There's a 2-Hr Distance Learning Delay Tomorrow, Wed. 4/15

[Anonymous]

We literally had to execute a new contract with Blackboard Inc. today to allow the Collaborate tool to be deployed through Blackboard rather than separately. SBTS and teachers have been raising concerns about security issues on Collaborate since Day 1 this lousy tool from this overpriced, unreliable vendor was introduced to us weeks ago. Our ES deployment was very smooth today but any of us could see how easy it would be for one bad actor to completely ruin a Class.

It will all be done through Blackboard logins now which could have been the case from the get-go. Given how long FCPS has overpaid for this mostly obsolete platform that almost no one uses anymore, it’s highway robbery that we have now had to pay them even more for what should be considered very basic core functionality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just when you think FCPS couldn’t be any more incompetent...

My kids have had several “practice” blackboard collaborate sessions. How come these “security issues” didn’t become obvious then?

It’s not FCPS. It’s the parents who have not raised their children to act appropriately. I’m glad your kid who had an online class in his AP course a few times had appropriate classmates. Now we’ve got the whole school taking all classes online. It’s not the teachers fault these kids can’t behave appropriately. And before you start in on how it is their responsibility to manage classroom behaviors- there is a huge difference between dealing with talking in class or not doing class work and being spammed with the most vile porn and racist/sexist language. You don’t even know who is sending it so you can’t do anything. Not FCPS at all. It is a whole community problem that stems from bad parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just when you think FCPS couldn’t be any more incompetent...

My kids have had several “practice” blackboard collaborate sessions. How come these “security issues” didn’t become obvious then?

It’s not FCPS. It’s the parents who have not raised their children to act appropriately. I’m glad your kid who had an online class in his AP course a few times had appropriate classmates. Now we’ve got the whole school taking all classes online. It’s not the teachers fault these kids can’t behave appropriately. And before you start in on how it is their responsibility to manage classroom behaviors- there is a huge difference between dealing with talking in class or not doing class work and being spammed with the most vile porn and racist/sexist language. You don’t even know who is sending it so you can’t do anything. Not FCPS at all. It is a whole community problem that stems from bad parenting.

FCPS IT leadership and Blackboard absolutely could and should have anticipated and planned for this. School staff have been raising the red flag for weeks since this tool was first introduced to technology coaches and teachers. Mischievous teens and tweens are not unique to FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So on day #2 there is a delay? Fairfax is at least being consistent in their post 10 pm information sharing.

Because HS students were atrocious. Spamming the classrooms, using derogatory terms, uploading porn.

That sounds like moddle school behavior, not high school.

It’s high school. So high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe everything will be getting recorded.

It already is at the middle and high school levels. The problem is that people signed in with false and derogatory names. Also, what are we supposed to do? Suspend them. The county should have anticipated this like teachers asked them to.

Parents are getting to see who the children of this community really are. Most are great kids. But way more bad apples that DCUM wants outed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do they not know who was spamming the porn and racist comments?

They don't know in the moment, but if they wanted to, they could find out.

Please, who’s going to take the time to figure this out? Do you really think the police don’t have better things to do? I guess FCPS could hire a few people to get on it but then what? Do you really think a lot of parents are going to care? Admins don’t care who is doing it bc so many kids are being disruptive. It is easier to try to find security features to prevent the issue than find the kids and try to make them stop. Also, why should a teacher have to deal with this? This is a parent problem, not a school problem.

It's a school problem because it's disrupting the education of students who aren't doing the craziness. I think having an interactive class instead of just posting prerecorded videos is helpful in a lot of classes. Now all students might lose that benefit because of the students who did this.

[Anonymous]

It was high school AND middle school because at the secondary schools, middle school students were in their specials classes yesterday and maybe even core classes. Read the other threads in another post....teachers at both levels talking about what was happening in their classes.

[Anonymous]

My kid's middle school just took this opportunity to CANCEL synchronous classes for the week. They were supposed to have synchronous sessions today and Friday--They cancelled both. This is after four weeks of no teaching. SMH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's middle school just took this opportunity to CANCEL synchronous classes for the week. They were supposed to have synchronous sessions today and Friday--They cancelled both. This is after four weeks of no teaching. SMH.

What school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So on day #2 there is a delay? Fairfax is at least being consistent in their post 10 pm information sharing.

Because HS students were atrocious. Spamming the classrooms, using derogatory terms, uploading porn.

That sounds like moddle school behavior, not high school.

Middle school teacher here who used to teach HS. My thoughts as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was high school AND middle school because at the secondary schools, middle school students were in their specials classes yesterday and maybe even core classes. Read the other threads in another post....teachers at both levels talking about what was happening in their classes.

MS teacher here. MS students were not in class yesterday. The problem was HS.

[Anonymous]

My FFX HS kid had no problems yesterday. My elementary kid's school is now cancelled today.

I am willing to cut the schools some slack, this is new territory for them. They'll get there.

[Anonymous]

The rest of this school year is a lost cause and I think FCPS realizes it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's middle school just took this opportunity to CANCEL synchronous classes for the week. They were supposed to have synchronous sessions today and Friday--They cancelled both. This is after four weeks of no teaching. SMH.

How about you be upset with the kids who did this crap? The county had to pivot, order a new BBC contract (probs spending more of those precious tax dollars you guys are always whining about), and retrain teachers because a select few decided showing porn and yelling racial slurs was cool.

[Anonymous]

I don't really understand why it's hard for them to control this, because my company does webinars all the time and we are able to give specific credentials to people.