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On the topic of education, there is a whole lot to be bettered in the U.S.. I don't pretend to be an expert, but I do know that teachers ought to set policy and standards -- not politics or school admins. I also think that a year-round school year with more short breaks would be better than the agriculturally-adapted 10-month-year-with-a-mega-holiday-break-in-the-middle school year that we have. But I don't think that idea'd be very popular with said teachers. ;)
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On the topic of Twilight:
If Scint or anyone else wants to get more detailed, I'm curious. Having never read it, I thought the flack it got was the result of just being a predictable sappy YA supernatural romance, until this thread.
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On the topic of communism...
Anyone who points out that "Communism is an economic system, not a government type" or "Socialism and capitalism are not all-or-nothing systems, and actually work better together" tends to get either shouted down for being a dirty commie or ignored for being a bleeding heart liberal.
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I'd actually be fine with school admins having more control over policy. I've never met one who wasn't, at one point, a teacher with actual classroom experience. But going into detail on that hot mess edges dangerously close to flaming bike alerts.
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Honestly, I'd not be opposed to a year-round schedule, either. "But summer happened" is my biggest complaint with student retention. Not having to devote two weeks at the start of the year to re-teaching things they should already know would go a long way toward fixing things...and it would better prepare the kids for not having summers off come adulthood.
Just make sure we get enough professional time that we can effectively fix curriculum in the absence of a three-month "break" to do it. :)
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Three, we established the first day of school that I'm an aspiring supervillain, so why are you surprised when I do evil things?
I sort of want to laugh at this, but seriously my highschool days were filled with so much homework, that we literally banded together to copy each other's homework so we could hand up our homework on time. And that's from a lawful. Ok - I probably wasn't lawful at that time.
I kid you not. Point is there simply weren't enough hours in a day to finish everything every teacher told you to do.
*Sad sigh*
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I completely understand, and it's why I actually try not to give too much out-of-class work. Most of what I give them is something that can be done in class (here's a worksheet and 15 minutes to at least get started on it so you can ask questions; I can't really help you if you decide to use that time to socialize instead), and for bigger assignments like essays, I do try to give at least a couple days in class to work on so it's not entirely enforced all-nighters.
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This essay they're complaining about is 2-3 pages (and that's double-spaced because MLA), and it's the only thing we're going to do (except maybe a little sidetrack onto grammar concepts) for the next week.
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I lived on like 4 hours of sleep for most of college. And that was not because I was playing computer games or whatsoever, it was because I was trying to mug. I tell you, maths and physics eat the thoughts out of my head...
And I have issues on trying and trying but not getting the grades I wanted...just wasn't good enough...
Maybe that's why I dislike maths now.
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Quick update from NobodysHomeLand:
How and why customers tolerate this is beyond my comprehension.
EDIT: Oh, and the wind was so high last night that it blew out the pilot on our bedroom heater. :-O
Fortunately, the accompanying pressure system is keeping the lows in the low 50's so it didn't get TOO cold, but still...
Finished Stranger Things Season 2. Excellent stuff.
** spoiler omitted **
Eagerly looking forward to Season 3.
Agreed with everything.
he had the book in 93 at least. I feel like the internet had so much potential too. Hmm why aren't we teaching kids with their phones?
Well, my wife's school is teaching by way of iPads. So, you know. It kind of is.
EDIT: in light of Scint's comment below, I believe it is important to clarify: these are learning machines, dedicated to school stuff. No extras allowed.
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It snowed.
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Curses.
Eventually we will reach a state where exterior weather conditions are less relevant.
And nudity ceases to be something to be concerned over.
NEVER!!!
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he had the book in 93 at least. I feel like the internet had so much potential too. Hmm why aren't we teaching kids with their phones?
Honestly? Because whenever we try to incorporate phone tech into a lesson (QR codes, etc.), we spend half the lesson telling the kids to stop playing on Instagram/Snapchat.
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It's a stick. I have a yard full of them. Come and take as many as you want. As payment, point the weather dominatrix elsewhere so I can have a warm winter with no snow.Charlie Brown Christmas is my favorite Christmas movie. I want that tree so bad.
You ARE a youngster, aren't you?We've been complaining about the commercialization of Christmas here in the U.S. for at least 40 years now. It's become a tradition:
- Trim the tree
- Put out grandpa
- Argue about the commercialization of Christmas
Anyone else remember a few years ago there being a bit of hoopla over I want to say ABC cutting into A Charlie Brown Christmas to show more commercials?
