Students Distracted by Technology in School

[STL Husker]

I think there are 3 jobs in America that everyone thinks they can do better...

Politician

Coaching

Teaching

I have 2/3 of those jobs! ha

I am lucky...I love teaching and I love coaching. I am lucky that I am really good at both of them.

But I am getting a bit tired of coaching and teaching and will be moving into administration soon...where I can sit around all day haha

I definitely don't think I can do any better than you. I hope that's not how I am coming across. I have a huge amount of respect for teachers. I couldn't handle controlling a classroom of kids, let alone try to teach them something. All I have are ideas that might work when you have perfect students. I know there is a ton of other crap that you have to deal with on a daily basis that makes it a drain to do the teaching that you actually became a teacher to do.

 

[teachercd]

I think there are 3 jobs in America that everyone thinks they can do better...

Politician

Coaching

Teaching

I have 2/3 of those jobs! ha

I am lucky...I love teaching and I love coaching. I am lucky that I am really good at both of them.

But I am getting a bit tired of coaching and teaching and will be moving into administration soon...where I can sit around all day haha

I definitely don't think I can do any better than you. I hope that's not how I am coming across. I have a huge amount of respect for teachers. I couldn't handle controlling a classroom of kids, let alone try to teach them something. All I have are ideas that might work when you have perfect students. I know there is a ton of other crap that you have to deal with on a daily basis that makes it a drain to do the teaching that you actually became a teacher to do.

I wish I had perfect football players! It would make my practice that I have planned today go a lot smoother! haha

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

I think there are 3 jobs in America that everyone thinks they can do better...

Politician

Coaching

Teaching

I have 2/3 of those jobs! ha

I am lucky...I love teaching and I love coaching. I am lucky that I am really good at both of them.

But I am getting a bit tired of coaching and teaching and will be moving into administration soon...where I can sit around all day haha

I definitely don't think I can do any better than you. I hope that's not how I am coming across. I have a huge amount of respect for teachers. I couldn't handle controlling a classroom of kids, let alone try to teach them something. All I have are ideas that might work when you have perfect students. I know there is a ton of other crap that you have to deal with on a daily basis that makes it a drain to do the teaching that you actually became a teacher to do.

Unfortunately this is beginning to be a real issue in and out of the classroom. Teachers aren't as respected as they used to be and we are questioned more and more for how we do things if it doesn't seem "fair" to some students and parents.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Oh my god...

If you have kids at home...and you tell them to clean their freaking room...do you make it a "fun game" for them? Do you tell them that each article of clothing is a piece of of a magic potion, do you tell them that each plate and cup they bring down to the kitchen is really a magical golden nugget?

When you make your kid mow the lawn...do you first convince them that each blade of grass is really en evil being from Lord of the Rings and that they are destroying the bad guys?

Parents says it...kid does it

Teacher says it...student does it

Coach says it...player does it

Its not "kids these days" it never has been, it never will be. It is "parents these days" and it always has been and it always will be. When I was in school, not that long ago, and I went home and told my mom or dad "Uggg, its boring, that class is boring" they said "So what, learn it, get a decent grade and move on, not everything in life is going to be super exciting, its your job to do well in class"

So because school has always been boring, we can't try to do anything to make it more enjoyable. The things you remember most from school are things that you were interested and engaged in. You can do enough to pass a test, but how long does that information stick with you if you aren't engaged? How much do you still remember from your high school classes? The stuff I still remember are things I found interesting or were presented in an interesting way. I got As and Bs in school, but I couldn't pass many of those tests if I took them again today. Why not try to make things more interesting so they can do more than just pass a test?

I have 18 month old twins, so I can't ask them to do much, but we have gotten them to do some things by turning them into games. They pick up their own toys, put their shoes away, put their clothes in the hamper, and throw their own trash away by making them fun. We have started to notice that they sometimes start picking up their things before bedtime without having to tell them. There are times they don't want to do it, but they do face some kind of puinishment if they don't do what we tell them. So what's wrong with telling them that something is a "magical golden nugget" if it gets them to do it? The difficult thing is finding what that golden nugget is as kids get older. They become less interested in the basic games you tried to play with them when they were younger. I think it's pretty lazy on the teacher's part to do it their own way and expect students to pick up on it.

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

I wish more people understood this.

When I go to hire someone. If they are coming out of school, I look at their grades. Do I really give a crap if they know what cytoplasm is? I don't. However, if they can learn that, then they can learn what I need them to learn on this job.

If they can't pick up the simple concept of what cytoplasm is, do you really think they could learn to do the job I need them to do?

