Make this a camera option for insecure middle schoolers!!!
I teach in a middle school, and we are using Microsoft Teams for virtual learning synchronous instruction. It is going very well except for one thing. None (or very few) of the middle school students want to turn on their camera. We beg, plead, cajole, but nothing helps. They turn it on when I meet with them privately or in small groups, just not in class. So, this is my suggestion: You make it possible to allow the students to see the teacher and the teacher to see the students, but the STUDENTS CANNOT SEE EACH OTHER. If teachers have this option in Teams, a lot more students will turn on their camera. Middle Schoolers are notoriously insecure about everything, so if they know the other students can't see them or their house or their clothes (etc.), they will turn on their cameras.

165 comments
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Annix commented
I think this would be good to have in the settings of the call but not an option for all calls. Just because some kids may be showing of something and it wouldn't make sense to have only the teacher see them. But i really think that would it all much better for some classes!
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JOSHUA GREEN commented
this could be used to spy on students
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Siddharth Sathkrith commented
This system would be flawed. As a student, I keep my camera on most of the time, but I turn it off when I have to do something private, and feel insecure about keeping it on. Therefore, in a way, this could be used to spy on students. Personally, I would have this be an optional feature with a warning the first time you enable it.
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Maima Aukuso commented
omg i love this wow
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Anonymous commented
C'est une très bonne idee. Ça aiderait beaucoup classes du secondaire. Présentement, l'enseignant enseigne à 26 caméras fermées et 4-5 caméra ouvertes...
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Anonymous commented
Teacher/Coach sees all of them, but all the students see only the coach. Especially for the sports activities is this important. A lot of kids are shy to show their self to the team or a group. This way the Coach or Teacher can see them and give them feedback without other kids seeing their mistakes or insecurities... also during the classes the kids are not distracted by students. they only see the teacher and the teacher see all of them in the same time.
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Anonymous commented
The issue seems to one of child protection (bullying/shaming). The pupils are protecting themselves especially if their home environment isn't the best! This seems like a good idea as it will also allow monitoring of engagement - which is all the more difficult if cameras are switched off.
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David Hurtado commented
Students Can See each other
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Michel Rancourt commented
good idea for evaluations
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Anonymous commented
This is not just middle schools. This makes a lot of sense. Great suggestion..
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Øystein Fevang commented
Yes, please!
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Elisabeth commented
Great idea. Would make a teachers job much easier
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MEDS commented
Oui! Oui! Quelle bonne idée! Je le veux!
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Tim Montalvo commented
Amazing and insightful solution to a problem that we are all facing.
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Sarah commented
Le enseignants en ont besoin!
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Anonymous commented
Excellent idea, yes please!
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MICHAEL NEWMAN commented
This would revolutionise using Teams for education. We need feedback when teaching and students are loathe to show they are struggling in text or by putting up their hand.
You could also have a coloured dot only visible to teachers like a traffic light if it is simpler -
Anonymous commented
well yeah, but we r not allowed 2 turn on our cameras coz of hackers and stuff, and also aparently peoples parents walk around in ther under wear so yah,and the teachers dont have there cameras on coz people photoshop them. btw, are u guys amarican? gross
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Anonymous commented
Not only middle school, high school too
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Lucie Vandal commented
Une nécessité!