Watch Me Grow. Watch Me Thrive. Anytime. Anywhere.
By: Shan Jiang
Tags: Education, Early Childhood Education, Surveillance, Apps, Security Camera

Watch Me Grow. Watch Me Thrive. Anytime. Anywhere.

High-tech video cameras have been installed in the classrooms at many Early Childhood Education Centers.

In today’s surveillance society, people used to be watched in public: streets, banks, malls, etc.. And, use of CCTV (closed-circuit television) in schools and colleges became very common in the United States because of schools violent incidents. The video cameras can be installed outside the building, also allowed being every corner in the building except privacy areas such as bathrooms and changing areas. The SecuirytInformed.com (Making The World A Safer Place) shows there are 1,740 CCTV Companies in the U.S. until December 11, 2018. Surprisingly, this number does not include other companies who provide other types of video cameras such as streaming video camera.

WatchMeGrow, a company was found in Lacey, Seattle in 1996, has provided streaming video camera system to thousands of school in North America. This company focuses on providing streaming video camera system to thrive schools’ business. In the package of benefits to schools, WatchMeGrow APP (free) allows the parents to access the app and watch their kids through the cameras in the classrooms at any time anywhere. In the Seattle Area, many popular preschools/daycares are WatchMeGrow users including Kiddie Academy, Academics, Montessori School, and Bright Horizons, ect.. Use of an in-class camera is such an important marketing strategy for those school. However, do you know video surveillance has been used in the classrooms at many Early Childhood Education Centers?

Figure: Available at WachMeGrow.com (2019)

The school administrators, parents, relative families, and whoever got the passwords and permission to access via the Internet around the world. The benefit package of streaming video cameras, installation, app, and product maintain is selling the schools. But, the app is free for the parents and family members to use. Parents can only look at the image without sound. Listen to the audio needs the other different permission by school administrators.

“…is so quick & easy to use…I would be able to keep an eye on my babies as I work…”

“…it was like watching color TV for the very first time…”

Figures: Available at wachmegrow.com (2019)

The most users’ comments on the official website of WatchMegrow, Google Play, and App Store shows the parents and school administrators love the service of WatchMegrow.

Figure: Available at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.watchmegrow (2018)

Of course, there is no comment from a teacher, either a child. The teachers know they have been watched over and monitored. However, the kids probably have no idea of what the “thing” is at the corner of the classroom and are surprised why their parents always know everything about what happened in the classroom every day. I believe it is essential to discuss more children and teachers’ rights and privacy. Who is/are watching at the kids? Do the parents know all of the people who are watching at their kid at the same time? Does the streaming video camera system equally school security? Does it mean the teachers who work under the camera have a higher standard comparing with other teachers who work without a camera? How do the teachers feel about working under a camera?