...what did they decide? That's a fascinating topic.=====
TRUE STORY: Last year when I was chaperoning the high school I had to bust a group of guys for talking too loud too late at night. Their conversation? Whether the Bolshevik Revolution or the Holocaust caused greater human suffering.
See above.
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Of course this was the same school where my 8th grade Algebra class consisted of 8 (yes eight) people, and they couldn't get enough textbooks from the same edition for everyone. All the questions were the same, but the sample problems were all different. And the teacher's guide was a different edition from all the student books. So half the class had one edition, half the class had a second edition, and the teacher had a third edition. Also, the teacher was hired primarily as a basketball coach and had no idea how to really do Algebra, let alone teach it.
Good memories.
that brings back memories...
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I lived on like 4 hours of sleep for most of college. And that was not because I was playing computer games or whatsoever, it was because I was trying to mug. I tell you, maths and physics eat the thoughts out of my head...
And I have issues on trying and trying but not getting the grades I wanted...just wasn't good enough...
Maybe that's why I dislike maths now.
let the hate flow through you...
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he had the book in 93 at least. I feel like the internet had so much potential too. Hmm why aren't we teaching kids with their phones?Honestly? Because whenever we try to incorporate phone tech into a lesson (QR codes, etc.), we spend half the lesson telling the kids to stop playing on Instagram/Snapchat.
I have found a few interesting things on youtube for math and science. History is hit or miss as theres a lot of viewpoints and talking heads.
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I have found a few interesting things on youtube for math and science. History is hit or miss as theres a lot of viewpoints and talking heads.he had the book in 93 at least. I feel like the internet had so much potential too. Hmm why aren't we teaching kids with their phones?Honestly? Because whenever we try to incorporate phone tech into a lesson (QR codes, etc.), we spend half the lesson telling the kids to stop playing on Instagram/Snapchat.
My issue isn't the objectiveness/subjectiveness of available content so much as the fact that if I okay having the phones out, they immediately take it as permission to stop paying attention and begin screwing around. We're a Chromebook school, and it's bad enough when the screen is big enough that I can see them off-task from across the room.
I don't know if technology is more blessing or curse, but the only way I can save my sanity is to take a natural consequences approach and just let them nail their own coffins for not doing their work.
Why am I failing?
I dunno, maybe if you'd actually do your freaking homework...
he had the book in 93 at least. I feel like the internet had so much potential too. Hmm why aren't we teaching kids with their phones?Well, my wife's school is teaching by way of iPads. So, you know. It kind of is.
EDIT: in light of Scint's comment below, I believe it is important to clarify: these are learning machines, dedicated to school stuff. No extras allowed.
i learned more about computers in getting around security to look at porn on kiosks than i ever did in classes dedicated to the subject.
That said, this was the 90s.
Need sleeeeeeeeep.
Fell asleep at: 2:00 AM
Woke up at: 5:45 AM
Tired.
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I have found a few interesting things on youtube for math and science. History is hit or miss as theres a lot of viewpoints and talking heads.he had the book in 93 at least. I feel like the internet had so much potential too. Hmm why aren't we teaching kids with their phones?Honestly? Because whenever we try to incorporate phone tech into a lesson (QR codes, etc.), we spend half the lesson telling the kids to stop playing on Instagram/Snapchat.My issue isn't the objectiveness/subjectiveness of available content so much as the fact that if I okay having the phones out, they immediately take it as permission to stop paying attention and begin screwing around. We're a Chromebook school, and it's bad enough when the screen is big enough that I can see them off-task from across the room.
I don't know if technology is more blessing or curse, but the only way I can save my sanity is to take a natural consequences approach and just let them nail their own coffins for not doing their work.
Why am I failing?
I dunno, maybe if you'd actually do your freaking homework...
hard, but fair.
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Scintillae - just for your information - in college I did my homework and even did extra for all the 10 years series in the library. Unfortunately where I am, the standards are that harsh that only if you are one of the lucky few who have inherent talent, do you actually pass the subject.
I believe no one in the class actually passed the maths tests set.
