A rant: Technology and Vendors in the Schools, anyone else hate it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate computer programs. I want textbooks and homework on paper.

Amen, I don’t know when textbooks were phased out but every year I am disappointed there are none.

I’d say it was mostly in the mid to late 90s. We had a social studies text when I taught 4th grade (I think they still do). I remember a math text through most of the 90s. Other than those I don’t remember textbooks during my teaching career that started 30 years ago.

Do we need to discuss why textbooks are not relevant? Really? Do you think schools could use a set of encyclopedias?

Dp yes.

Internet research is unreliable. An encyclopedia is immutable in paper form.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. I am more frustrated that ES are obsessed with video games and have phones. Part of the issue with tech is kids are becoming addicted to it at home which plays into class. Literally all of my students I catch on other sites have phones with no parental control and spend their weekends playing video games. While tech should be balanced and used in moderation in schools, parents are also not helping keeping their kids glued to screens. Before you say, my kid has screen limits… many don’t.

Another ES teacher here. Are you also having trouble with watches? That’s starting to become an issue (texting or calling during the school day).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I don't frankly care that a school board member said R*tard, and your comment abour "teaching politics" tells us everything we need to know about your cognitive attainment and POV.

It's not "politics" to discuss history, and yes, there are people who are gay or trans. Even in Colombia.

I hope your kids become better educated than you!

It's absolutely political to discuss history.

There are different takes on what should be taught, whose voices are heard，and what lessons are learned.

Given the divide on basic issues in this country it's inherently political.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP lost me at handwriting. Seriously? Next you are going to complain they don't teach kids how to darn their socks.

We want them to be comfortable with technology because technology is the future. Handwriting is dead. I am glad for enrichment activities that the school provides out of the common core whether it's trips, or art or STEM.

You want Handwriting? Geeze

Handwriting helps to imprint a feel for language - particularly cursive instruction. If you want Junior to grow up to be a SysAdmin, then by all means send them to a large DMV public school. (Former disgruntled MCPS parent who could say ditto to all of the critiques about FCPS. Our schools are targets for corporate sales. I saw leadership at Discovery Communications salivate over top 15 school budgets - hence the launch of Discovery Education twenty years ago.

Here’s the piece on cursive

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/202010/why-cursive-handwriting-is-good-your-brain

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, then, you do the same, OP, ok?

Get off your tech...bill pay, portals for your mortgage, your dr., your blood lab work. Write those checks and wait until you get a statement in the mail to reconcile your acct every month. Get off your email, if your boss or colleague needs you, they'll call. If you need to collaborate, set up a meeting. Many many meeyings. Don't look anything up on your phone. If you need to know anything, buy the book or research in the stacks of journals at the college library. Only books! Only in person learning! Oh, and no word processing. your work on paper. All by hand. In cursive! Due by EOD. If there's an error- yep, start over!

Make sure you keep your papers, cards, documents (!), because those are all you will ever have of your work, your information, everything. That's it- no storage online.

No social media, too. You'll see your cousins when someone gets married or dies. If you sell stuff, do it in a store, because no IG or Etsy or EBay acct.

No digital photos, no streaming. Get a camera and an acct at Walmart to pick up picture. Get out your CDs to hear music, better yet, a tape! Bring back BLOCKBUSTER, and choose your weekend movie. Don't forget to return it, in your car by Monday or you'll own it. Do you have your car juiced up?

Call your dr, no online messaging, and that goes for prescriptions. You just keep calling everyone and hope they have
it when you go in. When you need emergency care, you'll just have to remember the results of your last scans, blood work or PT evaluation while you wait. If you need stuff, go to the store. No online shopping.

Keep your landline, too, dear. No smart phones. No messaging, please. Did something break? Get a plumber, no You Tube directions on that clog.

Or, drag yourself back into the 21st century and learn how to manage information. Your kids are already there.