I don't know what field you are in, but isn't it beneficial that they have some background knowledge what they are going to do. You aren't going to get a job strictly off your ability to learn. You have to have some background in the industry you want to work in. Especially in higher paying jobs. I would love to work in IT field, but I didn't realize that until after I graduated and I can't just go into an interview and tell someone that I don't know anything about it, but I'm a quick learner. I think this is the case with most high paying jobs.

Definitely. It all depends on the job I'm filling. But, if I'm hiring a general labor type person in an entry level job (typically what someone coming out of HS would get). I need them to know how to do math, read, and do basic communications. Other than that, I need proof that they know how to learn and know how to be responsible enough to learn, show up for class, follow simply guidelines set out by us as their employer. How do they do that? By showing me they could do that in school.

Just an example, one time I remember having a HS age kid come in and apply for a summer part time job. I asked about school. He had dropped out and was working on his GED. When I asked why he dropped out, he went into this long explanation about how he wasn't getting along with some of the teachers and principal. They were just being so ridiculous he couldn't take it anymore.

Ummmm....I flat out told him, if he couldn't get along with them, he wasn't going to get along with me. He just couldn't understand that.

Life is a matter of getting along with people even though you might not like them. You might not agree with them and you might not have anything in common. But, can you work with them enough to accomplish a task and follow simple guide lines to accomplish a common goal.

It really is a simple concept that some people just never understand.

 

[teachercd]

BigRedBuster, Good lord we would get along really well. If this was Match.com and if you were a really hot girl with a banging body...I would totally hit you up...of course I am pretty shallow and would lose interest and stop trying to hang out with...unless you totally ignored me first...if that happened I would be totally into you and wonder why you were not interested.

 

[teachercd]

I totally get the idea of having some background but how many of us here have a job where you are using your US History background? Or your background in diagramming sentences or reading poems.

You learn how to learn and how to study and adapt. You learn how to think logically and get from point A to point B.

 

[BigRedBuster]

yeah....I gave a tour through our place once for HS seniors. At the end, I gathered them in the conference room and talked about what it takes to get a job and succeed after HS. There were a number of them that you could just tell the only reason they were there is because it got them out of school for the day. They are the typical kids who live life with their thumb up their azz and think they know more than anyone else. The same ones who when a teacher cracks down on them they get all pissy and end up in the principals office.

Well, I was simply stating what I look for in people who apply. I don't think they liked me very much.

Back to the original topic. I think it is important to have this technology in schools for the same reason we have been having the other discussion. More and more, technology is in almost every job. Even entry level jobs. Kids need to both learn how to use that technology AND learn how to respect it and use it properly. I would prefer teachers have to deal with teaching them that than me

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

BigRedBuster, Good lord we would get along really well. If this was Match.com and if you were a really hot girl with a banging body...I would totally hit you up...of course I am pretty shallow and would lose interest and stop trying to hang out with...unless you totally ignored me first...if that happened I would be totally into you and wonder why you were not interested.

I agreed with this statement until it got weird

I agree that BigRedBuster seems to get it. We need more employers like you BRB that would come in to our schools and talk to kids and let them know what it takes to be successful in the work force. Unfortunately, I think you need to have the same conversation with some parents too.

 

[STL Husker]

I totally get the idea of having some background but how many of us here have a job where you are using your US History background? Or your background in diagramming sentences or reading poems.

You learn how to learn and how to study and adapt. You learn how to think logically and get from point A to point B.

I didn't, but most high paying jobs out there require that kind of background. I would also bet that people in those jobs are more satisfied with their career than someone who didn't go to school for what they are doing. But this is getting into a whole new discussion.

I really need Saturday night to get here.

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

I totally get the idea of having some background but how many of us here have a job where you are using your US History background? Or your background in diagramming sentences or reading poems.

You learn how to learn and how to study and adapt. You learn how to think logically and get from point A to point B.

I didn't, but most high paying jobs out there require that kind of background. I would also bet that people in those jobs are more satisfied with their career than someone who didn't go to school for what they are doing. But this is getting into a whole new discussion.

I really need Saturday night to get here.

I really need Friday afternoon to get here......I also need to get beer for the game on Saturday night. I also want to say that this thread may have gotten off of my original topic, but it has really helped me vent a little bit.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I really need Friday to get here so I can spend the weekend playing on my kid's iPads they got from school.

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

I really need Friday to get here so I can spend the weekend playing on my kid's iPads they got from school.