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I have found a few interesting things on youtube for math and science. History is hit or miss as theres a lot of viewpoints and talking heads.he had the book in 93 at least. I feel like the internet had so much potential too. Hmm why aren't we teaching kids with their phones?Honestly? Because whenever we try to incorporate phone tech into a lesson (QR codes, etc.), we spend half the lesson telling the kids to stop playing on Instagram/Snapchat.My issue isn't the objectiveness/subjectiveness of available content so much as the fact that if I okay having the phones out, they immediately take it as permission to stop paying attention and begin screwing around. We're a Chromebook school, and it's bad enough when the screen is big enough that I can see them off-task from across the room.
I don't know if technology is more blessing or curse, but the only way I can save my sanity is to take a natural consequences approach and just let them nail their own coffins for not doing their work.
Why am I failing?
I dunno, maybe if you'd actually do your freaking homework...
for some reason, this reminds me of the times i would get yelled at in class for doing the reading and work in advance so I could read the comics and stuff i brought with me to school.
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Scintillae - just for your information - in college I did my homework and even did extra for all the 10 years series in the library. Unfortunately where I am, the standards are that harsh that only if you are one of the lucky few who have inherent talent, do you actually pass the subject.
I believe no one in the class actually passed the maths tests set.
Wasn't doubting you did! :) Granted, I'm English/social science, so it's a completely different world from mathematics/science.
I can only speak to my own observations with my kiddos. I try not to load them down with excessive work because I know they have homework from other teachers, but most of the kids I see struggling academically are also the ones I spend half the class telling them to wait to socialize until after class; please do your worksheet as it is due tomorrow. This is not true of all of the kids by any means, but it demonstrates a common enough trend that I feel justified in assuming Grouchy Old Lady(tm) mode about Kids These Days.
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for some reason, this reminds me of the times i would get yelled at in class for doing the reading and work in advance so I could read the comics and stuff i brought with me to school.I have found a few interesting things on youtube for math and science. History is hit or miss as theres a lot of viewpoints and talking heads.he had the book in 93 at least. I feel like the internet had so much potential too. Hmm why aren't we teaching kids with their phones?Honestly? Because whenever we try to incorporate phone tech into a lesson (QR codes, etc.), we spend half the lesson telling the kids to stop playing on Instagram/Snapchat.My issue isn't the objectiveness/subjectiveness of available content so much as the fact that if I okay having the phones out, they immediately take it as permission to stop paying attention and begin screwing around. We're a Chromebook school, and it's bad enough when the screen is big enough that I can see them off-task from across the room.
I don't know if technology is more blessing or curse, but the only way I can save my sanity is to take a natural consequences approach and just let them nail their own coffins for not doing their work.
Why am I failing?
I dunno, maybe if you'd actually do your freaking homework...
Oh, lord, that was me as a kid. My sixth grade teacher complained to my mom that I'd read during class.
"Well, is she bothering anyone?"
"No..."
"What's her grade?"
"An A, but-"
"Aren't you supposed to encourage reading?"
Most of my assignments are on Google Classroom, so I can check to see if they actually are done before I holler at them, and even then it's more...
"Hey, [kid]! How's your worksheet?"
"Done."
"His isn't. Find something else to do and let him work."
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for some reason, this reminds me of the times i would get yelled at in class for doing the reading and work in advance so I could read the comics and stuff i brought with me to school.I have found a few interesting things on youtube for math and science. History is hit or miss as theres a lot of viewpoints and talking heads.he had the book in 93 at least. I feel like the internet had so much potential too. Hmm why aren't we teaching kids with their phones?Honestly? Because whenever we try to incorporate phone tech into a lesson (QR codes, etc.), we spend half the lesson telling the kids to stop playing on Instagram/Snapchat.My issue isn't the objectiveness/subjectiveness of available content so much as the fact that if I okay having the phones out, they immediately take it as permission to stop paying attention and begin screwing around. We're a Chromebook school, and it's bad enough when the screen is big enough that I can see them off-task from across the room.
I don't know if technology is more blessing or curse, but the only way I can save my sanity is to take a natural consequences approach and just let them nail their own coffins for not doing their work.
Why am I failing?
I dunno, maybe if you'd actually do your freaking homework...Oh, lord, that was me as a kid. My sixth grade teacher complained to my mom that I'd read during class.
"Well, is she bothering anyone?"
"No..."
"What's her grade?"
