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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]You also greatly overestimate the power teachers have over controlling this.  We don't have the ability to block websites.  We can send links to IT and they can eventually block them in like 7-10 days.  By then, the kids have found 3 new sites they use and you're blocking a site they won't ever access anyway.

To make it worse, the kids at my middle school realized that they could put the links inside of google doc pages and they were almost undetectable because anytime you checked a browser history it came up as Google Docs.  They also used them as live chat rooms that could be accessed by any student in the county.

As a co-teacher, I do my best when I am not leading class, I monitor lightspeed from time to time and I shut down and lock students screens whenever they are not staying on task.  I can't do this 100% of the time though.[/quote]

Is there a reason they have to have the computers open in the first place?  Is it mandated by MCPS to use a curriculum that involves computer use?  If not, can't the teacher just have them do assignments on paper? [/quote]

As I mentioned before, as a 9th grade teacher, I would love to do more paper and pencil work but these kids have zero ability to neatly and legibly write.  I have 15 year old kids who cannot write within lines or accurately space their writing to fit in the assigned spaces.  Also, they will misspell probably 50% of the words at a minimum.  When students do actually do paperwork, I have no shame in admitting the kids typically score 20-30% lower than if it were typed because If I can't read it, it's automatically wrong.  No explanation. No questions.  Just a zero for the question.

Then there is the fact that they are all too irresponsible to actually keep and maintain paper assignments.  Half of them get lost and the other half are turned in folded, ripped, and crumpled up.  I take off points for that too.

Doing the assignments on the computer removes all of the human errors and elements that these kids simply weren't taught prior to HS and I don't have the patience to teach to them now.[/quote]

Huh, weird.  I know nothing about MCPS middle school but in ES there is a ton of writing on paper... I wonder how they go from being able to do that in 5th to losing it by 9th?[/quote]

In Elementary School they probably still have nice little folders and organizational skills.  By Middle and HS, every piece of paper is shoved into a backpack with zero regard for keeping it secure or orderly.  Heck, some of my kids don't even have backpacks and they literally fold all of thier assignments up and shove them into their jacket pockets.[/quote]

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