This is Mrs. Grumpy.
I think these newfangled SMART Boards the school has are great. So much neater and easier then the black boards and clouds from screeching chalk when I was a kid. It's nice for a teacher to be able to work on something at the computer and have it right up in front of the class as she talks. It's also great that there's a free app to let them control the board with their iPhone (provided the Bluetooth works properly).
But obviously, these have their limitations, as Ms. Steele and her social studies class learned last week.
Apparently, while the kids were supposed to be working on papers, an enterprising young fellow named Albert used the app on his iPhone to take control of the class board. It was turned off, but he switched it on.
As we all know now, the default setting is to show whatever happens to be on the teacher's desktop screen. Normally, this wouldn't have been a big deal, except Ms. Steele was actively exchanging steamy emails with her boyfriend about their Valentine's Day plans.
Her class was controlled enough to not break out giggling when this started, leading other students to join in the fun. Specifically Nathan, who saw she was using her official school email account.
So he used his phone to google up some pictures of couples in compromising BDSM activities and sent them to her, resulting in them showing up on the SMART Board within a few seconds.
When Ms. Steele gasped (you'd think she'd never seen such things before), then realized what was happening on the screen behind her, she was obviously shocked. She jumped up and started to yell, but apparently stopped when she hit her head on the shelf behind her. Then fell back onto the desk. Which is how I ended up involved.
Ms. Steele required 7 stitches at local ER. From her emails, it wouldn't surprise me if she was back there over the weekend for other issues.
Nathan and Albert have each been suspended for a few days.
A district memo was sent out asking teachers to not use their work emails to plan "50 Shades of Buck Naked" escapades. More importantly, it STRONGLY reminded staff not to use the default "1111" password for SMART Board Bluetooth remotes.
I think there's a lesson somewhere in all of that for each of us.
OMG!!!
ReplyDeleteBloody hilarious!
Those kids deserve a medal not a suspension.
Thank you Mrs Grumpy for starting my week with a huge grin. :-)
Never use defaults for passwords! That's just asking for shenanigans!
ReplyDeleteAnd don't use work email to discuss private stuff. It will come back to bite.
So, Mrs. Grumpy, how hard was it to keep a straight face? ;p
I'm just glad to read a story about a female teacher discovered to be a practicing human being when not at school, and not being fired for some imagined moral failing.
ReplyDeleteThe best story EVER! Thank you! You made a very snowy day a lot better.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome. Reminds me of the time when we were seniors (in the 80s) and were supposed to be watching a tape of the previous election's Republican National Convention. Someone had the same VCR at home that we did at the school and brought the remote in. We tortured the teacher for a couple of days by controlling the VCR (secretly). He nearly lost his mind. Good times.
ReplyDeleteNathan and Albert have bright futures.
ReplyDeleteI do believe several security companies have optioned Nathan and Albert. While they were not correct in this case, they showed mastery of technology beyond their years (Hey, even Dr. G is grinning, I bet). As others have posted, their futures are bright.
ReplyDeleteHowever, why are the boys suspended? And I assume the teacher has her job? Something not right here.
There is learning going on in this classroom, and school system.Two students applied what they knew about technology and human behavior to a new situation, and created changes and a new outcome. Classmates showed individual self control of impulsive behavior (laughing out loud at the screen), and an ability to conform behavior to group norms. These behaviors are essential in the modern workplace.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher has provided all of us with an effective example of the consequences of lazy password selections. Also with a good belly laugh!
Dear Mrs School Nurse,
ReplyDeleteDespite what "50 Shades of Bad Twilight Fanfiction" says, BDSM should not cause injuries that require an ER visit. You are confusing consensual activities with sexual violence.
As for passwords, as a computer geek, I'm both not surprised and shaking my head at the stupid. In the 1980s a mess of DEC Vaxes were "hacked" by people who knew a little detail. DEC shipped the machines with an account to be used by their field service people which was called, unimaginatively, "field." Depending on the OS of the machine, the password was either "MANAGER" or... nothing.
30 years later, nobody's learned shit about default passwords.
Just because they're doing BDSM doesn't mean accidents don't happen. Ask your local cops and EMI ' S about that. Trust me - they have some awesome stories.
DeleteSuspension is too much. Poor funny kids. I hope she gets better soon
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's been an occasion I've been involved with little monsters with time for texting. Maybe my texting skills are too rusty, but like driving, there are just too many pitfalls. Just too many unexpected things could happen. (Pardon me, my slip is showing.)
ReplyDeleteYes, I do recall the teacher's magic marker smudges and 'overhead' projectors especially in math class, with the rolling sheet of film which had to be viewed in a darkened classroom. This was the reason why algebra, trigonometry, analysis, calculus classes were always scheduled first hour.
How old were these kids again?
ReplyDeleteNathan and Albert , you can look forward to an enjoyable couple of months until summer vacation, I have seen similar outcomes in my distant past and I can assure you in no uncertain terms that "Payback is a bitch"
ReplyDeleteAlbert deserves commendation and an award He not only exposed sexual harassment in the workplace, but misuse of government property, free testing of security protocols, and he showed initiative and drive.
ReplyDeleteI recall a david lee wroth song...........
Yep, best story EVER.
ReplyDeleteTrue pros use '1234.'
ReplyDeleteI'm just impressed that the class members all had enough self-control NOT to giggle for so long.
ReplyDeleteI sub in a large school district and am in my 60's. I rarely venture into a few of the high schools and almost never into middle schools. (Life is too short to deal with fights in class or verbal harassment) Last fall, at a high school, two students were using their smart phones to turn on the smart board. Nothing embarrassing was on the computer. I reported this to another 30ish teacher; his reaction was "they aren't able to use smart phones for that". I hope his awakening was not so rude.
ReplyDeleteTruely deserved come-uppance for the teacher, and well-played Nathan, Albert, and the rest of the team.
ReplyDeleteNo further action necessary, I would recommend.