Am I the only one upset w/our schools?

[UglyCasanova]

I have a million and one complaints about our school system, but I'll just say a few. Am I the only one sick of all of the nonsense that's going on? My school is trying to put computers in every classroom, but why? They say it will improve grades, I say it is a $1000 machine for the teachers to play solitare on. That is about the only thing I have ever seen a teacher do with it. My Geometry teacher has this expensive rig sitting in her room now. It has a 27" TV w/an expensive PC connected to it. They are trying to get these put in all the classrooms. The only time she ever used it, it took 30min to get the thing to do what she wanted and even then it was something that could have been shown on the board in about 2 sec.

My opinion is that computers will not be replacing books anytime soon. I hate it when a teacher shows a video or trys to use a computer or makes us go to computer lab. I actually want to learn something and this is counter productive. Nothing can beat a book, pencil and paper, and a teacher working problems on the board.

My English teacher (who is teacher of the year and has recieved many awards) got this new setup put in her room. It is a huge TV, a VCR, and a brand new computer (In addition to the computer she already has). She was going on about her "tower of power", but I asked what are you going to do with the thing? She looked angry and said plenty. Then 10 min later she asked me to find Word. I said it wasn't installed so she looked dumbfounded and explained "So you mean I can't use it?" Well, there is a waste of about 1.5k of the taxpayers money. I will be a senior in high school this year and I might wait until I graduate to hack any teachers off.

 

[HansXP]

<< I actually want to learn something and this is counter productive >>



huh? Learning in school? I didn't know that ever happened, certainly hasn't happened to me.

Bureaucracy and teacher unions waste a lot more money in public schools than new technology ever will.

 

[gopunk]

i went to a public school with one computer in every room and i found it educational. it helps you grow up around technology. i dunno about improving grades though.

 

[Hoeboy]

Yes the education system is all funked up. I do agree that having so many computers in classroom at this time isn't too great. In high school it may be okay to have a computer in each room for the teacher to do work on but going all out with hooking up the TV to the computer is nonsense. Plus the computers are mainly used for word processing so sticking a p3-800 mhz with all the goodies in a classroom is just wasting tax payers money. I work for two seperate school as an aide and needless to say it pisses me off to see the kids being deprived of their education. A lot of the problems are because of a lack of money or just plain stupid changes made by the Board of Education and the state. But of course things will get worst. Why? Because the way schools do things are dictated by people who are not directly involved (politicians) instead of principals, teachers, etc.

 

[UglyCasanova]

<< i went to a public school with one computer in every room and i found it educational. it helps you grow up around technology. i dunno about improving grades though. >>



Hell, if we actually used them I wouldn't mind. Growing up around technology? These are thousand dollar paper weights for the most part. As more and more people get computers in their homes this excuse of educating the poor about technology is becoming more and more obsolete. I agree that computers in schools can be useful and really is necessary, just not to the extent we think it is. The only use of a computer I have ever seen from a teacher is solitare. It's funny, the only class in the whole school without a computer is the art class, which I think with a good printer/scanner actually could serve a purpose. I think a school should have a computer lab for the students without access to one and a computer class and thats it. Let the math class focus on math, the english on english, ect.

 

[UglyCasanova]

<< But of course things will get worst. Why? Because the way schools do things are dictated by people who are not directly involved (politicians) instead of principals, teachers, etc. >>



I agree completely. It's people who have never been in a classroom that are making the decisions.

 

[weezergirl]

at my school we had a television, a telephone, and a computer for each classroom.

we used the television to watch mtv during the few times where we had &quot;free time&quot;. and even when we watched an educational video we had to rent out the vcr from the library which was hooked up to a separate tv so we didn't even use the television in our classroom! it just sat there gathering dust.

as for the telephone the only time i saw it used was when this kid played a prank during class where he pressed the intercom button for the classroom and started calling his name to report himself to the office. that was funny.

and as for the computer i think the teachers kept track of our grades on there. the only time we used computers was in the computer lab in which we played those learning games where it's like brainless clicking.

i agree, schools are indeed getting worse. not only in the way they are wasting their money but in the way kids are nowadays. my little cousins tell me about their middle schools and it's just so disgusting. 13 year olds with their own kids, doing drugs, cutting themselves, etc. it is unbelievable!!!! i dread to see what society will come to in the future.

 

[GagBag]

It's good to have nice computers for computer classes obviously. At our school, we have mobile computers connected to those expensive projectors, makes it easy for a quick powerpoint project or something. But i agree a computer in every classroom isnt necessary.

someday a laptop will be provided for every student with all the info on it instead of lugging around books all the time.