"An A, but-"
"Aren't you supposed to encourage reading?"Most of my assignments are on Google Classroom, so I can check to see if they actually are done before I holler at them, and even then it's more...
"Hey, [kid]! How's your worksheet?"
"Done."
"His isn't. Find something else to do and let him work."
i remember reading steven king and cheesy vampire novels in class, interspersed with dragonlance and new mutants.
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It's snowing here in Pittsburgh.
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I don't socialize. I have issues talking to people. Put me in a room and I'll generally find a corner to hide.
Oh I read during class... That book was so shiny I couldn't put it down.(And got confiscated of course)
When I got my hands on Harry Potter and the order of Phoenix I walked to the nearest library, nose in book and got stuck there for 4 h so I could read the book in peace.
I know I have this rather bad habit that when I see a book I like, I'll just read it where the shelf is, even if it involves blocking the aisle before someone tells me to move my sorry arse. Cue the sheepish oops later.
These days at least I mostly have the decency to find somewhere I don't block others before I sink down for a good read.
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Augh. What was I thinking making the reading packets due the same day as a test for another class...
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I used to sit in the back of the classroom in biology and chemistry, scribble a few notes during the lectures, and then read whatever book I had with me. (I got started on the Preston & Child books with Relic that way.) But my notes were horrible -- a pair of bullet points and a blank page, most days. Imagine my distress when my reliable instructor decided to do a "notebook check" for the first time ever in the last two weeks of one semester! I think I had about 15 sheets of paper that actually had *some* mark on them. I was scared s*#~less, as she was breaking her patterns, and had been mad as hell about the poor scoring most of the class had been putting up -- I just knew I was about to get hammered because "everybody else" had failed a quiz.
She took them up on a Friday, and since I was *the* uber-geek-nerd of my high school, I stressed that mess for a whole weekend! 'Fessed up to my parents and everything.
Monday morning, 3rd period?
Sure, I already had the highest average in class; I passed the quizzes handily; I was *rarely* a source of discipline issues . . . . I got handed a freebie.
. . . .
I do want that weekend back, though . . . .
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I failed Biology because cutting open dead frogs and worms with a dull scalpel wasn't interesting.
thats nuts! That is SO much fun!
Throwing frog hearts at girls you like is where it's at!
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I failed bio because of the stupid 100+ collection of plant (fall) or animal (spring) samples we had to gather, identify, get checked off, and write summaries for. I scraped out of the class with a C-, but the two 6-weeks where those were due I failed.
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I used to sit in the back of the classroom in biology and chemistry, scribble a few notes during the lectures, and then read whatever book I had with me. (I got started on the Preston & Child books with Relic that way.) But my notes were horrible -- a pair of bullet points and a blank page, most days. Imagine my distress when my reliable instructor decided to do a "notebook check" for the first time ever in the last two weeks of one semester! I think I had about 15 sheets of paper that actually had *some* mark on them. I was scared s~@*less, as she was breaking her patterns, and had been mad as hell about the poor scoring most of the class had been putting up -- I just knew I was about to get hammered because "everybody else" had failed a quiz.
She took them up on a Friday, and since I was *the* uber-geek-nerd of my high school, I stressed that mess for a whole weekend! 'Fessed up to my parents and everything.
Monday morning, 3rd period?
Sure, I already had the highest average in class; I passed the quizzes handily; I was *rarely* a source of discipline issues . . . . I got handed a freebie.
. . . .
I do want that weekend back, though . . . .
I was literally just talking to my wife last night about one of my most embarrassing things.
In college, I had a speech course. I'd been doing a great job, had a solid track record, and was top of the class.
We were supposed to come up with a persuasive speech that discussed something most people don't think about - a surprising or strange idea.
I... choked. Writer's block, distraction, a complete inability to generate a topic. I just... I couldn't do anything. Then I came up with an idea, the night before, and hastily wrote it out. I was exhausted, though, as it was late.
Without intending to, I ended up dressed suit-and-tie (I had another thing, later) the day I went to give the speech. The professor (by all accounts a really nice guy; I liked him) pointed at me as I walked in, pointed out my suit and tie, and swore I'd get an A, just for that!
... I was mortified, as I sat at my desk. I couldn't just contradict him, but I felt slightly sick. My topic? "Why sticks are important to civilization."
And, now, to be fair, they are. Super important.
