With the wonders of technology, you can easily go and find the beheading of one of our own citizens at the hands of Iraqi insurgents. In my state, a teacher has been suspended for allowing students in two of his classes to view the beheading video on the internet. He has been suspended, eventhough he claims students had the option as to whether or not they wanted to view it.

My personal view? The video has little to nothing to do with classroom learning and that the teacher earned his suspension. There is enough violence on t.v. and in the world, the teacher should be working with students to discover how and why events occur as they do. If they want to read about the beheading and then search the history books for answers, so be it. But to watch a video was just way out of line.


Qustions for debate:

1.)Should a teacher be suspended for showing the video in class to high school students? Does it make a difference if student had the option to view it or not?

2.)When does an educational experience cross the line when it comes to current events?

3.)If you were a student or the parent of a student, would you be offended by the teacher's actions?

1. I have no problem with high school students seeing the video IF they so chose. I'd be very much against it being required viewing, and absolutely against showing such material to students below high school age.

2. It crosses the line when some teachers use it to make an explicit political point, as has happened in some other cases reported, where teachers said Berg was executed because of the prison abuses, and that proves we shouldn't have been in Iraq in the first place and should leave ASAP. I would not accept my (hypothetical) kids being subjected to outright political indocrination in secendary schools; they'll get enough of that in college.

3. As I said in answering the above questions, I have no problem if the students are offered the choice to see it or not, provided they're at least high school age, and so long as it isn't used as political propaganda.

This one hits kinda close to home for You and I.

I have to agree with you almost entirely.

The Video was too graphic for the setting. I think if the students wanted to see this, on there own time, that is one thing, but showing it during school hours?

I wonder if this teacher would have shown the Paris Hilton video also?


Just plain bad judgement....


Red (in the home of the passing Huskers)

1.)Should a teacher be suspended for showing the video in class to high school students? Does it make a difference if student had the option to view it or not?

Like it or not, these kids are still, by and large, minors. Heck, my daughter is going on a field trip where they will be riding on a commercial bus that features videos, and the teachers provided parents with a list of movie videos so that we could indicate if we did not want our child to see any of the listed movies. Granted, my daughter is in 5th grade, but the principle remains the same.

It is the parent's decision, not the teacher's, to let someone watch film footage of an actual beheading. The suspension was appropriate.


2.)When does an educational experience cross the line when it comes to current events?

When there are scenes of graphic violence, the appropriateness of the medium comes into question.

Also, Izdaari is correct in saying that it is wrong for the teacher to use it to editorialize or politicize.

3.)If you were a student or the parent of a student, would you be offended by the teacher's actions?

For a high school student? Personally, I have not been able to bring myself to see the internet video of the beheading. The written description is graphic enough for me, and I'm 51 years old.

So I'll have to say yes, I would be offended by the teacher's actions. I know my child, presumably better than the teacher does. What point is there showing such violence to students?

1. I would say, yes, a teacher should be suspended for showing
such a video in his classroom. The problem with giving kids the
option is that some kids may not realize what they are in for, and
could be mentally disturbed after such a viewing.

I have NOT viewed the video. I do not plan to view it. I am sure
there are many people who can watch it, and then "let it go,"
but I would not be one of those people. And, undoubtedly, there
are high schoolers who would have similar reactions.

I have heard radio broadcasters say that it SHOULD be viewed.
Because, "We must see what these animals are capable of..." etc.
I do not share that opinion. I do not need to watch a grotesque,
unimaginable act of violence to understand that such violence
can and does occur.

2. An educational experience crosses the line when it physically
or mentally disturbs students, needlessly. This is a perfect example
of "crossing the line."

3. I would question the judgment of any teacher who would give
his students the choice, when his students may not be prepared for
the negative effect that such a choice may have on them.

No. I do not believe a teacher should be suspended as long as a choice exists and especially as long as politics are not involved like the one teacher who said "this is why we shouldnt be in Iraq." I dont think we have a reason to be in Iraq but it isnt up to a teacher to pass off an opinion as a fact. I think an option does make a difference for a high schooler. This to me is the equivalent of banning books and eliminating it because some are not mature enough. You dont make general rules that cater to everyone especially when a potential subject has alot to be digested and understood. This is a lesson a life lesson and its important to remember whether you support the war or not. This isnt voyerism. I think such a thing is important for people to see if they can. I could and I watched and I feel it was my duty to watch. I can understand if someone doesnt want to. Under no circumstance should this be forced but those who are mature enough and decide they can watch I feel should be able to watch with a teacher or a guide moderating.

