DCI: Too much focus on tablets/devices?

[Anonymous]

^^ Signed, Parent of a Psychologically Disturbed Fluent Speaker of Mandarin

[Anonymous]

PP, really? Why the rudeness? I think it is a shame parents can't express their opinions in a more constructive manor. Post 14:09 offered a really thoughtful response about some good things DCI is doing and reminded me to keep an open mind. If you are a current parent, please share your thoughts.

[Anonymous]

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My thought, as a school administrator, is that preventing middle schoolers from accessing their devices during lunch and recess is unrealistic. Schools that attempt to do so either end up enforcing the rules randomly, which opens them up complaints of unequal treatment. Or they have policies that are in writing but not enforced, which sends the message to the kids that school rules can be ignored. Whichever way they go, the amount of teacher and administrator time that is spent enforcing, or negotiating, or explaining the rules is enormous and cuts into other important parts of a school mission.

Sheesh I'm glad you're not the administrator at my DS middle school! They have it figured out quite well, and it appears easily done. They simply require all personal electronics in lockers during the school day and confiscate them if they are ever seen. I think retrieval requires parental inconvenience I'm sorry, but it's not rocket science. And it IS really important for chidden to have some imaginative space which is not formatted and controlled by scenarios and constructs devised by software developers!

Schools that have a "no cell phones, but only if we catch you" policy are basically teaching kids how to lie and hide things. Kids still use cell phones in schools that don't allow them to be out. They lock themselves in toilet stalls, and text under their desks, and spend long periods "looking for things" in their backpacks. When you allow cell phones they aren't using them substantially more, they're just using them more publicly, which makes it easier for the adults to monitor, and more likely that they'll be using them in a social context.


And sorry, but no kid is having "imaginative space" in the lunch room. They just aren't. If you want that for your kid then confiscate their cell phone at the door of your house, and cut back on the aftercare activities.

+1
This is all true.

I think whatever school you people are representing needs to spend some time learning best practices in how to maintain standards and school culture from some schools that have done it succesfully. Obviously your school has other priorities than limiting cell phone use by middle school students during the school day. Schools that make it a priority--along with other standards of behavior--are able to do it. Parents have every right to know about and react positively or negatively to this aspect of a school.

Can you name one of these schools that is supposedly doing a great job on this issue, and tell what your role at that school is, that would let you see the inner workings?

Not the person you're replying to, but I supposed it would also help if you provided the same info: what is your role or experience in middle schools that you're so sure that there are NONE where the "no cell phone" policy works? Also, what is your role that allows you to see the "inner workings" (your words) that kids are learning to lie and hide the phones and are all still using them? Which schools?

I'm not willing to name my specific school, but I've been a parent, teacher, and administrator in DCPCS (more than one, between the different roles), MCPS (again, more than one), and private (just one).

Proving "none" is obviously harder than proving that something exists. If you're claiming that you know of schools or school systems that do this well, why not name those schools, and tell how you know that it is going well for them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sincerely doubt there will be a shortage of students. That is kind of laughable, actually.

I'm glad you think it's laughable. I don't. I think that if large numbers of parents with qualified students (those fluent in Spanish, French or Chinese) decide to go elsewhere it'll be a huge letdown for the school and could affect the quality of the program. Seats could get filled, but because the school can't give preference to fluent speakers of the target languages, seats will possibly largely go to kids that aren't qualified. They may be smart kids wanting to learn another language, but what would those types of students do in classes where the target language is the language of instruction for content? Kind of defeat's DCI's purpose. That said, I hope the school finds a way to address this very concerning issue of too much technology. I'm a feeder parent as well and have decided DCI will not work for our family. We're also looking at immersion programs outside of DC proper. The pickings are slim, but there are some options and we'd rather take those than experiment with our kids middle/high school experience.

We are at a feeder and while DC won't be going to DCI, it won't be bc of "too much technology". We actually like the way our feeder integrates technology into the curriculum and like DCI's stance of not outright limiting technology but letting the kids learn to use it bc that's what they will have to do in the real world.

[Anonymous]

How many of the PPs who won't be matriculating to DCI have kids in 4th or 5th? Just curious.

[Anonymous]

19:09. I think technology in the classroom can be a great tool and I hope that whatever school DC goes to, technology will be used. Just find it hard to believe that computer use in every class is a good or appropriate. As with most things, moderation is good, especially when there is no evidence suggesting clear benefits to computer use and some evidence suggesting possible negative outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:19:09. I think technology in the classroom can be a great tool and I hope that whatever school DC goes to, technology will be used. Just find it hard to believe that computer use in every class is a good or appropriate. As with most things, moderation is good, especially when there is no evidence suggesting clear benefits to computer use and some evidence suggesting possible negative outcomes.