But when your speech is, effectively, "Sticks are super-important, you guys - chop sticks, walking sticks, building sticks, and lever sticks! My hands are moving so you can believe me!" it is not worth an 'A' - I failed that thing so hard, though I did my absolute best to make sure it was the best I could do with what I had. ... but what I had was garbage, and I'd known that at the start of the day, and it was the most persuasive... terrible and unconvincing speech that I could.
To that teacher's everlasting credit, he stuck to his word and gave me an 'A' - lowest 'A' possible, mind you, but an 'A' nonetheless.
I feel so daggum guilty about that to this day.
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I failed bio because of the stupid 100+ collection of plant (fall) or animal (spring) samples we had to gather, identify, get checked off, and write summaries for. I scraped out of the class with a C-, but the two 6-weeks where those were due I failed.
Man, that was me in Chemistry.
Chemistry suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked.
It's an awesome field, and I super-respect anyone who's good at it, but I scraped through with that C- with everything I had.
Biology? Rockin'.
Physics? On it.
Chem? Oh, schnaaaaaaaaaaaaap, no.
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I failed bio because of the stupid 100+ collection of plant (fall) or animal (spring) samples we had to gather, identify, get checked off, and write summaries for. I scraped out of the class with a C-, but the two 6-weeks where those were due I failed.
This calls to mind a Calvin and Hobbes storyline about a leaf collection project...
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I failed bio because of the stupid 100+ collection of plant (fall) or animal (spring) samples we had to gather, identify, get checked off, and write summaries for. I scraped out of the class with a C-, but the two 6-weeks where those were due I failed.Man, that was me in Chemistry.
Chemistry suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked.
It's an awesome field, and I super-respect anyone who's good at it, but I scraped through with that C- with everything I had.
Biology? Rockin'.
Physics? On it.
Chem? Oh, schnaaaaaaaaaaaaap, no.
So, you had a bad reaction to chemistry?
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I failed bio because of the stupid 100+ collection of plant (fall) or animal (spring) samples we had to gather, identify, get checked off, and write summaries for. I scraped out of the class with a C-, but the two 6-weeks where those were due I failed.
you're a pokemon master. How could you not have caught them all.
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I failed Biology because cutting open dead frogs and worms with a dull scalpel wasn't interesting.thats nuts! That is SO much fun!
Throwing frog hearts at girls you like is where it's at!
The things I missed out on by being home schooled.
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I failed bio because of the stupid 100+ collection of plant (fall) or animal (spring) samples we had to gather, identify, get checked off, and write summaries for. I scraped out of the class with a C-, but the two 6-weeks where those were due I failed.
The s@!% I had to do for Quaker Sunday school.
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My nemesis was music. I hear music just fine, with good sense of tone... but producing it? No. I sing awfully. Every flute is a pipes of panic in my hands. A PIANO sounds off key when I play it, even if the next guy plays fine on it. A drum sounds off key...
I have no idea how my teacher gave me a 3 of 5 in music, but he did.
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I failed bio because of the stupid 100+ collection of plant (fall) or animal (spring) samples we had to gather, identify, get checked off, and write summaries for. I scraped out of the class with a C-, but the two 6-weeks where those were due I failed.Man, that was me in Chemistry.
Chemistry suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked.
It's an awesome field, and I super-respect anyone who's good at it, but I scraped through with that C- with everything I had.
Biology? Rockin'.
Physics? On it.
Chem? Oh, schnaaaaaaaaaaaaap, no.
We never did get my dad to teach us how to make gun powder.
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I dunno, maybe if you'd actually do your freaking homework...for some reason, this reminds me of the times i would get yelled at in class for doing the reading and work in advance so I could read the comics and stuff i brought with me to school.Oh, lord, that was me as a kid. My sixth grade teacher complained to my mom that I'd read during class.
"Well, is she bothering anyone?"
"No..."
"What's her grade?"
"An A, but-"
"Aren't you supposed to encourage reading?"
My fifth or sixth grade. Our Geography teacher came into our classroom to ask our Polish teacher something. I was sitting nearest the door (short sighted, needed to be close to the blackboard). She sees me doodling in a notebook...
To our Polish teacher "Shouldn't he be paying attention"
The teacher "He read/done* that already and he doesn't interrupt other paying attention"
*or something like that, it has been previous millennium, so I don't remember exact details, after all.