

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  4. Your post made me laugh! What an interesting idea! You are probably right about the technology and "old fashioned methods" though...

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  5. I liked how your thinking evolved in the post. It made me think of the quote "writing is thinking on paper". The post reads like you were excited about the what ifs in the beginning but then your thoughts shifted to realizing that you would rather not have that be reality.

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