Do this in elementary school? I think there has to be a sane way - a modern Trivium - which gives the best of the old (backed by really good evidence) and some tech. But no elementary kid is worried about completing a bank transfer!

[Anonymous]

I wonder what your solution is, OP? Ours has been to send to a $$$$ private school. But even this school ramps up its tech use around 3rd or 4th grade according to hearsay. Not sure what to do after that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what your solution is, OP? Ours has been to send to a $$$$ private school. But even this school ramps up its tech use around 3rd or 4th grade according to hearsay. Not sure what to do after that.

LOL if you’re concerned about tech/vendor incursion, private solves precisely none of that. If a private school doesn’t take public money, FERPA doesn’t apply and they can do all sorts of fun things with your kid’s privacy and digital footprint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate computer programs. I want textbooks and homework on paper.

Amen, I don’t know when textbooks were phased out but every year I am disappointed there are none.

Textbook management is a nightmare. Also most of them are poorly written with numerous errors and school systems can't afford to keep replacing them. The reality is it is horrible to depend upon them. The companies don't make enough money to make it worth their while to publish a good product. This is backwards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate computer programs. I want textbooks and homework on paper.

+10

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, then, you do the same, OP, ok?

Get off your tech...bill pay, portals for your mortgage, your dr., your blood lab work. Write those checks and wait until you get a statement in the mail to reconcile your acct every month. Get off your email, if your boss or colleague needs you, they'll call. If you need to collaborate, set up a meeting. Many many meeyings. Don't look anything up on your phone. If you need to know anything, buy the book or research in the stacks of journals at the college library. Only books! Only in person learning! Oh, and no word processing. your work on paper. All by hand. In cursive! Due by EOD. If there's an error- yep, start over!

Make sure you keep your papers, cards, documents (!), because those are all you will ever have of your work, your information, everything. That's it- no storage online.

No social media, too. You'll see your cousins when someone gets married or dies. If you sell stuff, do it in a store, because no IG or Etsy or EBay acct.

No digital photos, no streaming. Get a camera and an acct at Walmart to pick up picture. Get out your CDs to hear music, better yet, a tape! Bring back BLOCKBUSTER, and choose your weekend movie. Don't forget to return it, in your car by Monday or you'll own it. Do you have your car juiced up?

Call your dr, no online messaging, and that goes for prescriptions. You just keep calling everyone and hope they have
it when you go in. When you need emergency care, you'll just have to remember the results of your last scans, blood work or PT evaluation while you wait. If you need stuff, go to the store. No online shopping.

Keep your landline, too, dear. No smart phones. No messaging, please. Did something break? Get a plumber, no You Tube directions on that clog.

Or, drag yourself back into the 21st century and learn how to manage information. Your kids are already there.

Do this in elementary school? I think there has to be a sane way - a modern Trivium - which gives the best of the old (backed by really good evidence) and some tech. But no elementary kid is worried about completing a bank transfer!

This is how people, including kids, interact with their environment. Through Roblox as an example, other games, social media.
They learn through adaptive and dynamic programs. They research through dynamic content, not stagnant content. They are continually offered relevant sources, opportunities for connection and collaboration, opportunities to write with collaboration, opportunities to create, so yes, for ES kids, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate computer programs. I want textbooks and homework on paper.

+10

This isn't 1950 or 1970.

Do you want horses back, too? Telephone atrached to the wall? A set of encyclopedias? Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, then, you do the same, OP, ok?

Get off your tech...bill pay, portals for your mortgage, your dr., your blood lab work. Write those checks and wait until you get a statement in the mail to reconcile your acct every month. Get off your email, if your boss or colleague needs you, they'll call. If you need to collaborate, set up a meeting. Many many meeyings. Don't look anything up on your phone. If you need to know anything, buy the book or research in the stacks of journals at the college library. Only books! Only in person learning! Oh, and no word processing. your work on paper. All by hand. In cursive! Due by EOD. If there's an error- yep, start over!

