Week 6.2
The Ohio School shooting has been weighing heavily on my mind this week! My thoughts have been going out to all of those affected by this terrible tragedy. As a mom, it's unthinkable! As a teacher, it's scary to think that there may have been warning signs that could have avoided this devastating event. OR was it a truly random event? Either way, it's difficult to process this type of violence.
I'm interested to hear your thoughts on how students at Chardon High School used Twitter, during this terrible event to educate others about what was happening inside the school. The public learned about the shooting through Twitter way before news stories broke! Incredible or confusing???
Ohio School Shooting: 5 Students Shot, 1 Dies At Chardon High School, Suspect In Custody
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/ohio-school-shooting-2012-chardon-high_n_1303988.html
Twitter Used As Impromptu Emergency Broadcast System During Ohio School Shooting
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-used-as-impromptu-emergency-broadcast-system-during-ohio-school-shooting_b19030
Teen charged with three counts of murder in Ohio school shooting
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/01/10552637-teen-charged-with-three-counts-of-murder-in-ohio-school-shooting?ocid=ansmsnbc11
I felt like the first article was saying that the shooter had friends so he was not bullied. You can still have friends and still be bullied! That’s not really what the student probably said but the article made it seem that way which annoys me because that really is irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI am actually kind of surprised that students were using twitter at the time of the shooting. I have no idea what I would do but I can’t say I would be using twitter. Some of the tweets they showed on the website didn’t seem to be all that real. The first one for instance at the end said “oh shit.” When people say this I always take it as sarcasm, I am not sure why. The last one was the most powerful for me to read #prayforus.
The video in the last link was very upsetting. I have not really tried to catch up on this tragedy because I hate reading and listening to things like this. I was not aware that the football coach actually chased the student out of the school so he couldn’t shoot anyone else. I consider him a hero because the shooter could have hurt so many more members of that community.
I don’t know if anyone has ever watched One Tree Hill but there was an episode about a school shooting in their high school. It was one of the most powerful episodes of any TV show I have ever watched. I felt as I was watching it that people should have known it was happening. This student was getting bullied and even his best friends abandoned him.
If anyone wants to watch the episode it is on both Hulu and Netflix, the episode is titled With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept.
Melissa R.
Melissa, I too saw this OTH episode (I'm a big fan :), and I agree that it's worth watching. It's powerful television that highlights a real concern for students, teachers, and parents.
DeleteMelissa, you are right, you can have freins and still get bullied. You may even get bullied because you have friends that the bully cant have as friends. So many reasons why you get bullied.
DeleteThe gym tecaher who chased the shooter is a hero to me. He prevented from others getting hurt, put his life on the line.
Bunker
I firmly believe that tragedies like these are not "isolated" events. As Melissa stated, you can still be part of a social group and still be the victim of bullying. Somewhere, somehow, someone must have known or had an inclination to the situation that the student was facing.
ReplyDeleteTwitter is a powerful tool. While some may not yet view it as such, the ability to broadcast through platforms like Twitter changes our educational landscape daily. I think that as education professionals we should adapt to these changes with open minds. Didn't you ever complain that one of your teachers was too "old school" or not "with it." Students respond to learning opportunities that are both unique and within their daily landscape.
Apathy and failure to meet change, in my eyes, does more harm than good, both in the case of the Ohio shooting and in the case of Twitter.
-MCC
I read an article previous to these three stating that the students who were shot were NOT targeted. The shooter had a troubled life at home and his father had a long history of violence. I didn't think they were classifying this as a case of bullying.I think we make too many assumptions when it comes to school violence. It doesn't always come as a result of bullying. There are lots of serial killers and while some of them may have been bullied at some point in their life, many may not have been. It would be foolish to conclude that violence is always the result of bullying and not some other mental defect. I'm only formulating an opinion based on what I have read on the internet and seen on T.V.
DeleteI definitely agree with you. While many reports following this story say the students were not necessarily "targeted," the shooter obviously was experiencing some means of mental and emotional instability that led him to believe that his actions were necessary.
