wiretapping

     Shhhhh...Sam's spying! Did you ever wonder how the best top secret spies really get all their top secret information? Sam the spy uses lots of cool tricks and tools when he is trying to get all of his information. He has all the newest tools like hidden cameras, night vision goggles like the ones in figure one, and even cool lasers. But Sam's favorite way to get his information about people is to wiretap them. Lots of spies like to use wiretapping because it allows them to hear everything a person says into their phone (1). 

Figure 1. Sam's night vision goggles

     Since most people do not have home phones anymore Sam usually only has to wiretap cell phones. When he finds the perfect target he sets up shop inside of his BIG van of secrets. He begins the process by first linking to the cell phone by using his BTS tool. The BTS takes the signals from the phone floating through the air and pulls them down and records them (1). Then it is one of Sam's secret spy workers to decode all the messages that were picked up. 

 Figure 2. Sam putting a speaker in a home phone

     If Sam did end up needing to tap into a home phone it would be easier. When he taps into home phones he simply attaches a little speaker inside the phone where the person talks into. You can see Sam doing this is figure two! Then the speaker picks up everything that the person has said into their phone and it is sent to Sam's BIG van of secrets (2). Sam has to be careful when doing this though; if he forgets to go back and take the speaker out the person might find it and his cover will be blown! 
     Wiretapping isn't just for super secret spies like Sam either! Anyone can tap into someone else's phone. In fact, Sam's good friend Charlie the cop also uses wiretapping. Charlie loves using all the stuff Sam taught him. He uses it against bad guys when he's trying to catch them planning something or when he's trying to catch them admitting to something they did that would get them in trouble (1). If Charlie is able to catch the bad guys then he can put them in jail and that only makes the world safer for people just like you and me!
     You can even wiretap if you really wanted to! Although, many average people cannot afford these tools. Some of them can cost a whole lot of money, almost as much as a house! In most cases the only way for a person just like you to wiretap a cell phone is if they are able to make the tool themselves (2). You can see the first tool Sam ever made in figure 3!

Figure 3. Sam's first home made tool

It is not super hard to make the tools if you are really committed to it and really want to figure it out. A lot of the time when average people use wiretapping who aren't spies like Sam or cops like Charlie they use it to find stuff out about people close to them (1). They don't need to worry about taking down the bad guys and they don't have to worry about spying so they just use it when it becomes useful to them.

            Wiretapping is becoming more useful to people other than Sam and Charlie. They are both perfect examples of how wiretapping can help save lives and people's relationships. You never know maybe you will be the next super secret spy or chief cop that gets to enter the world of wiretapping next!

References

Advanced Electric Security Co. [illustration]. (1964) Retrieved from the ZDNet website:                                                                 http://www.bugsweeps.com/info/big_bro.html

Brian Hochman [illustration]. (2014) Retrieved from the ZDNet website: http://brianhochman.net/eavesdrop/

Mullikin, A., Rahman, S. M. (2010). The ethical dilemma of the usa government wiretapping. International Journal of Managing Information Technology, 2, 32-39. doi:10.5121/ijmit.2010.2403 

Night Vision Binoculars [illustration]. (n.d.) Retrieved from the ZDNet website: http://www.cultofdegan.com/night-vision-goggles  

Pell, S. K., & Soghoian, C. (2014). Your secret stingray’s no secret anymore: the vanishing government monopoly over cell phone surveillance and its impact on national security and consumer privacy. Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, 28, 1-75. Retrieved from http://jolt.law.harvard.edu

Martial arts

Mixed Marital Arts is for you!

Figure 1: A kid being bullied

Have you ever been picked on before by a bully? Do you ever feel like you don't have too much confidence in yourself? Do you want to learn a fun way to improve your overall health? These are some questions someone would ask themselves before they decide to participate in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Participating in your local MMA gym could help you with all of these questions, but before you decide on joining, let me give you some advice on whether or not MMA is the right choice for you.

