viz.

This New York Times article discusses the implications of new online systems that allow parents to monitor their children’s grades and attendance. Titled “I know what you did last Math class,” the article explains that sometimes parents know the results of their children’s tests before they do. Many parents check the system on a daily basis, although some opt not to use the system at all. There are clearly some fantastic advantages to be had from such a system—for working or divorced parents, for students that need a lot of motivation, as well as for detecting warning signs of other problems that the child might be experiencing.

As a surveillance issue this is especially worrisome because these children are essentially becoming their grades. There is no contextual information for the grades. One mother commented that, “’There’s nothing telling you that your kid loves the class but isn’t a good test taker.’” And in a time when the preparation for and pressure surrounding college admissions is beyond ludicrous, it seems to me that creating this sort of relationship with learning and grades will only worsen the situation.

The article comes down with the conclusion that the systems can be very useful if used correctly, but it can be very damaging to the parent-child relationship as well as the learning atmosphere. I think this is a bit excessive for most students. But if you have a child that is deceiving you constantly, this clearly would be a helpful tool. I’m left wondering should we just get used to the advantages and disadvantages of having this much information about each other?