Delete-Chelsea
Jen,
Deleteyou have a great point. When kids turn to violence it for different reasons. Some maybe bullied, some maybe abused some psychiatric issues. However lets understand that mental disorders may play a role but can be managed with prooper medication and therapy. But what pften happens is parents dont know how to deal with the disorder and make things worse, by hitting or calling names, etc.
Bunker
I agree with MCC that these are not "isolated" events. There is something else at the root of this. I was bullied between 4th and 8th grades on a daily basis. I cannot count the number of black eyes, bruises, or cuts I sustained at the hands of bullies. The school did not do much to stop it because suspensions were "vacations" and not "punishments."
DeleteI turned out well. I think there is a deeper problem here and we as a society and a nation, have to find out what is going on with our kids? Is it the rap music (a lot of it is violent), is it the video games (Modern Warfare, etc), is the the television/movies (My Bloody Valentine 3D, etc)? Is it the parents are not involved? Mine sure were.
American family values is a political tool wihtout a true definition. What are they? Did they ever exist? These are questions we have to ask ourselves.
Thank you.
Mike H
MCC I agree, there must be something else at the root of individuals making choices to react so violently and MH you raise a good point too, that those bullyed don't just use that to respond in manner that takes another's life (if that was true these tragic incidents would probably be occuring on a daily basis). I do think that something has happened to create parents/caregivers who do not have the same parenting skills that have been used in previous generations. I feel that this has impacted families from a variety of socio-ecnomic backgrounds. (I base this on observations I've made about the variety of families I've worked with over the last decade). What that exactly is, I don't know? Maybe, it's that as technology has grown, people are losing time and skills of interacting in person with one another?
DeleteAnna
It is so hard to hear stories like these and wonder what could have prevented this; learning and education about bullying, gun laws, school access/monitors at the doors,parent involvement/understanding of their children, teacher monitoring - what can we do as a socitey to stop this? I don't have the answer but this is another case where no-one involved benefits.
ReplyDeleteTwitter is a powerful tool as we read in the article. If anything during a terribel event like this, the kids were allowed to have their voices heard no matter what they said. By using Twitter they knew someone whould hear them, somewhere. I did find it somewhat interesting because in our school we have a no-cellphone use during a lock down - not to be naive that some kids will sneak it in.
I agree with MCC - Don't be the teacher using the calk. Embrace what the kids are doing and show them how they can use the technology in the classroom. In our district, they just started to allow cellphone use in the classroom. I can't tell you how many teachers are so upset with this. (Mind you the teacher has the say if the kids can use it or not, it is not a free ran use). But I am embracing this idea. There is so much kids can learn about using their cellphones for, and not just as a social media device. I say BRING IT ON!!!
Kate, I certainly agree that teachers need to "get with the times!" With clear guidelines for appropriate use, I can see the positive potential learning outcomes that result when students are able to use the same technologies and applications inside and outside of the classroom. Nevertheless, I do think we need to educate our students on the types of information that are appropriate to share through social media.
DeleteCurrently, I am torn about the way in which technology was used during the lockdown. I don't disagree with students contacting their parents -- I likely would have done the same given a similar situation. However, I do not envy the bedlam that must have ensued as a result of the inevitable misinformation and miscommunication. And, here's what I don't understand - Why use Twitter to broadcast such a horrific situation to a potentially large group of followers? Is there a sense of security that these students felt when they shared their experiences online? Might it have been a way for students to alert their friends to seek shelter? Quite possibly, yes. Yet, some of those sample tweets included in the second article suggest a different intention -- students may have tweeted to "shock," or secure the attention, of their online audience. Well, a school shooting will certainly get you that and more. I just don't think that Twitter/ FB is the appropriate avenue to choose in such a high-stakes situation, considering that the limited information distributed to a large audience only leads to more fear and chaos. Many students, I suspect, would do the same given similar circumstances. What are your thoughts?
I thought this was interesting that you mentioned how cell phones are not allowed during lockdowns. I am pretty sure when I was in high school you could not use your cellphones during lockdown either. I could see that sometimes this could do more harm than good.
DeleteIn the middle school I work in now students are not allowed to have their phones on them during school hours. They have to be locked in their lockers. If they are caught with their phones they have to give it to the teacher until the end of the day.