 

 

What is Mixed Martial Arts?

Figure 2: A list of a few Martial arts in MMA.

Now you might ask, "What exactly is MMA or Mixed martial arts? " Mixed Martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport that combines the use of fighting techniques and strikes from Martial arts from all over the world such as Karate, Judo (Both from Japan), Wrestling (Greece), Muay Thai (Thailand), Kick Boxing (Japan), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Brazil), Boxing (United States), Wu Shu (China) and so many more (Figure 2). Another question you might ask is, "Wow, so would I learn all of these martial arts from all over the world if I do MMA?" Not exactly! Before you could say you are a Mixed martial art practitioner (Someone who practices in something) you must first learn one martial art. Let's use a famous movie star for example. You know Jet Lee, right? (Famous Chinese movie star that does really cool stunts and fights all the bad guys in the movies.) Well before he could beat up all of the bad guys in the movies, he learned a martial art called Wu Shu. We would call Jet Lee a Martial artist because of the fact that he only trained in one specific martial art. Now let's take Ultimate Fighter Championship (UFC) Featherweight champion, Demetrious Johnson, for example. He started off learning wrestling in high school and than later learned Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Since Demetrious knows and trains in more than one Martial art this makes him a MMA practitioner.  

Self Defense Only!!!

Figure 3: Martial arts is for self defense.

Now let's just say your reasoning for participating in MMA is because you want to beat up the kid at your school who is bullying you. Well let me start off saying, YOU SHOULD NOT ENTER ANY SCHOOL OR GYM THAT TRAINS ANY MARTIAL ART IF THAT IS YOUR MOTIVE! The reason why I say this is because if you learn a martial art for the wrong reason, it goes against the whole meaning of what the martial arts stand for. For example, lets say you decide to go and learn karate from a school in your local town and you tell the teacher that you wanna join because you want to learn how to beat up this bully at your school. The sensei (teacher in Japanese) will deny you because in Karate the purpose of learning it is to protect oneself. also to train the mind and body and that the Way is not to attack or harm others but to exercise restraint. So to put it in easier words the whole purpose in learning karate is to teach yourself to control your actions and not to act on your emotions.

Improving Self Confidence and Overall Health

Figure 4: Practitioners of MMA trains with each other

Another question that you may ask is, "How would training MMA help me with my self confidence and health?" Well there is multiple ways I could answer this question for you. First, a school or gym that trains in MMA is a social environment where people of different ages and genders come together (Figure 4) and train with each other in order to better themselves. So if you are nervous around people this will help you build some social skills and help you gain some good friends. Second; when training, you are exercising your body and your mind and after a certain period of time you will notice a change in your body and in your skill in MMA. In doing so, you will build confidence in your body image and skill which can cross over into your self confidence. Also learning and training MMA can teach you discipline. In which can be helpful in your life later on when you face tougher challenges.

Are you up for the challenge? 

MMA is more than just learning how to fight and defending yourself against bullies. MMA is a way of improving your overall health and self confidence, helps you create discipline in your life, and always remember that learning MMA or Martial arts is only for self-defense only. Now that you have gain some knowledge about MMA let me ask you. Are you up for the challenge? 

For more some inspiration watch this video
For anymore information about MMA go to this Link

 References

A kid being bullied. [Photograph] Retrieved from http://survivallife.com/2015/01/19/best-martial-arts-self-defense/

A list of a few Martial arts in MMA. [Photograph] http://stockfresh.com/image/2017892/mixed-martial-arts

Black Belt World's leading Martial arts Resource. (n.d) Japanese Marital arts. Retrieved from http://www.blackbeltmag.com/category/japanese-martial-arts/  

International, Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF). (n.d.) About MMA. Retrieved from http://www.immaf.org/mma-2/about-mma/

Martial arts is for self defense. [Photograph]  Retrieved from  http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2014/07/bullying-prevention.html 