I have to admit i have opened a few books during my highschool career, but i always turn to the internet eventually.

-edit

Actually each teacher at our school has thier own laptop for keeping track of grades as weezergirl mentioned, but its not for the students use. We also have a TV in each room also.

 

[UglyCasanova]

My little cousins go to a magnet school that is supposed to be all high and mighty. My uncle is a PHD in Finance. They are in the 1st and 3rd grade. When my uncle tried to use flash card to help with the 3rd graders multiplication. It turns out that he couldn't read it because they are written vertically instead of horizontally. They were teaching these kids this new way of multiplying where you only estimate the answer. I don't know the details of how it works, but when they showed my uncle how it worked he was pissed and took them out. Turns out he wasn't the only one. I think they raised enough hell that they are teaching them the old way of multiplying &quot;vertically&quot; as well the new way of &quot;horizontally&quot; where you only get an estimate. It's not just computers that's got a bug up my @ss. :|

 

[gopunk]

Hell, if we actually used them I wouldn't mind. Growing up around technology? These are thousand dollar paper weights for the most part.

okay i should have specified, growing up by using. we had a rotation system for which kids got to use the computer during recess. i really don't think i would have the same interest as i have today if it weren't for those computers. maybe i'm in the minority though. i thought oregon trail was a fun game

 

[SerraYX]

Ugh..it's terrible. They just placed old Gateway 166 MMX refurbishes all over the school, and they all have Pentium II/III badges on the front, LOL. We actually have 6 P3-800's in the chem lab, which is great. The best part is that the programming teacher is such an MS hater that he filled the Pascal/C++ Lab with iMac 350's.

But I see that the teachers are doing very little with them. It helps them grade and type up things, which is great, but emails seem to be the prime use of the computers to many teachers, which I dislike.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Yeah, I remember when i was in 4th grade we would sit around our apple computers when we had time and mplay Oregon Trail and that game where you are a tank or gun turret or somthing and you try to shoot the other person across the screen. I don't know what it is called, but it was the best game ever made. Anyway, I'm still hacked off!:|

 

[ViperMagic]

You think thats bad... heres my rant..

First period. My Science techer is a raciest. She suspended my Korean friend twice, once I don't rember what for, andother time for saying &quot;I wish he would die&quot; under his breath about a substiute teacher who had been a real jerk teh day before. I have heard her say the same thing before. And she waled in on me (I am cacuaisan) yelling &quot;YOU FLUCKING (no L) PILE OF HORESSH!T&quot; at a computer after it crashed on me. What happended? She looked at me and said &quot;Crash on you?&quot;. I have other examples like this, too.

Sixth Period. Social Studies. My teachers idea of a lesson? Worksheets, and read page 462 of the textbook. He accuatly stod up[ and gave instrution ONCE. Every friday was current events. We sat and read the newspaper and wrote a paragraph on 5 articles. Somewhere I got the idea that the job of a teacher was to teach. And 17-year old can watch 11 students (6th was a really small class) read from a socail studies book for 45 mins. And with an 11 student class, I think that that would be a great oppurtunity.

Eighth period. Algerbra. My teacher was blind as a bat and couldnt teach due to students screwing around. As a result I learnd almost no algerbra. I went to the OTHER math teacher, who happens to be a real nice guy and a friend of mine, and hed tutor me afterschool almost every week. He's the only reason I passed algerbra.

 

[Deeko]

We have a computer in every classroom, nothing fancy, like a basic 600MHz type thing. The teachers use it for grades and whatnot all the time, plus we have access to the internet in each classroom so we can research stuff quickly without having to leave the classroom. Its definitly a good thing. We also have a TV in every room, which is primarily used to show the morning announcements, which is another great thing, cause that way students can learn how things work in a TV studio and they have different jobs like cameras and anchors and stuff like that. They're also used to show movies and stuff. Definitly useful.

 

[GoldenGuppy]

<< I have a million and one complaints about our school system, but I'll just say a few. Am I the only one sick of all of the nonsense that's going on? My school is trying to put computers in every classroom, but why? They say it will improve grades, I say it is a $1000 machine for the teachers to play solitare on. That is about the only thing I have ever seen a teacher do with it. My Geometry teacher has this expensive rig sitting in her room now. It has a 27&quot; TV w/an expensive PC connected to it. They are trying to get these put in all the classrooms. The only time she ever used it, it took 30min to get the thing to do what she wanted and even then it was something that could have been shown on the board in about 2 sec.

