Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have an issue with using Chromebooks, I have an issue with Chromebooks having so many distractions and not being adequately locked down. If during class a kid could only open one single application I’d be all for it.

What vendor do you suggest to replace Google?

Chromebooks only run on google. There is nothing to replace it except a laptop, macbook or tablet, all much more money and less secure.

Block. The. Internet.

Google is internet based. Do you not understand what a chromebook is?

Could everything be blocked other than a whitelist of sites that are needed? That might work better than individually blocking the distracting sites.

I think MCPS and many other school systems are sticking to notion that kids can't be properly educated unless they are able to access most of the internet. This is despite mountains of evidence showing that internet access distracts from learning, and that higher percentages of kids were proficient in math and reading before they gave everyone individual internet-connected devices. Those devices make a lot of people lots of money and are addictive for the teachers as well (isn't it so nice to be able to get a breather while the kids watch a youtube video, plus it's just like reading a book, right?), so parents need to organize and advocate. It isn't easy, that's for sure, but it can work. Without parents' advocacy, teachers would still be teaching kids to guess words from pictures instead of actually teaching them to read.

I would say I don’t think kids need to go back to having zero access to the internet, just back to the amount they had ~1995-2012.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have an issue with using Chromebooks, I have an issue with Chromebooks having so many distractions and not being adequately locked down. If during class a kid could only open one single application I’d be all for it.

What vendor do you suggest to replace Google?

Chromebooks only run on google. There is nothing to replace it except a laptop, macbook or tablet, all much more money and less secure.

Block. The. Internet.

Google is internet based. Do you not understand what a chromebook is?

Could everything be blocked other than a whitelist of sites that are needed? That might work better than individually blocking the distracting sites.

I think MCPS and many other school systems are sticking to notion that kids can't be properly educated unless they are able to access most of the internet. This is despite mountains of evidence showing that internet access distracts from learning, and that higher percentages of kids were proficient in math and reading before they gave everyone individual internet-connected devices. Those devices make a lot of people lots of money and are addictive for the teachers as well (isn't it so nice to be able to get a breather while the kids watch a youtube video, plus it's just like reading a book, right?), so parents need to organize and advocate. It isn't easy, that's for sure, but it can work. Without parents' advocacy, teachers would still be teaching kids to guess words from pictures instead of actually teaching them to read.

FTK, you’re handwriting because your classmates are addicted to games so we got rid of Chromebooks as a district.

Yes, actually it would be appropriate to
A) teach kids handwriting - even those who struggle with it
B) get rid of Chromebooks because a non-minor number of kids are addicted to games

These are both reasonable actions to take. They aren't easy and they would require going back on decisions may have previously made. But continuing in this direction despite mounting evidence of adverse impact on kids learning and development is not the right choice.

And adding that teachers are telling kids to take shots during the day when they needlessly direct them to use the internet

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have an issue with using Chromebooks, I have an issue with Chromebooks having so many distractions and not being adequately locked down. If during class a kid could only open one single application I’d be all for it.

What vendor do you suggest to replace Google?

Chromebooks only run on google. There is nothing to replace it except a laptop, macbook or tablet, all much more money and less secure.

Block. The. Internet.

Then the device does not function.

Should MCPS buy carts full of electric typewriters because a few kids can’t control themselves?

They should not be providing kids with addictive devices. Should we start serving alcohol in schools too?

It’s not the device that’s addictive, it’s the content. A more accurate analogy would be to ban water bottles because some kids fill them with vodka.

if we actually follow your analogy, the schools are providing kids water bottles (devices) with vodka (the internet) already in them. They don't need to bring in their vodka (internet) separately.

I'm all for away all day policies for elementary and middle school, but in high school I just want phones put away during instruction time, or maybe even during passing periods, but not during lunch. My HS kid is at a school with open lunch all four years because there's not enough room in the cafeteria. He uses his phone to meet up with his friends and to order Chipotle or whatever through the app so he doesn't spend his entire lunch break in line.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have an issue with using Chromebooks, I have an issue with Chromebooks having so many distractions and not being adequately locked down. If during class a kid could only open one single application I’d be all for it.

What vendor do you suggest to replace Google?

Chromebooks only run on google. There is nothing to replace it except a laptop, macbook or tablet, all much more money and less secure.

Block. The. Internet.

Then the device does not function.

Should MCPS buy carts full of electric typewriters because a few kids can’t control themselves?

They should not be providing kids with addictive devices. Should we start serving alcohol in schools too?

It’s not the device that’s addictive, it’s the content. A more accurate analogy would be to ban water bottles because some kids fill them with vodka.

If the numbers of kids who are using their devices inappropriately were getting drunk in class, we'd do exactly that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have an issue with using Chromebooks, I have an issue with Chromebooks having so many distractions and not being adequately locked down. If during class a kid could only open one single application I’d be all for it.

What vendor do you suggest to replace Google?

Chromebooks only run on google. There is nothing to replace it except a laptop, macbook or tablet, all much more money and less secure.

Block. The. Internet.

Then the device does not function.

Should MCPS buy carts full of electric typewriters because a few kids can’t control themselves?

They should not be providing kids with addictive devices. Should we start serving alcohol in schools too?