Practitioners of MMA [Photograph] Retrieved from http://www.kshb.com/sports/grindhouse-mma-training-a-family-of-champions

Hide N Seek

Hide N Seek 

Figure 1: Kids playing hide n seek 

           As a kid you were most likely riding your bike and running around playing games with your friends. One of the most popular games in my childhood was hide and seek (Figure 1). Now for some people this game sometimes can not be that interesting to many kids. Although for the people that like to play, you have the opportunity to play the game for hours if you have the right spot that the other players can't reach or find. Now these places could be anywhere in the area of the game. Now imagine having a camera system set up in the playing area, which shows you where the other kids are playing. Having the system will most likely help you win the game. Today these cameras are set up all over the world, but they don't play hide n seek with them. With the use of video surveillance cameras you will catch the other players. 


What are Video Surveillance Cameras? 
             Video surveillance cameras can best be described as a system that monitor the activity of an area or building. The camera then takes images or records the activity. After that the images are then sent to a television system and are shown on the screen. These images can show activity of bad guys, and where they are taking place. Then after these images are shown, they start to the part of tracking down the bad guys. 

Figure 2: Surveillance Cameras    

A Different Form of Hide N Seek 

        These days the game is still played by many kids as well as being played by the federal (national) government. Now you're thinking to yourself how is this possible? They considered it the same game but with a couple different rules. The game is played all over the world, and we are still the ones considering hiding. Although they use security or surveillance cameras (Figure 2) to detect or find your hiding spot. Now a days, most people don't play the game of hide n seek anymore because they have grown up or don't like to play the game. On the other hand, most people are playing the federal government form of hide n seek. With the use of surveillance cameras government officials can pin point the location of individuals that are considered dangerous to the nation. These individuals are always or constantly on the run hiding in different spots trying not to get spotted.



The Pros and Cons 
            The use of  surveillance cameras is like a normal everyday system that has its pros and cons. Some of the pros are the new high tech facial recognition system that is built into the cameras.This helps detectives, have a sharper camera image of the individual committing crime or harmful activities. Also, when they pull up the picture of that individual they can send it to a GIANT database that searches for that person all over the world. Another pro of the surveillance camera system, is the fact cities all over the world are able to combine cameras and license plate readers. So if the person committing a crime decides to leave in a vehicle they can access a picture of the license plate through cameras within the city. With the use of this, authorities can determine the make of the car as well as where the car is going so they can try and stop it.                                                                      

Figure 3: The Bad Guy 

             Like any type of system, there are some cons or disadvantages to the program. Some people think that there are too many cameras and that they are invading their privacy. Another disadvantage is the fact that the facial recognition system can fail or shutdown if it gets hacked. This can be done by someone trying to hack into the cameras so they don't work. Now if someone is planning to hack the cameras all they would have to is locate the cameras and cut the wires. By doing this bad guys faces wont be seen on the monitor screen. The final disadvantage is that the bad guys could wear masks over their faces so they can't be tracked (Figure 3). 

An Illustration 

Figure 5: Joker 

Figure 4: Batman 

            There are many uses for surveillance cameras in today's society. One of the main reasons being the individual is trying to catch the bad guys. For example, the Superhero Batman (Figure 4)protects Gotham City by trying to stop people that are trying to harm the city. Now in the comic book, Batman is trying to stop the Joker (Figure 5) and all of his team. He does this by using surveillance systems that help him pin point the exact location of the Joker. When Batman finds the bad guy, he then stops him from doing any harm to the city and saves the day. This is what the federal government tries to do, except they find more then one Joker and try to save the day.

References 

Cornell, S. (2011, May 10). What Are the Pros and Cons of Video Surveillance? Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8390722_pros-cons-video-surveillance.html

Kelly, H. (2013, April 26). After Boston: The pros and cons of surveillance cameras - CNN.com. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/26/tech/innovation/security-cameras-boston-bombings/

Pioneers in dictionary publishing since 1819. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/video-surveillance

All about Fighting Back

What is a protest?