I would be interested in seeing the cell phone policies for other schools. I could see that they would be a good affective tool, but they could also be bad.
Again, in the One Tree Hill episode the shooter was locked in one of the classrooms with a group of students. The shooter got even more upset when he saw students trying to call for help. He almost shot some of the other students who had the phones. He ended up breaking most of the phones so they could not find out exactly where he was in the school.
Melissa R
Andrea,
DeleteYour questioning about Twitter brings up such a good point. From those sample tweets, it might bring up the shock, but doesn't really show a purpose. I feel that if students were to use Twitter, it should have been a way of updating parents of them being okay. In our school, our students wouldn't have their cell phones on them. We started allowing students to use their Kindles and Nooks. However, that's with reminding them how to use them appropriately.
This tragedy makes me think about Columbine that happened several years ago. Many people were left wondering what was going on inside the school with the shooter. However, with the technology we have now, it seems like it would be easier to communicate with all types of people and departments- so I am on the fence with this topic.
Was twittering during the shooting confusing or incredible? I think it was both. Twitterring while in the middle of caios may have come off as caios or confusing. I think if someone is twittering during a time like that is because they are truely trying to get help and feel that that is the only way. It hard to say what you would do if you have never been put in that situation.
DeleteBunker
We had a lockdown the day before Thanksgiving break and it was confusing since students do have their phones on them even if they are not supposed to. The students were reporting items even though we had not heard anything officially. Some of the news was good; some not. It was helpful when students were told that they could contact their parents via their cell phones and I am sure that you can imagine the parent's relief when they heard from their children. It was not a great thing to be put through but... the children and parents' were very comforted that they were able to contact one another.
DeleteTina
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs a student and now as an educator, I am stunned and saddened by the tragedy at Chardon High School. When news of the shooting first broke, I sat in front of the television and envisioned those students cowering underneath tables, frantically texting their loved ones, and contemplating whether they would make it out of school alive. In one respect, I'm relieved that the students were able to use cell phones to get in touch with their family; I likely would have done the same thing. But, I can only imagine the bedlam that ensued when parents got word of this horrifying situation. As the police and administration were attempting to secure the campus, parents must have been arriving from all directions, eager to locate their son or daughter.
ReplyDeleteLater on, I heard about the courageous football coach who risked his life, and in that moment I paused and contemplated, "Would I have done the same given a similar situation? Do I have the strength in character to potentially sacrifice my life to save another's?" The next day, I greeted each of my 17 students as they walked through the door, and I knew what what my answer would be.
The question now left for parents, students, teachers, and law officials is "Why?" Begin reading the first few lines in the HuffingtonPost article, and students are already speculating that the shooter's experience with bullying served as a catalyst for his shooting spree. I understand the public's need for answers, but I also see an opportunity here to think about what went wrong in the days, weeks, months, and years leading up to this tragedy. How can any child think that murder is a solution? How utterly alone must someone feel to kill another human being just to forgo their own future? Anger and sadness are very real and very powerful feelings, but they don't justify murder.
This incidence, one of many that have since followed Columbine, is another call to action. It is time to teach, model, reinforce, and re-teach the basic notion of humanity and respect to our students. As several witnesses attested to in the above articles, Chardon students and faculty were well versed in lock down protocol. After all, students were accustomed to administration checking for weapon possession. Nonetheless, these are only reactive measures that alone did not prevent T.J Lane from walking into school and murdering his classmates.
As I read some of these articles regarding the shooting in Ohio, I see that they state that only one student was killed. I heard on the radio that the number has grown to three. Three students who just went to school one day, like any other day... It's a scary thought. In an article I read about the shooting, it was stated that the individual who opened fire had been a victim of bullying and had posted comments online alluding to what he was planning to do. Unfortunately, I don't have the article that had this information.