It’s not the device that’s addictive, it’s the content. A more accurate analogy would be to ban water bottles because some kids fill them with vodka.

Anonymous wrote:Also, no need for typewriters. Kids can and should take notes by hand. They will learn more that way and it is good for their fine motor skills.

I agree that it is better for them, but meanwhile the majority have illegible handwriting. I also have 25 students with a typing accommodations. I can’t just say FTK, you’re handwriting because your classmates are addicted to games so we got rid of Chromebooks as a district.

Also, no need for typewriters. Kids can and should take notes by hand. They will learn more that way and it is good for their fine motor skills.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have an issue with using Chromebooks, I have an issue with Chromebooks having so many distractions and not being adequately locked down. If during class a kid could only open one single application I’d be all for it.

What vendor do you suggest to replace Google?

Chromebooks only run on google. There is nothing to replace it except a laptop, macbook or tablet, all much more money and less secure.

Block. The. Internet.

Then the device does not function.

Should MCPS buy carts full of electric typewriters because a few kids can’t control themselves?

They should not be providing kids with addictive devices. Should we start serving alcohol in schools too?

Anonymous wrote:Evidence that this petition is about catastrophizing:

It calls for instituting a bell to bell phone ban that already exists, and for a “vetting” process for in-class technologies that already exists: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/data-privacy-security/technology/

It’s just click-bait.

The petition calls for: "Bell-to-bell phone-free schools for K-12th grade. Students would be required to store phones and possibly other personal electronic devices in a safe, secure space from the start of the day until the end."

This is not what currently exists, at least in MCPS. There is a phone ban for K-8, but without the requirement to store phones anywhere. There isn't a bell-to-bell ban for 9-12 at all, and phones usage is allowed during lunch and transition.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have an issue with using Chromebooks, I have an issue with Chromebooks having so many distractions and not being adequately locked down. If during class a kid could only open one single application I’d be all for it.

What vendor do you suggest to replace Google?

Chromebooks only run on google. There is nothing to replace it except a laptop, macbook or tablet, all much more money and less secure.

Block. The. Internet.

Google is internet based. Do you not understand what a chromebook is?

Could everything be blocked other than a whitelist of sites that are needed? That might work better than individually blocking the distracting sites.

The way the kids get around it is by embedding the games or videos directly in a Google slide. They are able to play the game or watch the video from within the slide.

If you block Google Slides, kids also can’t access a lot of legitimate materials.

Evidence that this petition is about catastrophizing:

It calls for instituting a bell to bell phone ban that already exists, and for a “vetting” process for in-class technologies that already exists: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/data-privacy-security/technology/

It’s just click-bait.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I guess I’m old but why the heck are parents blaming the school when their kids chooses to play video games? I would come down really hard on that as a parent if I found out. It’s like saying “of course my kid is throwing paper airplanes in class all day! You gave him access to paper!”

Yes, you must be old, as you don't understand what MCPS is like these days. MCPS gives kids Chromebooks, but doesn't have sufficient controls on them such that kids can't put video games on them. Parents are not in the classrooms to police this behavior at school. Teachers either don't know or don't have the bandwidth to stop the behavior when there are 30+ kids in class--it's not like the kids are playing video games loudly and disrupting class as in your paper airplane analogy where it's obvious. And parents don't have admin rights to the Chromebooks to delete any games or block any websites that are inappropriate or may be used, only MCPS does.

There are the excuses again. Yes I am old but I am currently employed by MCPS. And guess what: there are plenty of kids who do their work and respect their teachers and don’t google porn for God’s sake. Stop making excuses for the ones who are breaking the rules and getting away with it. “But my teacher didn’t stop me” isn’t an excuse. Don’t fool yourself that “everybody is doing it.” The kids fooling around on their Chromebooks are the same kids who disrupt the class every other way already. This is why one of the many reasons teachers are leaving.

You may be employed by MCPS, but you clearly are not doing anything that involves being in a classroom if you are equating kids disrupting classrooms by "throwing paper airplanes" to the problems parents and teachers describing of with kids having access to Chromebooks and accessing inappropriate content.

I am disturbed that my tax dollars pay your salary, as you have an attitude that is not consistent with keeping children safe. You are blaming kids for accessing material that is not age appropriate, but which MCPS fails to block on computers that they require students to use during the school day.

MCPS blocks SO many sites. Every single time, kids find ways around it. Kids are actively trying to subvert this, do you understand? At the elementary level where I work, their math and reading curriculum require them to use the Internet so we’re not just going to turn it off. It is ludicrous that people here think the schools simply aren’t trying, are just throwing up their hands. We liked GoGuardian but they replaced it with something we like less. We try to shift to paper and pencil lessons. We HAVE to teach specific lessons and interventions with the Internet. MCPS blocks YouTube in elementary and every inappropriate site that gets reported to it, but this is daily whack a mole, do you get it? We monitor it constantly to get kids back on task. And it’s not the responsible kids. It’s kids who are trying to mess around. Yes, parents have a role in telling their kid to quit messing around.

You are conflating all kinds of issues (what kids access on their own phones vs Chromebooks, what they are required to do online vs what they seek out to play). You are assuming the worst from teachers. You are catastrophizing based on rumors you’ve heard.