Have you ever felt like there was an injustice or lack of fairness in your life? There's a way to change this and it is through protest. Protest is a statement or action that expresses disapproval about an idea, law, or rule and can be performed by yourself or with other people (1).



The Cookie Monster needs cookies! (3)

No more cookies

One day on Sesame Street the town mayor made a decision to ban cookies from everybody. Once the Cookie Monster heard the news he was heart-broken; Elmo and all of the other Muppets heard the news as well and they weren't happy either. The mayors decision to ban cookies was unfair and the only reason he had for banning cookies was because... he didn't like cookies.
 

Sesame Street is Losing Hope

The Cookie Monster lost all hope and started looking for an alternative substance to replace his cookie addiction; unfortunately, days went by and he couldn't find an alternative and he was on the verge of a melt down. His friends Elmo, Big Bird and Ernie saw that he was in a lot of pain and struggling to survive without cookies so they wanted to help.
 

What will they do?!

Elmo came up with an idea to ask the mayor to change the law of banned cookies. However when the Muppets went to the mayors office he was busy and rudely told them to leave; they were furious and they knew something needed to change. Big Bird then mentioned the idea of a protest and explained to Elmo and Ernie what a protest was and how it works. Elmo and Ernie instantly loved the idea of protesting; Big Bird, Elmo and Ernie were determined to get cookies back in there town for their friend, the Cookie Monster, through protesting!
 


Picket signs that Elmo, Big Bird and

Ernie made. (2)

The Preparation of the Protest on Sesame Street

Elmo and Big Bird spread the word that there was going to be a protest in front of the town hall. Their plan is to gather as many supporters as possible to help support their protest. The word spread and eventually the protest was the new talk of the town. While the word was being spread town about the protest Elmo, Big Bird and Ernie were preparing microphones and making picket signs for people to use at the protest. Ernie suggested that they should come up with a slogan for the protest for people to chant and for awhile the three of them brainstormed until Big Bird came up with an idea for a slogan, "We want cookies and we want them now!". It was short, sweet and to the point which is the best way to get your point across during a protest. Elmo, Big Bird and Ernie did a lot of preparation for the protest and now they were ready to put in all in action!
 


Sesame Street was packed the day of the protest. (4)

The Start of the Protest on Sesame Street

It was almost time for the protest to begin and hundreds of Muppets were lined out front of the mayors office in front of the town hall. Even the Cookie Monster was there! He was amazed that his friends would do this for him and he was right beside them protesting along with them. Elmo, Big Bird, and Ernie lead the protest by starting their slogan chant, "We want cookies and we want them now!" and everyone followed their lead. The Muppets were chanting and waving their picket signs back-and-forth; Elmo and Big Bird thought that things were going great but then things took a turn for the worst.
 

Violence on Sesame Street

The protest started out peaceful but the Cookie Monster has not had a cookie in days and he was a little on edge. The Cookie Monster and Ernie started to argue about whose sign was whose which led to other Muppets arguing as well. This caused chaos within the protest and what used to be a peaceful protest was now turning into a violent protest. the Muppets started to fight amongst each other; throwing pickets signs into windows and at each other. The town hall security had to come and stop the violent protest and they did so by arresting aggressive Muppets. Elmo, Big Bird and Ernie needed to stop the violence if their protest was going to be successful.
 

Elmo and the guys saves the Day

In order to stop the violence Elmo needed to get the attention of the protestors so he went to the top of the steps and screamed "STOP" at the top of his lungs through a microphone. Suddenly all of the chaos stopped and the violent protestors were listening. Elmo explained to them that violent protest is not going to get them what they want; if they want to have a successful protest then they need to do it in a calm and safe way, also known as a peaceful protest. The violent protest was clearly unsuccessful and the Muppets knew that so the group of protestors agreed to stay peaceful throughout the rest of the protest in order to get cookies back for their friend, the Cookie Monster. After hours of peaceful protesting the mayor was fed up with people standing outside of his office. He walked outside to the protestors and despitefully started throwing cookies at them. The crowd of protestors started to cheer, a cheer of joy while the mayor yelled "The cookies are all yours. Now leave my office, NOW!".
 

