Anonymous
Post 04/29/2023 14:44     Subject: Re:S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I teach at a public school. Yes, you can opt out of school tech by either having your own device or submitting work on paper. Teachers will need to print a bunch of stuff, and it's likely you'd still need to look at a larger screen during class, but I doubt a school would force a child to use a device all the time, if the family didn't want it. These kind of accommodations are made often anyway for students who have concussions or migraines, and some students' IEPs require paper options. None of this is going to be super actively advertised to families as an option, but it's worth asking for if you want your kid on the screen less, which is totally understandable.


Thanks, this is what I was going for. I’d be willing to do the legwork for the teacher such as printing things out myself (not sure if that’s feasible though).


Don’t get your hopes up. Most schools/teachers are not going to do this for you. You are essentially asking them to lesson plan twice. Without an IEP, I think they will tell you to pound sand.


Public school teacher -- this is not lesson planning twice! We make these accommodations all the time and for a host of reasons. The tech fails for everyone often enough when the internet is down, so we have to be able to switch gears to more traditional methods immediately. Each day I have students who opt out of devices, who forget to bring devices, who need not to use devices because they are too distracting. Teaching hybrid with on-screen and in-person folks simultaneously was really hard; these kinds of accommodations are not so hard.


You feel you speak for all teachers? Of every grade level and subject?


Of course not! But all public school teachers are legally mandated to follow IEPs, 504s, and other plans, and the non-screen accommodation is a typical enough one.
Anonymous
Post 04/29/2023 11:13     Subject: S/O opting out of school tech
I hate it when kids look at screens all day. MY kids had dumb phones from age 11 til 14, when I broke down and gave them smart phones. No screens in our house during the week; weekends only.

I sympathize with OP. Oh, and I am an MCPS teacher. I see the effects everyday.
Anonymous
Post 04/29/2023 07:52     Subject: S/O opting out of school tech
Yeah it is a bit annoying when i struggled for the first five years of life to keep my kids’ screens limited and once they enter in the school system it’s all for shit because teachers don’t teach- schools are so diluted by these tests and the gamification of education.
Anonymous
Post 04/29/2023 07:18     Subject: S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:Reading the thread on phones in classes. Everyone seems to agree that tech in classrooms is a problem. Has anyone succeeded in opting out of screens in the classroom? I know you can opt not to give your kid a phone, but what options exist for opting out of laptops/iPad in class? Has anyone been successful in fighting the tide?

I am in Montgomery County but curious about other places too!


Wait, why? My child will grow up in a world where he will have to use a laptop constantly. It's more useful for him to learn to format a document than it is for him to learn cursive; basic coding and information literacy are valuable skills and I would him to learn them in school, early.
Anonymous
Post 04/29/2023 07:13     Subject: S/O opting out of school tech
I have to have an IEP meeting so my DD can take the SOLs on paper and not the computer!
Anonymous
Post 04/29/2023 06:49     Subject: S/O opting out of school tech
I’m surprised to hear the teacher PP say it wouldn’t be a big deal and is done all the time. My kid’s school relies so much on programs like Lexia and whatever the math app is this year. When my kid tells me about her day, she’s usually telling me what level she got to in the app. It’s very tech-focused and gamified.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2023 22:28     Subject: Re:S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I teach at a public school. Yes, you can opt out of school tech by either having your own device or submitting work on paper. Teachers will need to print a bunch of stuff, and it's likely you'd still need to look at a larger screen during class, but I doubt a school would force a child to use a device all the time, if the family didn't want it. These kind of accommodations are made often anyway for students who have concussions or migraines, and some students' IEPs require paper options. None of this is going to be super actively advertised to families as an option, but it's worth asking for if you want your kid on the screen less, which is totally understandable.


Thanks, this is what I was going for. I’d be willing to do the legwork for the teacher such as printing things out myself (not sure if that’s feasible though).


Don’t get your hopes up. Most schools/teachers are not going to do this for you. You are essentially asking them to lesson plan twice. Without an IEP, I think they will tell you to pound sand.