ReplyDeleteIf this is the case, that an intent was posted on the internet, all I can think of is, why wasn't something done about it? Did anyone take it seriously? Did anyone investigate? You start to wonder, where do you draw the line between what to take seriously and what to ignore? Is there even a line? In the time after Columbine and even the 9/11 attacks, the law became much more strict and no threat was taken lightly. I remember a student in my high school wrote the word "anthrax" on a piece of paper and sat it next to some white baby powder in the boys locker room. He was expelled, no questions asked.
I believe that any allusion to a threat or even a remote possibility to an attack such as Columbine or now Chardon High should be taken seriously. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to take chances. School should be a safe place for everyone, not a place to fear.
As far as the twitter controversy, I'm a bit torn as to how I feel about it. As Andrea mentioned, you never know how you would react in a similar situation. I'm sure I would want to contact my family and loved ones to let them know what was going on. In a moment of panic, it's hard to say how people will react. I'm sure the first thing on the minds of those students (and teachers) was reaching the people they love. At the time, nothing else must have seemed as important.
I also wanted to mention something I heard in my school. There is a new movie which releases on March 30 named "Bully" and is currently rated "R" due to language. The unfortunate part about this is that students who could really benefit from seeing this movie will be unable to do so due to age restrictions. There is an online petition going on where people are signing to try to persuade the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to change the rating to PG-13. If anyone is interested this is the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-dont-let-the-bullies-win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating
I urge everyone to watch the trailer, it's truly inspiring!
Diana, this looks like a very powerful movie and an equally as powerful teaching tool. If the rating is adjusted, I agree that a much larger audience of young adults could be reached. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteI saw a commercial for this movie and wanted to see it. Field trip anyone?
DeleteThanks Diana! I've added it to the Livebinders (Technology for Learners). This looks like a powerful film that all kids should see. There is a link to sign a petition so that the rating will be moved to PG-13 from R.
Deletehttp://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-don-t-let-the-bullies-win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating
Jen...I've written the company about where and when we could see this movie. Might be fun to have a field trip. It's only in select theatres.
I watched the trailer! This is powerful!
DeleteI agree this is great!
Delete-Danielle
This incident is every parents, students, teachers, and administrators fear of happening. At the end of one article, it mentioned to parents that if they hadn't "Hugged, kissed, or even gave their kid attention lately," that they should. Sometimes in our busy lives, we forget to remember what the most important things are. It's so sad that something like this would happen and my heart goes out to all the family and friends who were affected by this terrible incident.
ReplyDeleteThis type of situation kind of reminds me of the book we are reading in class called, " Teen Cyber bullying Investigated." Even though, I know this boy was not bullied, I feel that the government is on the fence on whether they are going to charge him as a minor or an adult. In this book, all the students seem to get away with their crime because there isn't enough evidence- it's really annoying if you ask me. I just hope the court of law doesn't let this one slide. This boy should be punished severely for this crime of taking all of those innocent lives. My thoughts go out again to the people who were affected from this situation.
Technology including twitter and text messaging is very powerful. I think it's so powerful because it is real time. Anyone can post anything or send a text at any moment in time and reach a large audience. BUT, I'm always going to be skeptical of what I read on twitter or receive in a text message because the information is not always coming from a trusted source. ANYONE can post whatever they'd like and honestly, we can't believe everything we read. For example, this weekend I heard that Arnold Schwarzenegger died in a snowboarding accident in Switzerland. There were articles on the internet and people heard and started texting their friends. I didn't see anything on reputable sites, so of course I was skeptical. It turned out to be a hoax, Arnold wasn't even in Switzerland-he was in Ohio. Students can post about a shooting as a "joke". Kids make bomb threats, post ads on craigslift offering babies for sale etc...Again-this is why teaching digital citizenship is so important!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you. I think that there will be those select few students who might think it funny to utilize twitter and texting to stir panic and upset by starting such rumors. And you are so right that this is a great example as to why it is sooo essential that students are introduced to digital citizenship!
Delete-Chelsea
It goes back to show how things can get used in so many ways. Things start out with on pupose and end up with a total another.. Facebook was to stay connected with friends, etc and now its used as a weapon, twitter was for people to follow you around and it too can be turned into a weapon. Crazy.