The Cookie Monster Eats again! YAY!

The Cookie Monster loves eating cookies. (3)

Cookies were now legal in the town of Sesame Street and everyone lived happily ever after; especially the Cookie Monster. Finally he was back to himself as he was able to eat cookies again; he was no longer a grouch. The Cookie Monster was amazed that his friends organized a protest just for him and he felt loved. Before this occurred the Cookie Monster, Elmo and Ernie didn't know what a protest was, however, now they all experts at it and they love to protest because they know how much it can impact a specific issue.

References

1. Quezzaire, P., & Flynn. (2015). Violent Protest: An Overview. Points Of View: Violent Protest, 1.
2. Picket sign [Illustration]. (2011). Retrieved from the polyvore website: http://www.polyvore.com/blank_picket_sign/thing?id=49423568
3. Cookie Monster [Illustration]. (2014). Retrieved from the dragon art website: http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/5504/1/1/how-to-draw-cookie-monster.html
4. Sesame Street [Illustration]. (2014). Retrieved from the kidding around website: http://kidding-around.blogspot.com/2009/12/happy-birthday-sesame-street.html

Hacking

Figure 1: Girls spreading secrets in school

     Imagine keeping all of your biggest secrets in one place that allowed anyone to steal or gain access to all of the information, and use the information in anyway they choose. These thieves take your secrets and spread them around the school allowing everyone, including your crush to know all your personal thoughts (Figure 1). I'm sure your parents have warned you about the internet and all the dangerous activities that have come because of it. In today's day in age the internet hides many "bad people" who steal important information from a variety of people, companies, and corporations. These "bad people" are known as hackers and they gain access to information illegally. The internet allows for these hackers to steal information easily and use the information in any way they choose. Hacking is considered a criminal activity and is punishable by jail time (2).

 What is Hacking?

Figure 2: A hacker, hacking into a computer

Hacking can be considered a hobby or job for people who use it to help people, companies, and corporations. They use their skills to help prevent the criminal hackers from stealing any important information that would cause a problem within their lives or jobs (3). Also, hacking is most commonly  known for its negative effect on the people, companies and corporations it steals from. Those hackers are considered the criminal hackers and they steal or gain access to unauthorized information through computer systems(2)(Figure 2).

 The Bad

Preventing these hackers from stealing your information is a lot harder than just putting your secrets in a new hiding spot that no one will find. Hackers can access information through different devices on a computer. The criminal hackers are the bully's in school who would steal your most personal secrets and let the whole school know what they are. Hacking is more commonly known as a criminal act but, there are also good sides to hacking(4). The criminal side to hacking are the events you see on TV, where people loose money because of them. Maybe you have heard your parents talk about how they have to be careful when using their credit cards, because that is a common way hackers can gain access and information about people. Most recently, Target had an incident involving a hacker around the holidays so as a precaution they warned everyone to be careful when using their card at any Target store (3).

The Good

Hacking is beneficial to some companies and corporations, because it saves them from loosing money and information to hackers(5). The good hackers are similar to your best friend who helps you secure your secrets so no one will ever find them and steal them. The good hackers are similar to your best friend who finds out who stole your secret information and helps you try to keep it hidden better next time.

Figure 3 Coding

Skill
Hacking is a skill that is most commonly done by teens and young adults. To most people it starts as a hobby because they enjoy the act of cracking codes (1). Many people who become hackers are very smart and have a technological skill that they use to break into different systems(1). The process of hacking involves a technique called coding which is a complex variation of letters and numbers that create everything on your computer. Coding looks like the picture in Figure 3.

