TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

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Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

Postby tronagirl » Tue Feb 17, 2015 6:34 pm

mrfish: I've heard of a couple cases where the person working as the group counselor pulled stuff like you're talking about. Part of the problem is that people who work for the school are mandated reporters and that means that if they hear about certain kinds of crimes, they must report what they heard to legal authorities. So, when someone running a group like this promises confidentiality don't believe them for a second. It might seem like a load is being taken off you when you spill your guts at a group meeting, but the trouble you thought you had will be nothing compared to the trouble you'll have to deal with as a result of your blabbering at the group meeting!
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Re: Bad Therapy

Postby shadylady » Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:19 am

Schools do a pretty good job of providing services for kids and sometimes they're guilty of trying to do too much. The support groups discussed here probably are beyond the scope of what a school should be doing and there is the danger of promising confidentiality, but not really being able to provide confidentiality. Sooner or later something gets out and someone's feelings get hurt. It seems to me that support groups are one of those things done with good intentions, but which are likely to cause more problems than they solve.
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Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

Postby wildrose » Wed Feb 18, 2015 6:56 pm

Special ed teacher booted from class after hugging kid :smack:
It's really sad that we've come to this, but with all the hype and paranoia over child molesters it's little wonder that the whole problem has been blown way out of proportion and more harm is done to children in the name of keeping them safe than would be done if nothing were done at all. In other words in trying to solve a perceived problem, we've created a bigger problem.
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Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

Postby pcslim » Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:41 am

The Biggest Subject We Should Be Teaching Kids, But Aren’t :smack:
In most schools computers are used as glorified typewriters, slide projectors, or worksheet/test-taking machines. Schools completely miss the boat when it comes to teaching computer science concepts and coding skills. This is one of the areas where schools fail miserably to prepare kids for the future. What's the point of even having computers if all they do is word process, make slide presentations (aka, powerpoint), do tutorial activities, and take tests? Pretending that this is an adequate approach to teaching technology is completely delusional and proves that the people running schools are complete idiots!
Even President Obama has advocated for computer science education in America’s high schools. “Don’t just buy a new video game. Make one. Don’t just download the latest app. Help design it. Don’t just play on your phone. Program it,” said the President in his message to promote Computer Science Education Week in 2013.

LINK: http://blog.generalassemb.ly/should-kids-learn-to-code/
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Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

Postby desertrat » Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:28 am

pcslim wrote:In most schools computers are used as glorified typewriters, slide projectors, or worksheet/test-taking machines. Schools completely miss the boat when it comes to teaching computer science concepts and coding skills. This is one of the areas where schools fail miserably to prepare kids for the future. What's the point of even having computers if all they do is word process, make slide presentations (aka, powerpoint), do tutorial activities, and take tests? Pretending that this is an adequate approach to teaching technology is completely delusional and proves that the people running schools are complete idiots!

I think that most educators aren't aware of anything called coding skills and to the extent that they are aware of the term, they have no clue what it means. To them computers are nothing more than "glorified typewriters, slide projectors, or worksheet/test-taking machines" as you say. That's why it's important to attract people of greater intelligence to the teaching profession. Besides the low pay, it's also the case that it would be difficult for intelligent people to put up with some of the half-assed programs schools constantly involve themselves in. It seems that half this thread has been a discussion of time-wasting programs that do nothing for kids, but which keep school employees in their comfortable little bubbles. A dead giveaway that someone is clueless about technology is when you hear them say "That was an awesome powerpoint presentation" with sincere admiration as if a powerpoint presentation is something worthy of even admiring.
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Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

Postby MojaveMike » Sat Feb 21, 2015 11:45 am

desertrat wrote:
pcslim wrote:In most schools computers are used as glorified typewriters, slide projectors, or worksheet/test-taking machines. Schools completely miss the boat when it comes to teaching computer science concepts and coding skills. This is one of the areas where schools fail miserably to prepare kids for the future. What's the point of even having computers if all they do is word process, make slide presentations (aka, powerpoint), do tutorial activities, and take tests? Pretending that this is an adequate approach to teaching technology is completely delusional and proves that the people running schools are complete idiots!