For my kid with fine motor and handwriting issues, the sooner he gets to type everything on a computer the better so computer use in every class except for math is appropriate. DCI is actually made for a kid like mine so it's too bad we're moving out of the area. He'll be attending private school for middle and beyond, and we will only look at schools that accommodate laptops and minimal handwriting as recommended by the neuropsychologist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:19:09. I think technology in the classroom can be a great tool and I hope that whatever school DC goes to, technology will be used. Just find it hard to believe that computer use in every class is a good or appropriate. As with most things, moderation is good, especially when there is no evidence suggesting clear benefits to computer use and some evidence suggesting possible negative outcomes.

For my kid with fine motor and handwriting issues, the sooner he gets to type everything on a computer the better so computer use in every class except for math is appropriate. DCI is actually made for a kid like mine so it's too bad we're moving out of the area. He'll be attending private school for middle and beyond, and we will only look at schools that accommodate laptops and minimal handwriting as recommended by the neuropsychologist.

Why not math? There are lots of great ways to use a computer or a tablet in a MS/HS math class.

[Anonymous]

Computer use in math and science class would be a plus, especially science class. But do you need to use a computer is every class? No. Should you need a computer to complete all your homework assignments? No

Some kids would benefit from using the computer due to fine motor issues, etc. and those children should be encouraged to use the computer. Some kids will not learn as well using the computer because they need to write out assignments to help them learn. Those kids should have that option as well.

Families start to asking questions and worrying due to the lack of perceived balance the school has in it its educational philosophy. It seems the school is supports a believe that any class with a computer has to be better.

[Anonymous]

wouldn't learning to write be good for fine motor skills? am i missing something?

[Anonymous]

Yes. And learning to walk would be good for a child with no legs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Computer use in math and science class would be a plus, especially science class. But do you need to use a computer is every class? No. Should you need a computer to complete all your homework assignments? No

Some kids would benefit from using the computer due to fine motor issues, etc. and those children should be encouraged to use the computer. Some kids will not learn as well using the computer because they need to write out assignments to help them learn. Those kids should have that option as well.

Families start to asking questions and worrying due to the lack of perceived balance the school has in it its educational philosophy. It seems the school is supports a believe that any class with a computer has to be better.

Is DCI forbidding kids to complete rough drafts by hand, or take their notes with pencil and paper? Are they in fact requiring kids to use computers for all work, or are they just asking kids to use computers for certain assignments, or certain parts of assignments (e.g. typing a final draft)?

[Anonymous]

At the open house I attended, administration said all homework assignments needed to be done on the computer through google classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the open house I attended, administration said all homework assignments needed to be done on the computer through google classroom.

completely different issue for kids who have had years of OT and whose handwriting is still illegible, and can't find the link, but in the NYT in the last year there was an article titled "the lost art of handwriting" where a bunch of scientists argued that (if a kid is physically capable of doing it, and I have two who can, one who can't) it is an important part of brain development which I don't think ends in 6th grade. When I read the article, I was actually glad that we tried so hard to hit this milestone even though we failed because apparently it starts and keeps some essential neurons firing for a while - remember, kids' brains are continuing to develop all the way through high school, just fastest in the first three years, and slowing down from there........... frontal lobe doesn't finish full development for neurotypical kids until 21.

We limit screen time at home SEVERELY for the kid who does everything in school on a chromebook............

and during weekdays we limit all kids (including out high schoolers) to homework assignments

and no one has an I Phone, smart phone, etc - too easily lost, stolen, etc and too much texting craziness going on

And yes, we also did not allow any of our kids to watch any TV until after the age of two

so you can make fun of us, but I grew up without TV except for 6:30 nightly news and spent a lot of time reading the newspaper, and I got to watch national geographic specials and movies we rented to see at home

did I feel deprived and bereft and somewhat out of the loop - totally
as a 5th grader, I used to read the TV guide summaries

Am I grateful to my parents - absolutely

can my kids now do almost anything with a computer? program, power point, stuff I used to have to have secretaries do? Totally.

I don't like the idea of technology all the time all day and we were not allowed to read at the dinner table

we have one kid at Basis and while kids do cheat on the no cell phone policy, you would never see a kid DARE to have their phone out at lunch, when it is supposed to be in their locker from the time they step through the door until 4pm when classes are over. So enforcement problems? Absolutely. Mostly in the bathroom.

But I find the idea of a bunch of kids playing with their phones during lunch instead of talking to each other really depressing - the same way I get annoyed when someone is trying to talk to me and scroll through their phone - "multi task" a bit offensive and off putting, unless they have a kid who has gone AWOL or are waiting for an important message.

And my husband is a computer scientist........... and he helps me enforce all these anti technology stone age policies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the open house I attended, administration said all homework assignments needed to be done on the computer through google classroom.

Done on the computer, or submitted on the computer?