References

  (1)Chabrow. E. (2015). 7 levels of hackers. Retrieved from http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/lulzsec-senate-sony-hackers-profiled-a-3751/p-2
(2)Hinders, D. (2015, March 20). What is hacking?, [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-computer-hacking.ht
(3) Motivations of Hacking [Illustration]. (2013). Retrieved from http://hackmageddon.com/tag/2013/

       (4) National Conference of State Legislators. (2014). In Computer crime statutes. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/computer-hacking-and-unauthorized-access-laws.aspx

       (5) Yankun, Z. (2014). Computer network security threats and security technology research. Advanced Materials Research, 971-9731440-1443.
ffff  [Figure 1 girls spreading secrets in school] (2013). Retrieved from pixshark.com: http://pixshark.com/bullying-in-schools.htm
      [Figure 2 a hacker, hacking into a computer] (2015). Retrieved from Sodahead:http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/man-gets-18-years-in-prison-for-hacking-neighbors-wifi-fair-or-foul/question-1970305/?link=ibaf&q=&esrc=s
      [Figure 3 Coding] 2015. Retrieved from The hacker news: http://thehackernews.com/2015/01/pastebin-wordpress-website-hacking.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Computers Playing Copycat

Computers Playing Copycat

(1) Image of someone being a copycat

Has one your friends ever copied everything you have said and done for a moment to be funny? Only for the copycat to realize that the game they are playing actually annoys more people than it entertains. This game of copycat works just like computer viruses. It all starts with fun and games and eventually turns into one of the biggest problems of the 2000's. Viruses started as a prank that a gamer wanted to play on his friends(3).The program was called the “Elk Cloner” and it was made by Richard Skrenta as a practical joke. It was placed on a game disc and upon the disks 50^th use a poem would appear about the Elk Cloner along with a poem about how the virus had a personality. This virus would spark a surge in people making viruses with the intention of messing with other computer users in some way or another without the owner even realizing what is going on.

So you may be wondering to yourself how does a virus work? Well viruses work in a similar way that copycats work, the virus will just keep copying itself in the background of your computer to slow it down. Since computers just do what the users tell them to do, programmers attach viruses to popular programs like Microsoft Word so when the user opens the program the virus will run in the background(4). Since the virus is not visible without searching for it the virus can duplicate itself creating several programs that will all run without you knowing. This ultimately slows the computer down and allows the controller of the virus to use it for what ever purpose they have in mind. Most viruses are used to sent out spam email to various destinations however there are viruses that can look through computers information to steal peoples private information.

(2) Some popular antivirus programs

With the growing virus epidemic across the Internet it was time to combat the viruses. Programs like Avast and Norton are two anti-virus programs that will stop you from downloading any suspicious software. These programs just search through all the files and programs that your computer has and looks for these hidden viruses. When they locate anything on your computer that is suspicious or abnormal it will advise that you remove it from the computer or look into what the file is. Since viruses are constantly changing and evolving, the programs that detect them must also change and update to keep on top of the current viruses being spread.

Since there is an easy way to combat the viruses it is not worth getting work up about. While users are advised to use the Internet with caution anti-virus software is a good way to make sure that all your bases are covered in case the situation gets out of hand. Even when downloading products from companies it is very important that you make sure you are downloading what you think you are downloading in case you get tricked into giving yourself a virus.The anti-virus software usually suggests to scan your computer once every two weeks or so just to make sure your computer runs as swiftly as possible.

Just like the friend you had who copied you to be funny,computer viruses are annoying and sometimes maddening. There are things that you can do to ease or even get rid of the annoyance with relative ease. After all the person copying you was your friend right? Just like your friend, your computer, is still a great part of your life. Just because it can get a few bugs doesn't mean that aren't worth having.