I think that most educators aren't aware of anything called coding skills and to the extent that they are aware of the term, they have no clue what it means. To them computers are nothing more than "glorified typewriters, slide projectors, or worksheet/test-taking machines" as you say. That's why it's important to attract people of greater intelligence to the teaching profession. Besides the low pay, it's also the case that it would be difficult for intelligent people to put up with some of the half-assed programs schools constantly involve themselves in. It seems that half this thread has been a discussion of time-wasting programs that do nothing for kids, but which keep school employees in their comfortable little bubbles. A dead giveaway that someone is clueless about technology is when you hear them say "That was an awesome powerpoint presentation" with sincere admiration as if a powerpoint presentation is something worthy of even admiring.

It's amazing how they have time to hold "Anger Management as well as Grief and Loss groups," but they don't seem to have time to teach coding skills. You're right, desertrat, educators like to stay nice and safe in their comfortable little bubbles and play emotional pat-a-cakes or hold little pity parties, instead of actually teaching kids and providing them what they really need: preparation for the future!
:smack:
As for powerpoint or online research counting as teaching kids how to actually use technology:
:laugh:
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Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

Postby cactuspete » Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:28 am

Why Are Fewer People Studying Science and Engineering?
To answer this question based partially on what's been shared up to this point in this thread, I'd have to conclude that people who work at schools feel more comfortable dealing with social issues than with science. They look at science and engineering as hard, cold, and boring, and on top of that people who work at schools were for the most part not science majors. Even those who teach science and math courses often did not get their degrees in math or science, but in TEACHING math or science (very watered-down programs). As already stated, teachers and other staff at schools work in a bubble and they like to stay in that comfortable little bubble. They feel all warm and fuzzy inside when they hold "Anger Management as well as Grief and Loss groups" for students and it provides for them the illusion that they are doing something to help students when in reality they are sabotaging the future of kids by not providing what kids really need: good solid coursework to prepare them for careers in science, engineering, and computer programming. There are tons of unfilled jobs in those areas and kids are being cheated when they are not being provided with opportunities to prepare for those fields of study.
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Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

Postby CactusHugger » Sun Feb 22, 2015 9:11 am

Mom Threatens To Blow Up A School After Her Daughter Flunked A Test :shrug:
Considering all the f'cked up parents in the world, maybe all those anger management and other therapy groups are necessary...
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Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

Postby pcslim » Sun Mar 01, 2015 8:24 am

Chromebooks smashing iPads out of U.S. education market
If Common Core is increasing the meaningful use of technology in public education that's a good thing, but if all it's doing is increasing the use of computers as expensive test-taking machines then it's all a farce. My guess is that it will be more of the same "glorified typewriters, slide projectors, or worksheet/test-taking machines" as already stated in this thread and that's really too bad since that's all just a big waste of time and resources. It's too bad that more teachers aren't capable to doing more with technology. Instead all we get is word processing, online research, powerpoint, and tutorials.
:smack:
Such a waste of an amazing opportunity!
According to the analyst’s Personal Computing in K-12 Q4 2014 Market Track Report, the U.S. education sector recorded a 40.5 per cent growth driven by Common Core, and the movement towards online assessment. In addition Chromebooks are beating iPads, gobbling up 39 percent U.S. market share in 2014 (equating to over three million units), compared with the iPad’s 26 per cent market share.

LINK: http://www.channelnomics.com/channelnomics-us/news/2396993/chromebooks-smashing-ipads-out-of-north-american-education-market
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Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - February 12, 2015

Postby tronagirl » Sun Mar 01, 2015 12:21 pm

FAFSA Grant deadline ends on March 2nd
Free money to go to college? Sign me up!!!
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