I wish I had a choice when I had to make a bug collection when I was a Freshman. It bothered me to have to kill insects. I didnt have a choice though. Lose 40% of my grade and my partner's grade or track down and kill insects. I killed a couple and I just couldnt do it. I remember trying to suffocate and drown a grasshopper. I thought I had killed it after about 20 minutes of suffocating and drowning and then I took it to school where it was still alive. My partner wanted to kill it and I couldnt allow it not after what it had been through so I paid him 20 bucks for a failing grade and to release the grasshopper. The grasshopper lived but I got a 38% on the assignment and all the bugs I got credit for other then a house fly and ant I killed were his. After how long it took to kill the grasshopper (Or for me to think I killed it) I couldnt keep doing that to about 30 more insects.

Now that is somethig we should have a choice on. I think its disgusting that people are made to kill insects. This tape though is to help you see what the troops face and to remember.

I agree with you for the most part doomed, but everytime that I tell myself that it's bad due to the gruesome nature of it, my inner-devil's advocate says: "Well, so too is the holocaust!" Is showing the behading video any different than havings kids look up evidence that the holocaust occured through pictures and film from WWII? Is the holocaust scenes permissible and the behading not? I'm not sure how to rectify this dilemma. Your thoughts?

I believe there is a difference between watching a person as they are being beheaded, and in the process of dying and screaming, and showing footage of dead victims of the holocaust. This teacher crossed the line. Should he be permitted to show a snuff film in the interest of education?

Nebraska,

You bring up a good point. It is a matter of conveying the truth, to school-age
children (or anyone, for that matter), in a way that still shows the importance
of the event, but does not overwhelm a student with unbearable images s/he
may not be mentally prepared to handle.

For example, when I was a 7th grader my English teacher assigned me to read
the book, The Diary of Anne Frank. That was my first experience with
learning about the Holocaust. The reality and truth that came through that
little girl's words hit me like a ton of bricks. If I would have never seen gruesome
footage or photos from that unbearable event in history, the message that came
pouring through that book successfully conveyed the unimaginable truth of what
actually occurred.

The point I'm trying to make is that there are ways to teach children about
horrible events, without giving them mental images that they cannot get rid of.

I agree with Mrs. P that there is a big difference between images depicting the results of violence (ie. Holocaust) and watching a video of an act of violence. Ironically it is this very depiction than can sometimes determine if a movie receives an R or PG-13 rating.

While I do think there should be some trust that the teacher would make the best judgement on behalf of the students, this particular one crosses that unfortunately fuzzy line of acceptable behavior.

I also don't think this video has much value from an educational perspective. There are other resources that could drive whatever points the teacher wants home without subjecting someone who can't watch Kill Bill to similar gore.

Doc

I agree that this was nothing more then the showing of a snuff film at school. What educational value did this film have. When I was in school, not too long ago, we were allowed to view Schindlers List, but only after receiving a permission slip from our parents or guardians. The problem with showing this snuff film is that it has no educational value, although I haven't viewed it to be sure. Since it was a sociology class did they discuss what fueled the hatred that caused it like the prisoner abuse or the current living conditions in Iraq? Although the holocaust was an important piece of history, it can be taught by explaining the conditions of it without degrading the dead by showing their remains for public display. Would it have been acceptable to have shown the dead bodies of Sept. 11 or March 11?

I could see that, the value of holocaust pictures and videos would be to reiterate to students that yes, it did occur, inspite of what some "revisionists" have stated and published on the web. It is educational in that the kids need to see the proof of the holocaust to get the full effect of it. The beheading is not really a historical incident, it's just an act of murder without a greater context.

I love people who decide that their morals are more important than yours, and will force you to suffer theirs.

Teachers showing the beheading to students is RIGHT up there with showing them The Passion of the Christ in school. People who decide that since what they want is important it and that should justify their regardless of the damage they may do to others, make me sick. One or two nutcase teachers decide to show material that's very obviously violent to the point of offensiveness, and without asking the parents? Insane.
Suspsension isn't far enough. Imagine what other decisions they're making for parents in the classroom, if they can't make the distinction about what is and isn't appropriate they shouldn't be teaching.

Unless questionable content has the approval of administration/parents through letters sent home, then suspension is worthy of a punishment. I know a teacher who does an in-depth study of the holocaust. He presents "revisionist" arguments that it never occured, and kids are to find evidence(yes, pictures of every gruesome nature) to prove him wrong. There is an educational focus on the lesson, and the administrator knows that he's doing. I can't believe that some people would(as these teachers who I posted on the URL) would just show it to kids. I'm sure he was the one who brought it to their attention, and not the other way around.