DeleteBunker
Jen,
DeleteWhen you say "it is real time", I couldn't agree with you more. It is at that very moment students from all over are communicating with on another that makes these technology tools so powerful. And you're right, people can post just about anything that is not true. Our students and teachers should be careful about what they read and what kinds of sources they read or hear information from.
I totally agree with you! Technology is very powerful. You cannot trust everything you hear and sometimes I feel like the social media is a big gossip center. Loved the Arnold story.
Delete-Danielle
I am not quite sure how I feel about this. On one hand, it is absolutely amazing how quickly cellphones and twitter allow for news to get out. On the other hand, I could definitely see how it can also create mass panic and hysteria.
ReplyDeleteOne post in the second article really did resonate with me in a way I never thought of; one student tweeted "pray for us," and while I always knew that this new digital age allowed for more amped up communications, it never really occurred to me how it can also be used to rally support and find ways to create international lines of digital collaboration and encouragement.
-Chelsea
Chelsea,
DeleteI agree. After reading how Twitter had been utilized by the students at Chardon High, I have a completely different perspective on Twitter. Its a powerful tool to communicate while still encouraging, and uplifting lives from across the nation.
This broke my heart. How many more times do we have to hear about these kinds of school shootings? After reading more articles and watching various videos, I am inclined to ask whether this could have been prevented. Were students and teachers aware the student who shot fire posted something rather disturbing on FB? Could this have been an initial sign of this students outrage? After Columbine, Virginia Tech, and now Chardon High there must be a heavy demand on this kind of pre-awareness. I know we're not psychic, but if something is witnessed and we can reach out to that student at that very moment, maybe a difference could be made. My prayers and thoughts go out to the families who lost their children in this shooting and also to the students and faculty at Chardon High.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't until I read that Twitter was used as a way to reach out to friends and family about the shooting, that I thought in my head "Wow". http://www.daynw.com/how-many-people-use-twitter/. This blog will tell you how many people have registered to Twitter since Sept. 2008. 105,779,710 registered users. 300,000 are signing up everyday.
Just knowing that is phenomenal because this tool gives you the opportunity and power to reach out to the world in these kinds of troubling times.
Thanks for the blog listed above! Very cool!
DeleteAs a parent in Manchester, we hear of bomb threats and gang banging, and possible child abductions all the time. My wife and I were always against kids having cell phones. Once we had 3 possible chilid abductions in one day in town (2 at my children's school and one at the high school) that was it. We gave them our phones and we bought two others immediately. We told our kids that these phones were for emergencies only. Of course, now, the phones have become a way of life with texting, facebook, games, etc. Everything but its original intent. We are fighting that fight every day.
ReplyDeleteThis story and the several like it, makes us realize that kids and teachers need a way to communicate with the outside in case of these situations.
While I feel better now about the cell phones, that is not going to end the trouble. Bullying is a problem. Society needs to focus on this issue as well.
It will get to the point where teaching will be a "dangerous" job if this does not stop.
Mike H
I agree with you it is important for students to have cell phones to communitcate with family or parents. I also agree with you in the fact that they do not need them for everything, yes it is a way of life but when is it too much?
Delete-Danielle
It to much when kids cant find balance with family life, or face to face interactions with friends, enjoy a how, a play or a game.
DeleteBunker
I have very mixed feelings on how powerful technolgy really is. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? I tend to question this frequently. I do think that in this case it was good for the public to know what was going on. But how would you feel if that was your child that was killed and that is how you found out? Through tweets?! I am not sure if I were a parent if I would be happy if students were tweeting about my child who just got killed. I think twitter is a great place for students to vent and reach out to the world but is it appropriate to broadcast information like that all the time?
ReplyDelete-Danielle
I do like that cell phones have come a way of life. That even young kids hace cell phones to stay connected in in case of emergencies. It almost like you have to have a cell phone. There are no payphones around anymore. However I feel strongly in still teaching kids safety not just by using a cell phone and calling 911. Teach kids what to do to stay safe when a cell phone is not available. I think that we depend on them to much and we forget that they need batteries to be charged, areas where there is range, that they may malfunction and you wont have access to phone numbers, etc. Lets not throw away pen and paper...
ReplyDeleteBunker