FCPS - Why can't teachers do one hour Zoom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my daugther's elementary school, there are not enough laptops to go around. And, we are in one of the wealthier parts of Fairfax. There have been several times she has had to take a test on paper and then transfer it online once a laptop is available.

And, even when they are able to hand them out, you have make sure the student/parent knows how to log in, be able to access blackboard, google classroom, etc.

But in your wealthier school, and really almost all of Fairfax County, nearly every family has multiple devices at home and do not need school supplied laptops.

I bet you would be unable to name a single family in your school that does not have a laptop, tablets, desktops or smart phones.

DP — Our Mac is on its last leg. The graphic card is dying, and the interface doesn’t always show the entire screen. We have work laptops, and cell phones for adults only. Our upper ES kids do not have personal devices.

Now you see the consequences of your decision not to upgrade your tech.

[Anonymous]

My HS kids teachers are starting to check in after yesterday. One teacher invited kids to log on to a virtual morning yoga and stretch if the want this week (she’s a licensed teacher). Another has invited kids to do optional half hour google classrooms this week to touch base and stay connected. Tomorrow, they are to log in with an idea for music that expresses how they feel. Another just posted a note to seniors telling them how much she has been thinking of them, and asking that they email her news about college acceptances and offering to talk to kids who are facing college decisions.

I’m so grateful for the effort teachers are making to find ways to stay connected to my kid, give them some stability and make them feel cared for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my daugther's elementary school, there are not enough laptops to go around. And, we are in one of the wealthier parts of Fairfax. There have been several times she has had to take a test on paper and then transfer it online once a laptop is available.

And, even when they are able to hand them out, you have make sure the student/parent knows how to log in, be able to access blackboard, google classroom, etc.

But in your wealthier school, and really almost all of Fairfax County, nearly every family has multiple devices at home and do not need school supplied laptops.

I bet you would be unable to name a single family in your school that does not have a laptop, tablets, desktops or smart phones.

DP — Our Mac is on its last leg. The graphic card is dying, and the interface doesn’t always show the entire screen. We have work laptops, and cell phones for adults only. Our upper ES kids do not have personal devices.

What do they do when school is in session? Homework often involves a computer.

You can hand off your cell phone to your kid so they can download and print the homework assignments, or you can print them for them if you don't let them touch your phones.

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher at a different school district and I have been using Zoom. It is certainly helpful but it hasn't been without its difficulties.

I live in the city of Alexandria where, frankly, our internet options suck. Verizon doesn't offer Fios here (as in you literally cannot purchase it) so you only can elect DSL if you are on a Verizon plan, and Comcast was even worse when we had that as our internet service.

It was all to no avail, however, because today my internet fluctuated between being fine and the not enough power so that all my students saw was a screen of me frozen in space. I wasn't even using my school system laptop because I knew my desktop was going to produce a better product. I received a ton of text messages from students with screen captures and while some of the pics were funny I wasn't really amused.

We are what DCUM would charitably call a UMC family and my husband is really techie. If we're having problems accessing the internet, then I don't know what to say about other families without our advantages.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade. I am trying to point out that Zoom isn't going to be a miracle product. We will need to be using a variety of methodologies as we work within our new reality.

Try to be patient with one another. Try to be supportive of your kids and your kids' teachers. Try to understand that we all (I hope) want to accomplish the same goal of exemplary teaching and learning.

Working together we can do this. Working against one another? We will sink like the Titanic.

[Anonymous]

All the talk about other counties doing stuff already. They're doing the exact same thing FCPS is. Handing you generic review work to keep your kids busy. The only difference is the teachers are providing it instead of the county higher ups. The only reason APS has been able to start communicating more virtually with their students is b/c they were ALREADY one to one and had ALREADY addressed the lack of tech and internet in their county as part of their day to day instruction prior to schools closing. But, then, when you have 28,000 students instead of A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND students, it's a lot easier to establish equity in that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP hit the nail on the head: it is about privacy and security. ZOOM is not approved and will not be approved by FCPS because it does not protect students’ privacy. This is directly from the mouth of Maribeth Luftglass, the assistant superintendent for IT at FCPS. Principals asked specifically about using it, and this is the reason why.

Teachers are being trained to use Blackboard Collaborate which they can then use with their students. It’s not as fabulous as ZOOM, but it’s secure.

When friends ask why FCPS isn’t using ZOOM, please explain that it’s about security. It’s not about equity, because there is a tool for videoconferencing.