My opinion is that computers will not be replacing books anytime soon. I hate it when a teacher shows a video or trys to use a computer or makes us go to computer lab. I actually want to learn something and this is counter productive. Nothing can beat a book, pencil and paper, and a teacher working problems on the board.

My English teacher (who is teacher of the year and has recieved many awards) got this new setup put in her room. It is a huge TV, a VCR, and a brand new computer (In addition to the computer she already has). She was going on about her &quot;tower of power&quot;, but I asked what are you going to do with the thing? She looked angry and said plenty. Then 10 min later she asked me to find Word. I said it wasn't installed so she looked dumbfounded and explained &quot;So you mean I can't use it?&quot; Well, there is a waste of about 1.5k of the taxpayers money. I will be a senior in high school this year and I might wait until I graduate to hack any teachers off. >>



DParker - Most of the schools that you see this going on in, are mainly public institutions... they are given grants for education and in some cases are part of a program that is called, &quot;Digital High School&quot;.

Sure the tax payer's money is going to good use... computers are a tool for learning, it's just that this is such a radical idea at this point in time, that we have yet to accept the fact that they can replace books onday. WE usually like to stay w/ the conventional and that is books.

Soon, maybe not next year, nor the year after that, but soon - we as a student community will rely on computers... these computers in the classrooms at this point in time may just be material goods that help towards a smoother and less radical transition for the future.

><GG>

 

[ElPool]

yea, schools spend too much money on computers. I had a history teacher who somehow got 8 top of the line macs into his classroom so he could play warcraft II with some students during lunch. thats all he ever used them for!!

HOWEVER, computers can be used to teach students about computers :Q, thats about it though. If you dont have a computer at home, then I think you should get a chance to learn how to use one at school, because in todays world its simply a MUST. Unfortunatly my school didnt have any classes like that, i would have liked to take a programming class or something in highschool. the closest thing they had was Typing class, and every computer in the district was a mac.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Yeah, I have a racist teacher too. I have to pay $350 to take another Algebra class, outside of our school thanbk God because she never taught us anything. She was one of those that would never stand up no matter what. The only time any work was on the board was only about 2 times when she had somebody go to the board to write down whatever she said. The lady was so lazy she wouldn't even go up to the board and write for herself, someone else had to do it for her. She had no problems walking or standing up. I see her walking all over the place and she has no problem walking out of class to go get something to eat or drink or something. The reason I didn't learn is because she never taught any Algebra to us. She spent all year teaching us about Africa and telling the two white people (myself included) in the class how they should start giving more to the black community and telling the blacks how whites walk all over them and they should protest. She just gave the grades away with bonus points and everthing. We had a 100 point project that was basically a 1 page worksheet about racism. I made a B in that class, and I still know next to nothing about Algebra II. I hope this other class is better.

 

[cchen]

No, I don't think that computers are totally wasted. My math teacher used Matlab to show us many calculus concepts. Minority and low-income students in my school usually have no computer access at home, so being able to use them in the classroom and in the library gives them an advantage. Though some students and teachers don't need computers in the classroom, the ones that do have them and make good use of them. Just my 2 cents.

 

[DaejangNim]

at my school they were mainly just used to print stuff, a lot of the teachers had their own laptops, the only rooms that actually used the pc's a lot educationally was the cisco/a+ rop room, but those were all free comps we fixed

 

[Halz]

The teacher must be technically proficent to be able to 'use' this hardware.. It would be like giving a sports car to an old lady; she would not 'use' it because she has no will to use it.
More often than not, it is just a machine grades are stored on for that teacher's classes and hardly ever is it used for 'the class'.

 

[JohnnyKnoxville]

They had a small article in the paper saying how our school got a grant for $900,000 from the state to pay for computers and equipment in our multi-media class.All I've seen so far is a couple Power Mac g-4s' and a Sony DV video deck.I would be willing to bet that someone higher up is just skimming that money and juggling the books to make it look legit.Wouldn't be suprised if its going on everywhere else too.

 

[Cerb]

RANT

Computers in the classroom are not bad, but are often wasted. A teacher who is going to email and type up tests on it doesn't need more than a P200 w/ 32MB RAM. Word doesn't need a PIII 800.

Where I went (before I started homeschooling this year, which is infinitely better in every way)...I could not use the computers while any teacher was around. I was not allowed to alter the computer's settings. I was used to 800x600x24bpp @ 85Hz, and I got 0z for not being able to look at a 15&quot; running 640x480x16 @ 60Hz...pissed me off quite a bit. I will not do research while I have a headache from the strobelight that is the monitor. When they weren't around, I found most of them had Virges, and could do 1024x768 no problem (They knew how to disable the control panel, but didn't know how I got in...I actually showed the people who were responsible for keeping the comps up about regedit!).