Public school teacher -- this is not lesson planning twice! We make these accommodations all the time and for a host of reasons. The tech fails for everyone often enough when the internet is down, so we have to be able to switch gears to more traditional methods immediately. Each day I have students who opt out of devices, who forget to bring devices, who need not to use devices because they are too distracting. Teaching hybrid with on-screen and in-person folks simultaneously was really hard; these kinds of accommodations are not so hard.


I’m the pp and a public school teacher too. This would not be feasible at our ES and no teacher would agree to it. The lesson plans are done by the grade level. Pivoting when the internet is down is not the same thing as redoing it all every day in every subject.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2023 20:50     Subject: Re:S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I teach at a public school. Yes, you can opt out of school tech by either having your own device or submitting work on paper. Teachers will need to print a bunch of stuff, and it's likely you'd still need to look at a larger screen during class, but I doubt a school would force a child to use a device all the time, if the family didn't want it. These kind of accommodations are made often anyway for students who have concussions or migraines, and some students' IEPs require paper options. None of this is going to be super actively advertised to families as an option, but it's worth asking for if you want your kid on the screen less, which is totally understandable.


Thanks, this is what I was going for. I’d be willing to do the legwork for the teacher such as printing things out myself (not sure if that’s feasible though).


Don’t get your hopes up. Most schools/teachers are not going to do this for you. You are essentially asking them to lesson plan twice. Without an IEP, I think they will tell you to pound sand.


Public school teacher -- this is not lesson planning twice! We make these accommodations all the time and for a host of reasons. The tech fails for everyone often enough when the internet is down, so we have to be able to switch gears to more traditional methods immediately. Each day I have students who opt out of devices, who forget to bring devices, who need not to use devices because they are too distracting. Teaching hybrid with on-screen and in-person folks simultaneously was really hard; these kinds of accommodations are not so hard.


You feel you speak for all teachers? Of every grade level and subject?
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2023 20:26     Subject: S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:Blackboard, overhead projectors, text books, and dry erase boards have gone the way of the dinosaur Op.

the tablet is a much easier abd more efficient way of teaching.

Get your kid blue light glasses if you're worried


blue light glasses? It seems you don't comprehend what the issues are with chromebooks and tablets.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2023 20:07     Subject: Re:S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I teach at a public school. Yes, you can opt out of school tech by either having your own device or submitting work on paper. Teachers will need to print a bunch of stuff, and it's likely you'd still need to look at a larger screen during class, but I doubt a school would force a child to use a device all the time, if the family didn't want it. These kind of accommodations are made often anyway for students who have concussions or migraines, and some students' IEPs require paper options. None of this is going to be super actively advertised to families as an option, but it's worth asking for if you want your kid on the screen less, which is totally understandable.


Thanks, this is what I was going for. I’d be willing to do the legwork for the teacher such as printing things out myself (not sure if that’s feasible though).


Don’t get your hopes up. Most schools/teachers are not going to do this for you. You are essentially asking them to lesson plan twice. Without an IEP, I think they will tell you to pound sand.


Public school teacher -- this is not lesson planning twice! We make these accommodations all the time and for a host of reasons. The tech fails for everyone often enough when the internet is down, so we have to be able to switch gears to more traditional methods immediately. Each day I have students who opt out of devices, who forget to bring devices, who need not to use devices because they are too distracting. Teaching hybrid with on-screen and in-person folks simultaneously was really hard; these kinds of accommodations are not so hard.


Thanks for your perspective!
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2023 19:45     Subject: Re:S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I teach at a public school. Yes, you can opt out of school tech by either having your own device or submitting work on paper. Teachers will need to print a bunch of stuff, and it's likely you'd still need to look at a larger screen during class, but I doubt a school would force a child to use a device all the time, if the family didn't want it. These kind of accommodations are made often anyway for students who have concussions or migraines, and some students' IEPs require paper options. None of this is going to be super actively advertised to families as an option, but it's worth asking for if you want your kid on the screen less, which is totally understandable.