References

(1) How to Deal with a Copycat Friend. (2011, July 12). http://www.29secrets.com/relationships/how-deal-copycat-friend

(2) Antivirus companies say their products no longer work. (2013, January 4). http://www.epyk.com/41/antivirus-companies-say-their-products-no-longer-work

(3) Jesdanun, A. (2007, September 1). School prank starts 25 years of security woes. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20534084/#.VRil4fnF90Z

(4) Russell, D., & Gangemi, G. (1991). Computer security basics ([Rev. ed., p. 86). Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates.

Is that a camera I see?

 Is That a Camera I See?

"Afternoon class, we have a special speaker coming in today. His name is Carl the camera (See Figure 1). He has a lot to explain about his job and how he helps us in school. He has some awesome facts that many of you never knew! So make sure to take a few notes down and be sure to pay attention!" 

(Figure 1 http://www.hdwalls.xyz/images/cartoon-camera-kid)

          Carl introduces himself, “Hello everyone, my name is Carl the camera. A lot of you look very familiar. It's probably because my cousins and I see all of you every day. Now you may be wondering, What does Carl mean, "see all of you every day"? Well let me explain. My cousins and I all work here at your school. We work inside and outside watching all of you throughout the school day. Our main job is keeping all of you safe". 

Johnathan asks, "Mr. Camera why are you watching us?"

.

Carl explains, "I'm here to keep you all safe. Safety is my middle name, for those who didn't know. My cousins and I make sure that strangers don't come into the building while all of you are learning (5). I make sure to look at their face to make sure our school knows who they are. Remember kids don't talk to strangers or let them into the building. Another purpose I serve here at school is bully watching. Bullies are mean people and sometimes they get away with being mean. My job is making sure no one gets bullied. If I see it, I spit out a recorded tape for our principal Mr. Garrison to see. Once he sees who the bully is they get in trouble and don't act mean anymore. Lastly I make sure no one is harming the school. Remember how mom and dad told you no using crayons on the walls at home? I do the same here at school. We want to make sure that our school stays clean, and new. Save the crayons for the awesome art classes here with Mrs. Cole".

Susan asks," Where exactly are you and your cousins at in school Mr. Camera?"

(Figure 2 
http://www.sparshsecuritech.com/uploads/image/Solutions/School%20Surveillance.png )

 Carl explains, "Well Susan we are put all over the school. Were put in your classrooms, in the gymnasium, the cafeteria, hallways, offices, band rooms, playgrounds, parking lots, 
entrances/exits, and even your buses! Honestly it depends on what skill each of us have. All of my cousins have lots of special skills that make us all different. Just like all of you students. All of you have a special power that makes you different. Just in case you all are confused here's a small map of where my cousins and I are located at school (See Figure 2). Even though were located in different spots we all have one main concern. That's your safety!".

Billy asks, "But Mr. Camera are you and your cousins allowed to watch us in school like this?"

Carl clarifies, "Well Billy, in life there are certain rules and laws that tell us what we can and cannot do. Just like back at home when mom tells you to do your homework before video games. You know you're not allowed to play video games unless you follow the rules. You see, just like home schools have certain rules and laws they have to follow. Under this law called the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act my cousins and I are allowed to watch all of you in school (6). Of course we don't watch you in the bathrooms, or the changing rooms of any kind. That would be silly, weird, and against the rules" (7). My cousins and I are here to keep you safe!"

Carmen asks, “Who are your cousins Mr. Camera?"