-a principal

Dear Principal,

I run the IT department for a federal agency. We use Zoom. It's plenty secure for PII.

So when my friends ask, I tell them it's NOT about security, because it isn't.

If you believe it is, pls link to a reputable trade study that says why it is. Heck, even something from IEEE, slashdot or Zimmerman's blog would do.

Signed - a guy that manages secure IT systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP hit the nail on the head: it is about privacy and security. ZOOM is not approved and will not be approved by FCPS because it does not protect students’ privacy. This is directly from the mouth of Maribeth Luftglass, the assistant superintendent for IT at FCPS. Principals asked specifically about using it, and this is the reason why.

Teachers are being trained to use Blackboard Collaborate which they can then use with their students. It’s not as fabulous as ZOOM, but it’s secure.

When friends ask why FCPS isn’t using ZOOM, please explain that it’s about security. It’s not about equity, because there is a tool for videoconferencing.

-a principal

Dear Principal,

I run the IT department for a federal agency. We use Zoom. It's plenty secure for PII.

So when my friends ask, I tell them it's NOT about security, because it isn't.

If you believe it is, pls link to a reputable trade study that says why it is. Heck, even something from IEEE, slashdot or Zimmerman's blog would do.

Signed - a guy that manages secure IT systems.

Well, then feel free to contact FCPS with your expertise. You can contact Maribeth Luftglass directly.

[Anonymous]

I am the 16:12 teacher. I also have participated on BB Colab because of my own online learning and teaching. It is clunky and not nearly as flexible. Either product works it just depends on how easily FCPS can get its students AND teachers trained on how to use it. Teachers hoping to use BB Colab will need to do a lot of learning before they can begin teaching imo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Zoom is not approved for instruction in FCPS. Any FCPS teacher using it faces a reprimand.

Could you PLEASE lay off until the end of the week? FCPS has 190,000 students. They are doing the best that they can. Many teachers didn’t even have their *laptops* until principals allowed them back into the building for literally 10 minutes today. Buildings have been ordered closed. Instructional devices provided 2 weeks’ worth of work on Blackboard. Have you done it all? And if your child misses classmates so much, why don’t YOU organize a Zoom play date among children?

FCPS is such a piece of shit. Zoom is offering its services FREE to schools, it's the best thing out there, and FCPS administration is saying no?

No, I'm not laying off. It's already been two weeks. Literally every one else I know in other parts of the country has received SOMETHING from their schools. I don't care that it's 190,000 students. Learn how to scale up. This is a terrible place to live, we're moving as soon as feasible.

Are you at home with elementary aged kids? I'm guessing yes.

My guess is a kindergartner, a preschool younger sibling, and just maybe, a 5 to 9 year old boy.

Wrong on all counts, but nice try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your child will be fine.

Hand out computers. Really?? Get a grip.

Our school sent out a technology survey and issued chrome books to students who needed them. We have 3 chrome books now for our 3 elementary school children, which is great because then we can use our own laptops for our own work. We just signed waivers saying we would return it, like checking out a library book. Why should chromebooks and other computers just sit in classrooms and libraries unused? It's been so helpful because they are doing everything online now.

I assume this is not for an FCPS school?

Nope, it's not. Just saying it can be done.

EXACTLY!!!

Fairfax county has sent out the laptop surveys.

Our middle school did it oast week when they were still in session.

Our elementary school did it this week, and let us know that computer work will be for 3rd grade and up

The little kids will get printed work (or perhaps emailed packets, not sure)

We also received the laptop surveys, they were supposed to distribute them before the governor closed all the schools. What elementary school is this? Ours has told us nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my daugther's elementary school, there are not enough laptops to go around. And, we are in one of the wealthier parts of Fairfax. There have been several times she has had to take a test on paper and then transfer it online once a laptop is available.

And, even when they are able to hand them out, you have make sure the student/parent knows how to log in, be able to access blackboard, google classroom, etc.

If you are at a wealthier school, then most children will not need laptops. They can use mom or dad's, or the iPad they got for Christmas. The laptops should only be for the children who don't have access to any device at home, not for the kids in wealthier parts of Fairfax.

My kids don't have their own devices, but they do have access to mine and DH's. We're teleworking using our work computers, anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my daugther's elementary school, there are not enough laptops to go around. And, we are in one of the wealthier parts of Fairfax. There have been several times she has had to take a test on paper and then transfer it online once a laptop is available.

And, even when they are able to hand them out, you have make sure the student/parent knows how to log in, be able to access blackboard, google classroom, etc.

