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If an electronic device comes out in class that is not an adaptive device (I have some nonverbal students who use adaptive/augmentative communication devices to speak), it becomes mine until the end of the day. We do not have any policies in place that allow for students keeping cell phones in class.
I TRY to do this but I find that kids are very good at sneaking them out while I'm lecturing. When my daughter was in my class, she'd tell me, after class, that certain kids were texting the whole hour. I find kids are good at hiding what they're doing. I catch the obvious ones but, as a friend once told me, for every one you catch, 5 got away with it and they know the odds. If I see them or hear them (and can locate them before they stop sounding), I take them away but I'm certain kids get away with texting in class because I'm busy doing a demo or into what I'm teaching.
I don't fully blame the teachers for these issues. But whatever is going on, our entire system needs to change now. Especially to stay competitive with the future. I also really think we need to quit telling our children that they need to go to college and get a degree. I think we need to train a high skilled work force.
THIS is the problem. What we need is an adaptable workforce and that means they need a broad education even if they DON'T go to college!!!
I read, somewhere, that a high school grad today can expect to have 13 different jobs in their lifetime. So, the LAST thing we want to do is train them to do one job because that job may not be here in just a few years!!!!
I TRY to do this but I find that kids are very good at sneaking them out while I'm lecturing. When my daughter was in my class, she'd tell me, after class, that certain kids were texting the whole hour. I find kids are good at hiding what they're doing. I catch the obvious ones but, as a friend once told me, for every one you catch, 5 got away with it and they know the odds. If I see them or hear them (and can locate them before they stop sounding), I take them away but I'm certain kids get away with texting in class because I'm busy doing a demo or into what I'm teaching.
I have small classes, so my kids aren't really able to be sneaky enough to hide ANYthing. It's immediately obvious.
I have small classes, so my kids aren't really able to be sneaky enough to hide ANYthing. It's immediately obvious.
My classes aren't particularly large (20-26) but my kids sit at lab tables and unless I bend down or walk directly behind a student, I can't see under them and those acts give them plenty of time to tuck the phone between their legs. I need glass tables .
I've given up policing except for the worst offenders. Some kids get SO into texting they forget where they are, then I can sneak up on them and ask for the phone. Unfortunately, I know more get away with texting in class than I catch. I often suspect a student is texting but they'll deny it if I ask them. All I can do is something like call on them and ask them to repeat what I just said and even that isn't much because it's kind of a badge of honor to have gotten away with texting in class. It just lets them know they're on my radar but that means I'm not watching the rest of the class as closely so someone else will start texting.
The article is about student test scores. I didn't see anything about teachers getting low test scores. Maybe students have had it too easy for so long and we need to have a crack down with a stricter discipline policy in place. Maybe more drastic measures for students not making the cut.
I've worked in districts where state assessment scores were in the 40-60% passing rate and my current district where it averages about 95-97%. The teachers are the same, in fact, I thought the ones in the higher district were actually not quite as good as my old school. The ones who are different are the students. The scores for my students shot up 20% just switching to a higher income district with more white people. Am I a better teacher now?
The article is about student test scores. I didn't see anything about teachers getting low test scores. Maybe students have had it too easy for so long and we need to have a crack down with a stricter discipline policy in place. Maybe more drastic measures for students not making the cut.
I've worked in districts where state assessment scores were in the 40-60% passing rate and my current district where it averages about 95-97%. The teachers are the same, in fact, I thought the ones in the higher district were actually not quite as good as my old school. The ones who are different are the students. The scores for my students shot up 20% just switching to a higher income district with more white people. Am I a better teacher now?
Of course, there's something in the air that improved your teaching....
I had the same experience going from one school to the next. Nothing about me changed. What changed was my students. I have nothing to do with the difference in test scores between the two schools.
Actually, on CBS nightly news they do segments on the problems of finding skilled workers. How certain companies are struggling to find people.
I have seen companies struggle with this, including my own.
We need to work on it, there is no reason we cannot get back into this.
Define "skilled" WRT those jobs. I think you'll find they mean adaptable. We had trouble finding "skilled" workers in the lab I worked in too. Most applicants couldn't think their way out of a cardboard box. They wanted a job they were taught to do and did the same thing over and over and over.... We needed people who could reinvent their job in time. The job did not require a degree but we needed people with good math and spacial skills who could think critically and logically.
Originally Posted by MustangEater82 Actually, on CBS nightly news they do segments on the problems of finding skilled workers. How certain companies are struggling to find people.
I have seen companies struggle with this, including my own.
We need to work on it, there is no reason we cannot get back into this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivorytickler
Define "skilled" WRT those jobs. I think you'll find they mean adaptable. We had trouble finding "skilled" workers in the lab I worked in too. Most applicants couldn't think their way out of a cardboard box. They wanted a job they were taught to do and did the same thing over and over and over.... We needed people who could reinvent their job in time. The job did not require a degree but we needed people with good math and spacial skills who could think critically and logically.
I have seen those reports too. The one report I saw was for factory jobs, but the owner couldn't find anyone with the math skills needed to run the equipment! And that is one area where we are lacking, and I really do not know why when most states reqire 3 years of math. OH, yes I do know why, as most kids do not see the RELEVANCE in taking those upper classes seriously or remembering what they learned! But too, I really feel that the way most of our states teach math is behind what other countries are doing; it is almost like they are MAKING our children hate it.
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We needed people who could reinvent their job in time. The job did not require a degree but we needed people with good math and spacial skills who could think critically and logically.