Carl explains, “Well overall Carmen my cousins have a lot of different skills and abilities (4). There is Benny the Bullet. Benny usually sits on walls and takes pictures of one specific area. Then there's Dan the Dome. Dan's main job is making sure adults coming into the building know they are being watched. Dan loves to be seen! Then there is me Carl the Covert camera. I go from desk to desk in each classroom making sure everyone is well behaved. Next is our ninja looking cousin known as Derek the Discreet. Derek loves to hide all over the school. He could be a clock, a smoke detector, or even a motion sensor! Just like a ninja Derek loves to stay hidden so that he can catch bullies and other strangers coming near or in the school! My next cousin is Irene the infrared. She likes to stay at school when everyone leaves to watch outside. Irene keeps the school safe when no one else is around at night. Did you know that Infrared means being able to see images in pitch black? Only Irene can see in the dark, just like your pet cats from home! Talking about strange skills, I forgot to mention my cousin Veronica the Varifocal. Veronica usually sits outside with Irene but watches people during the day. Veronica has the ability to see really far away and really close up. So if a stranger is seen from a far distance Veronica an make sure to let the principal know. Even though there are so many of us, we all want to make sure you children stay safe." 

Gary asks, ”Does anybody get to watch you Mr. Camera? Do you have a boss?"

(Figure 3http://www.bppd.com/divisions/operations/divisions/sro.php) 

Carl explains, "Well Gary I actually do have more than one boss. My bosses would be your principal Mr. Garrison, and the police officers you see in the mornings and afternoons. Mr. Garrison usually has to come and look at the tapes I spit out if anything bad happens at school. This would be stuff like bullies, strangers, or a student damaging property. Remember to always respect school property or one of my cousins will catch you! The lovely police officers you see at school are called (SRO) School resource officers (See Figure 3). Did you guys know that schools have police officers specifically for the school?! It's crazy stuff! These police officers continue to check on my cousins and I through out the school day. They make sure we are working hard and catching any mysterious or bad behavior at your school (2). The School resource officers keep the school extra safe. They go above and beyond to make sure everything is running smoothly here at school .The crazy thing is, watching us is not their only job. They do a variety of things that you can all learn about on the internet. You can check out this awesome site about SRO's with your parents' permission at home. So make sure you thank them when you see them in the mornings and afternoons! 

"Well class Mr. Camera has time for one last question". 

Jake asks, "Mr. Camera does everyone like you here at school?"

Carl explains," Well Jake you have to understand that not everyone is going to like you. It may be because of the way someone dresses, the way they talk, or what they eat at lunch etc. A lot of people see the negative things in life and forget to appreciate the positives. This has always been a struggle for my cousins and I. We love watching you all learn and grow up in school, but a lot of people don't agree with our jobs. People say that we are taking away your rights as a student (1). Your rights are what you have from the US constitution. These are the laws that give you awesome powers and explain what can and cannot happen to you. People think us watching you is wrong and should not be aloud. The second reason is because we are not the most cheapest workers to pay or to take care of. Just between two cousins it costs around 900-1000 dollars to pay us (3). That is like having a lifetime of your allowances! That could mean a big amount of money your school has to pay. People have to remember we may cost a lot, and may watch you all over school but it's all for your safety. 

Carl ends, "I hope you all got to learn a little more about my cousins and I today. So when you see a camera above your head and ask yourself, Is that a camera I see? Remember what hard work my cousins and I do to keep you children safe! Thank you!".

References

            1. Chen, G. (2011, December). Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/surveillance-cameras-violation-of-rights-or-improved-security 
2. Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. (2013). School Resource Officer Program. Retrieved from http://www.sheriffcitrus.org/students/sro.aspx
3. Fixr. (2015). How much does it cost to install security cameras? Retrieved from http://www.fixr.com/costs/install-video-surveillance-cameras

            4. Knott, J. (2011, April 01).  12 Common Types of Security Cameras [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.cepro.com/article/12_common_types_of_security_cameras

            5. Siasoco, R. (2013, October). Tighter security for schools. Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/schoolsafety1.html

            6. U.S. Department of Justice. n.d. Legal aspects of the use of video cameras in schools. Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/school/ch2a_18.html
7. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. (2015, February 01). Surveillance Cameras. Retrieved from

            https://www.privacyrights.org/content/privacy-education-guide-parents-and-adult-age-students#1