Thanks, this is what I was going for. I’d be willing to do the legwork for the teacher such as printing things out myself (not sure if that’s feasible though).


Don’t get your hopes up. Most schools/teachers are not going to do this for you. You are essentially asking them to lesson plan twice. Without an IEP, I think they will tell you to pound sand.


Public school teacher -- this is not lesson planning twice! We make these accommodations all the time and for a host of reasons. The tech fails for everyone often enough when the internet is down, so we have to be able to switch gears to more traditional methods immediately. Each day I have students who opt out of devices, who forget to bring devices, who need not to use devices because they are too distracting. Teaching hybrid with on-screen and in-person folks simultaneously was really hard; these kinds of accommodations are not so hard.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2023 18:36     Subject: S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:Reading the thread on phones in classes. Everyone seems to agree that tech in classrooms is a problem. Has anyone succeeded in opting out of screens in the classroom? I know you can opt not to give your kid a phone, but what options exist for opting out of laptops/iPad in class? Has anyone been successful in fighting the tide?

I am in Montgomery County but curious about other places too!


What do you mean "Everyone agrees that tech in the classroom is a problem?"
Are you equating personal cell phone use with the laptops used for lessons, submitting assignments, etc?
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2023 18:33     Subject: Re:S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I teach at a public school. Yes, you can opt out of school tech by either having your own device or submitting work on paper. Teachers will need to print a bunch of stuff, and it's likely you'd still need to look at a larger screen during class, but I doubt a school would force a child to use a device all the time, if the family didn't want it. These kind of accommodations are made often anyway for students who have concussions or migraines, and some students' IEPs require paper options. None of this is going to be super actively advertised to families as an option, but it's worth asking for if you want your kid on the screen less, which is totally understandable.


Thanks, this is what I was going for. I’d be willing to do the legwork for the teacher such as printing things out myself (not sure if that’s feasible though).


Don’t get your hopes up. Most schools/teachers are not going to do this for you. You are essentially asking them to lesson plan twice. Without an IEP, I think they will tell you to pound sand.


Just about to post this.

And you'll be surprised just how much paper and cartridge ink you'll burn through printing out screen shots, slides, stuff from various files, etc. if you actually do get your way.

I think you know you're being difficult with this OP and it's not a hill to die on.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2023 18:30     Subject: Re:S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I teach at a public school. Yes, you can opt out of school tech by either having your own device or submitting work on paper. Teachers will need to print a bunch of stuff, and it's likely you'd still need to look at a larger screen during class, but I doubt a school would force a child to use a device all the time, if the family didn't want it. These kind of accommodations are made often anyway for students who have concussions or migraines, and some students' IEPs require paper options. None of this is going to be super actively advertised to families as an option, but it's worth asking for if you want your kid on the screen less, which is totally understandable.


Thanks, this is what I was going for. I’d be willing to do the legwork for the teacher such as printing things out myself (not sure if that’s feasible though).


Don’t get your hopes up. Most schools/teachers are not going to do this for you. You are essentially asking them to lesson plan twice. Without an IEP, I think they will tell you to pound sand.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2023 18:30     Subject: Re:S/O opting out of school tech
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I teach at a public school. Yes, you can opt out of school tech by either having your own device or submitting work on paper. Teachers will need to print a bunch of stuff, and it's likely you'd still need to look at a larger screen during class, but I doubt a school would force a child to use a device all the time, if the family didn't want it. These kind of accommodations are made often anyway for students who have concussions or migraines, and some students' IEPs require paper options. None of this is going to be super actively advertised to families as an option, but it's worth asking for if you want your kid on the screen less, which is totally understandable.


Thanks, this is what I was going for. I’d be willing to do the legwork for the teacher such as printing things out myself (not sure if that’s feasible though).


Why do you want to use up your opportunities to ask for something unusual in a public school on this? That's the real question. There will be all kinds of things your child really needs and having been a person who was banging on the door about this will make it harder to get anything else taken seriously.