But in your wealthier school, and really almost all of Fairfax County, nearly every family has multiple devices at home and do not need school supplied laptops.

I bet you would be unable to name a single family in your school that does not have a laptop, tablets, desktops or smart phones.

DP — Our Mac is on its last leg. The graphic card is dying, and the interface doesn’t always show the entire screen. We have work laptops, and cell phones for adults only. Our upper ES kids do not have personal devices.

What do they do when school is in session? Homework often involves a computer.

You can hand off your cell phone to your kid so they can download and print the homework assignments, or you can print them for them if you don't let them touch your phones.

Plus, PP can easily afford to buy a $70 refurbished Chromebook. That's probably how much she spends on a dinner out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the note of laptops for every kid, in almost all normal circumstances, the elementary kids should not be 1:1 with laptops.

Those should be an occassional activity, not a primary means of teaching.

That is why many of us voted against the meals tax. Early elementary students should not be looking at a screen all day. It is bad for their development.

Even in this quarantine situation, traditional paper work is better than laptops. I really hope fcps does not try to get 1:1 laptops for the little ones.

I teach third grade. We have no Chromebooks. I have 5 laptops in the classroom for 23 third graders. Each classroom has 5 computers (one classroom has 5 desktops). The grade level shares 2 mobile lab carts that hold 16 hand me down laptops (if they are available and not pulled for testing or the Global Awareness Project). That’s 62 computers (57 laptops) for approximately 145 students.

And that is how it should be.

Early elementsry kids should not be getting their education from compjters as a primary tool.

Computers should be used only occassionally in 4th grade.and below.

LOL so what’s your plan for <3rd grade kids for the next 3 months?

Playing
Cooking
Reading books
Drawing
Journaling
Learning cursive
Building legos
Talking together
Hobbies
Crafts

Some of us have jobs....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Zoom is not approved for instruction in FCPS. Any FCPS teacher using it faces a reprimand.

Could you PLEASE lay off until the end of the week? FCPS has 190,000 students. They are doing the best that they can. Many teachers didn’t even have their *laptops* until principals allowed them back into the building for literally 10 minutes today. Buildings have been ordered closed. Instructional devices provided 2 weeks’ worth of work on Blackboard. Have you done it all? And if your child misses classmates so much, why don’t YOU organize a Zoom play date among children?

FCPS is such a piece of shit. Zoom is offering its services FREE to schools, it's the best thing out there, and FCPS administration is saying no?

No, I'm not laying off. It's already been two weeks. Literally every one else I know in other parts of the country has received SOMETHING from their schools. I don't care that it's 190,000 students. Learn how to scale up. This is a terrible place to live, we're moving as soon as feasible.

Where you moving to?

I like your fire and you are absolutely right. I’m so tired of my MD friends saying that got packets and online instruction. I’m sure I’m the poorest person on this forum and stayed in this shity county because the schools were better. I’ve seen too many things that says otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP hit the nail on the head: it is about privacy and security. ZOOM is not approved and will not be approved by FCPS because it does not protect students’ privacy. This is directly from the mouth of Maribeth Luftglass, the assistant superintendent for IT at FCPS. Principals asked specifically about using it, and this is the reason why.

Teachers are being trained to use Blackboard Collaborate which they can then use with their students. It’s not as fabulous as ZOOM, but it’s secure.

When friends ask why FCPS isn’t using ZOOM, please explain that it’s about security. It’s not about equity, because there is a tool for videoconferencing.

-a principal

Dear Principal,

I run the IT department for a federal agency. We use Zoom. It's plenty secure for PII.

So when my friends ask, I tell them it's NOT about security, because it isn't.

If you believe it is, pls link to a reputable trade study that says why it is. Heck, even something from IEEE, slashdot or Zimmerman's blog would do.

Signed - a guy that manages secure IT systems.

Um...

For a techie you know very little about security for children.

That is what the principal is talking about.

Zoom gives adult teachers unmonitored access from their homes to the students homes, and in the case of teens and high school kids, it will often be the kids bedrooms.

99.99% of the teachers and students will not be of a concern.

The concern, especially in a district as large as fcps, is that .01% of teachers as well as students who lack judgment as to what is appropriate (a teacher in anothe thread expressed concerns about her image being screen shot, manipulated and posted online which is a genuine concern. )

So when the principal is talking about "security" he is not talking about the same thing as you, who is working with equals (all adults) in a professional setting.