Make sure you keep your papers, cards, documents (!), because those are all you will ever have of your work, your information, everything. That's it- no storage online.

No social media, too. You'll see your cousins when someone gets married or dies. If you sell stuff, do it in a store, because no IG or Etsy or EBay acct.

No digital photos, no streaming. Get a camera and an acct at Walmart to pick up picture. Get out your CDs to hear music, better yet, a tape! Bring back BLOCKBUSTER, and choose your weekend movie. Don't forget to return it, in your car by Monday or you'll own it. Do you have your car juiced up?

Call your dr, no online messaging, and that goes for prescriptions. You just keep calling everyone and hope they have
it when you go in. When you need emergency care, you'll just have to remember the results of your last scans, blood work or PT evaluation while you wait. If you need stuff, go to the store. No online shopping.

Keep your landline, too, dear. No smart phones. No messaging, please. Did something break? Get a plumber, no You Tube directions on that clog.

Or, drag yourself back into the 21st century and learn how to manage information. Your kids are already there.

Do this in elementary school? I think there has to be a sane way - a modern Trivium - which gives the best of the old (backed by really good evidence) and some tech. But no elementary kid is worried about completing a bank transfer!

This is how people, including kids, interact with their environment. Through Roblox as an example, other games, social media.
They learn through adaptive and dynamic programs. They research through dynamic content, not stagnant content. They are continually offered relevant sources, opportunities for connection and collaboration, opportunities to write with collaboration, opportunities to create, so yes, for ES kids, too.

You almost sound as if you actually believe this.

Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP lost me at handwriting. Seriously? Next you are going to complain they don't teach kids how to darn their socks.

We want them to be comfortable with technology because technology is the future. Handwriting is dead. I am glad for enrichment activities that the school provides out of the common core whether it's trips, or art or STEM.

You want Handwriting? Geeze

Handwriting helps to imprint a feel for language - particularly cursive instruction. If you want Junior to grow up to be a SysAdmin, then by all means send them to a large DMV public school. (Former disgruntled MCPS parent who could say ditto to all of the critiques about FCPS. Our schools are targets for corporate sales. I saw leadership at Discovery Communications salivate over top 15 school budgets - hence the launch of Discovery Education twenty years ago.

Here’s the piece on cursive

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/202010/why-cursive-handwriting-is-good-your-brain

So is painting and other art. But it's also impracticable for work and school. You don't understand how much more elevated collaborative docs are in school and how much more they contribute to learning.
Try doing everything you do on paper and get back to us.Don't hold kids back because you don't understand this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fourth grader is not eligible for the international trip. My middle schooler. They're not going to attend, the trip does not seem educationally valuable in any way shape or form and I would rather spend way less money taking them somewhere they will actually get some perspective. But just sitting through the sales pitch - I mean information session - just so obvious that it's a cash squeeze. Vapid teacher talking bout all the trips she's been on, the vendor eagerly waiting to speak about all their programs, ugh.

Cash squeeze indeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP lost me at handwriting. Seriously? Next you are going to complain they don't teach kids how to darn their socks.

We want them to be comfortable with technology because technology is the future. Handwriting is dead. I am glad for enrichment activities that the school provides out of the common core whether it's trips, or art or STEM.

You want Handwriting? Geeze

Handwriting helps to imprint a feel for language - particularly cursive instruction. If you want Junior to grow up to be a SysAdmin, then by all means send them to a large DMV public school. (Former disgruntled MCPS parent who could say ditto to all of the critiques about FCPS. Our schools are targets for corporate sales. I saw leadership at Discovery Communications salivate over top 15 school budgets - hence the launch of Discovery Education twenty years ago.

Here’s the piece on cursive

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/202010/why-cursive-handwriting-is-good-your-brain

I work as a sysadmin and plan to steer my kids into the field and spend all of my egregious sysadmin salary on a private ES which is one step from Amish in terms of the electronics available.