The computers in each classroom are mostly useless. If any of them ever get better than my worst, it will be wasted (When I first went to westside, the worst at home was a PPro200 w/ 128MB RAM, so they were sufficiently slow for the teachers ). I may have a Duron that will run 950 no problem (maybe higher if I get rid of this chrome orb) with 256MB RAM and a GF2 GTS...I would complain if I worked anywhere and had that much power to use Word.

Goldenguppy: I hope you are wrong. I won't give up books. For one, I've been able to verify, via Project Gutenberg, that I read over 3 times faster on paper. Also, how often were the books ever used? Except in english (which became thuroughly useless after about 4th grade), the books are usually no more than a reference, not actually used for teaching.



<< okay i should have specified, growing up by using. we had a rotation system for which kids got to use the computer during recess. i really don't think i would have the same interest as i have today if it weren't for those computers. maybe i'm in the minority though. i thought oregon trail was a fun game >>


I helped upgrade my school from Apple II Es to 486s, and still didn't like being forced to play such games when I had Doom at home.
Of course I managed to entertain myself...nothing like messing around with DOS and Win 3.1...for some reason the techer didn't like it when the command prompt filled up 6 lines...

I could do far more with the money given to the schools than they manage...it is like they have to find the most expensive things to spend money on. In fact, I think the only room in the whole school where the comps were used efficiently was drafting...but then again, that was also the only place that ran NT



<< My opinion is that computers will not be replacing books anytime soon. I hate it when a teacher shows a video or trys to use a computer or makes us go to computer lab. I actually want to learn something and this is counter productive. Nothing can beat a book, pencil and paper, and a teacher working problems on the board. >>


Sure it can, just not when it takes so much longer. They often try to use computers when a decent calculator would do as well. As soon as the teacher can load something on the comp, I have my TI or HP already programmed to solve the equation(s)...they should have bought 15 calculators for each computer.

Also, teachers should be required to show they at least know as much as is being taught in the computer--wait, more than is being taught in the computer classes, which are basically wastes of time that don't help anyone use a computer better, just be a better secretary. Comp Tech 1 should have been named Typing 2. IMHO they should start comp classes by formatting the HDs and telling the students to put the Win98/NT CD in the drive...it might take a few tries to get anything but, but they would learn in a few days installing stuff on the comp than with the full year of classes otherwise.
No one taught me how to use a comp, but I know where and how I learned the most, and it wasn't in the middle of Word or Works or Excel. Those come quite easily after you get the basics down...like booting, shutting down, installing new drivers...we all blew up OS installs doing this, and we learned quite a bit from it. Why not teach it that way? Could even have a case mod art elective

 

[ViperMagic]

I suggested pretty much the samne thing at my school. I said to start the computer classes with advanced basic windows. Drivers, installs, etc. But the Admin at school views himself in an eliteist group, the few who can run a computer. And not to mention our entier district is mac-driven, with 1 486 in the grade school. about 30 166Mhz in the middle school, and I wont know how many in high school for... 3 weeks.

BTW I'm using Mozilla now. I really dont like it.

 

[NJArtist]

The problem with computers in the classroom being useless is not so much the fact that they're uselss, but that most teachers have no idea how to utilize it effectively or integrate it into a lesson plan! Think about it! I would have to say that the average age of my teachers in HS my senior year was 35. C'mon man, you expect these people to know what to do with a computer other than play solitaire?

In reality there are lots of good programs that are made for the classroom, go to JourneyEd.com to see for yourself. The one line of software that my AP BIO class used often was the ADAM stuff (all biology stuff, forgot what ADAM stood for). It was good cuz it actually allowed kids to see how the photosynthesis process works rather than seeing a static picture on a piece of paper. And it's a fact that people learn better when they can see and hear vs. reading alone.

In addition, many of my teachers/professors use/used PowerPoint presentations as a way of displaying notes instead of having to write them on the board. This serves double duty: the instructor doesn't have to keep rewritting his/her notes for each class and if the instructor so wished, he/she could easily print out a copy of all the slides for each student thus the student would not have to focus on taking notes, but rather on the lesson itself.

So what am I saying, the people who came up with the idea of putting a computer in every classroom are only partially at fault...they didn't think about training the teachers how to use it effectively. The teachers are partially at fault cause they have no idea what that little white box is for!