Hey, they aren't a gaming device. They are the best educational tool in the world and they need to be treated that way

(in case I needed it)

 

[sd'sker]

The fol­low­ing list can be found in Rethink­ing Edu­ca­tion in the Age of Tech­nol­ogy by Collins and Halver­son (pg. 30). Their list high­lights the many exam­ples of how edu­ca­tion has been very resis­tant to change.

• From a principal’s pub­li­ca­tion in 1815: “Stu­dents today depend on paper too much. They don’t know how to write on a slate with­out get­ting chalk dust all over them­selves. They can’t clean a slate prop­erly. What will they do when they run out of paper?”
• From the jour­nal of the National Asso­ci­a­tion of Teach­ers, 1907: “Stu­dents today depend too much upon ink. They don’t know how to use a pen knife to sharpen a pen­cil. Pen and ink will never replace the pencil.”
• From Rural Amer­i­can Teacher, 1928: “Stu­dents today depend upon store bought ink. They don’t know how to make their own. When they run out of ink they will be unable to write words or ciphers until their next trip to the set­tle­ment. This is a sad com­men­tary on mod­ern education.”
• From Fed­eral Teach­ers, 1950: “Ball­point pens will be the ruin of edu­ca­tion in our coun­try. Stu­dents use these devices and then throw them away. The Amer­i­can val­ues of thrift and fru­gal­ity are being dis­carded. Busi­nesses and banks will never allow such expen­sive luxuries.”
• From a sci­ence fair judge in Apple Class­room of Tomor­row chron­i­cles, 1988: “Com­put­ers give stu­dents an unfair advan­tage. There­fore, stu­dents who used com­put­ers to ana­lyze data or cre­ate dis­plays will be elim­i­nated from the sci­ence fair.”

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

The fol­low­ing list can be found in Rethink­ing Edu­ca­tion in the Age of Tech­nol­ogy by Collins and Halver­son (pg. 30). Their list high­lights the many exam­ples of how edu­ca­tion has been very resis­tant to change.

• From a principal’s pub­li­ca­tion in 1815: “Stu­dents today depend on paper too much. They don’t know how to write on a slate with­out get­ting chalk dust all over them­selves. They can’t clean a slate prop­erly. What will they do when they run out of paper?”
• From the jour­nal of the National Asso­ci­a­tion of Teach­ers, 1907: “Stu­dents today depend too much upon ink. They don’t know how to use a pen knife to sharpen a pen­cil. Pen and ink will never replace the pencil.”
• From Rural Amer­i­can Teacher, 1928: “Stu­dents today depend upon store bought ink. They don’t know how to make their own. When they run out of ink they will be unable to write words or ciphers until their next trip to the set­tle­ment. This is a sad com­men­tary on mod­ern education.”
• From Fed­eral Teach­ers, 1950: “Ball­point pens will be the ruin of edu­ca­tion in our coun­try. Stu­dents use these devices and then throw them away. The Amer­i­can val­ues of thrift and fru­gal­ity are being dis­carded. Busi­nesses and banks will never allow such expen­sive luxuries.”
• From a sci­ence fair judge in Apple Class­room of Tomor­row chron­i­cles, 1988: “Com­put­ers give stu­dents an unfair advan­tage. There­fore, stu­dents who used com­put­ers to ana­lyze data or cre­ate dis­plays will be elim­i­nated from the sci­ence fair.”

This is a great example of how things have changed over the years. I still maintain that students are just being distracted by some of their technology. One of the biggest problems is cell phones. My wife and I can't afford expensive iPhones, due to medical bills with our youngest child. I am blown away at how many kids there are that have expensive phones, although they and their parents can't afford to send them to school with paper and something to write with. I also wouldn't have a problem with iPads, if they were more of an educational tool. The iPad is mainly a gaming and social media device. I have many students that admit that they would never even use the iPads if they would block all games and social media. The students can't stand using them for school work. Our society is constantly changing, but we also can't forget the past. This problem is something that will only get worse, especially if parents choose to ignore it. Trust me, when my kids get old enough to be in middle and high school, they will know that there cell phone will never be used in the classroom or they will lose it. They will know that they are in school to learn. I will teach them that school is not always fun and that the teachers are not there to entertain them and keep them interested at all times. If the schools are still using iPads, they will know that they are only to be on them for school and not social media. This problem in the schools could be solved easily, but we need more parents to be parents instead of friends to their kids.

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

I thought I would share this article here and see what people thought about it. Even Steve Jobs doesn't want his kids on the iPad.

http://nextshark.com/why-steve-jobs-didnt-let-his-kids-use-ipads-and-why-you-shouldnt-either/