Camera Confusion at Norwood High 

Cameras are one of the core aspects of online learning this year, but there seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding their rules of use by teachers and students at Norwood High. 

Guidance counselors Ms. McDonnell said ¨Students are expected to be on time, be present, be engaging¨ however, ¨It’s not really defined what engagement means.¨

This ambiguous definition have left teachers with a lot of responsibility to assess their students' participation but not cross any boundaries. Mr. Gunning, a new math teacher at Norwood High, allows his students to decide for themselves if they turn their cameras on. He explained his policy saying he doesn't ¨feel its [his] place to tell a student that they should or shouldn't have their cameras on.¨  

Mr. Gunning says he has other methods of assessing class participation that he feels are less intrusive. He said that he often uses ¨activities where [he] can see whether students are participating.¨ He specifically mentioned having success with Kahoot and interactive slides among his students.

There have been reports from students, of some teachers who require cameras to be on during class. Sophomore Paige McBrian said “[she] feels pressured to put her camera on in class.”

Requiring cameras seems to be a difficult task though, as Ms. McDonnell explained, ¨circumstances beyond student control¨ can often interfere with their ability to present themselves through video. 

When asked whether teachers could factor camera participation into students grades as an incentive to turn them on, McDonnell explained that this was prohibited, stating that, ¨It’s kinda just left with us encouraging it and really hoping that they do.¨

This is an experimental time at Norwood High and rules are subject to change as the year progresses. McDonnell says she wants ¨more than an expectation that students would have to show their face¨ and that she’s “seen a lot of effects of isolation.”

Many students and teachers are feeling isolated during this time. Mr. Gunning understands the struggle. “As human beings, it's natural for us to want to have that face-to-face contact when we talk” but he feels “the policy is fine the way it is.”

What's to come next for Norwood High's camera policy? No one can say for sure. These are unprecedented times especially for public education and anything can change in an instant.