Comments for ConnectEd.info

Comment on Drugs on School Campus by Chuck

Chuck — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:31:04 +0000

The only thing that can be done is to include policy enforcement as a school funding metric. Of course your school board is probably like mine, a bunch of friends who gamed the election. Each year we have a parcel tax initiative I talk with each of the school board members and lay out exactly what I need them to do if they want any more money from me. Its an interesting discussion …

Comment on Zero tolerance policies in schools by Chuck

Chuck — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:25:35 +0000

So its an interesting question of scale. Not only is zero tolerance stupid, its self destructive in the long term.

Schools adopt zero tolerance policies because its “easier” to restrict access to things like pocket knives to everyone rather than to expel students who engage in violence. What is not acknowledged is that a student who has decided to be (or fails not to be) violent doesn’t need a knife to create injuries to others.

The only sensible way to address violence in school is to transfer students who are uncivilized into a school which limits the students rights. That way the students can learn that they earn their civil liberties by being civilized, they are not entitled to them. Students who show an ability to act in a civilized way are allowed to pursue their education at schools that don’t restrict what they must wear or carry when at school.

–Chuck

Comment on Legal aspects of social networking in a school community – PART 1 by Jesper

Jesper — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:03:53 +0000

Thanks for a great post!
I am writing from Sweden and even though I would like to say that the situations is the same here, I have to admitt I can’t really tell that it is. Sweden is far behind you when it comes to using technology in education and even more behind at using the Internet. I am one of few teachers struggeling to remedy this. Not easy, but I am working on it…

Thanks!

//Jesper, Stockholm, Sweden

Comment on What’s so great about an iPhone 3G? by Anthony Pelosi

Anthony Pelosi — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:21:37 +0000

Interesting how the greatest, most influential devices during the technology era always seem to “pave the way to the future”. Don’t they actually do something for the present as well? I guess the same might have been said for the industrial era – the railroads paved the way for expansion through easier travel and distribution of goods for example. I have both a Blackberry Curve and 1st gen iPhone, and although I can stay connected to my various networks and use apps on both, the difference for me is that the iPhone just works with no documentation necessary, but with the BlackBerry I can’t figure out how to do seemingly simple things, even after going through the help menu and searching online. The old cliche that something is so easy even a child can use it has been reversed in the digital era, so I think the iPhone sets the standard for something so easy that EVERYONE can use it!

Comment on Back to School Night Hassles by Tom Dibble

Tom Dibble — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:11:45 +0000

The same problem exists in the lower grades too. Our elementary school has all parents sit in their kid’s desk chair (highly uncomfortable for parents) to get an overhead projector-driven presentation on what will happen in the class and walk-through of paper handouts. Following that, you can get in line to talk with the teacher.

The only thing I learn from the current approach is that if our kids had to sit in chairs too small for their bodies and their teachers taught from powerpoints all day, I’d need to be pulling them out of that school fast!

They accommodate multiple kids in school by having two sessions, but for some of us that still isn’t enough and we still have to divide-and-conquer.

I’d much rather receive the documents in an email or on DVD, review them at home in a chair which fits my adult-sized body, and then have a meet/greet with the other parents and teacher scheduled on a “convenient” night o the week. Of course, at least 75% of the parents would never show up to the meet/greet, but that’s about the percentage who just leave after the presentation anyway.

Comment on A Parent’s Opinion by lou

lou — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:07:37 +0000

I could not agree more. My experience has been that most schools handle discipline incidents pretty when the authorities do not have to be called in. However, it is alarming to me the number of incidents where the police / sheriff have to be called in.

Recently, I know of a teen who was involved in a fight on a weekend in a school yard not connected to his school district and was reported to his own school for the fight. The school reported the incident to the police.

Comment on A Parent’s Opinion by Diane

Diane — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 05:12:10 +0000

I think part of the reason we are experiencing so much trouble in the public school system is because so many parents are trying to micro manage the way schools are run. Kids need to be held accounrable and face consequences when they make choices that warrant discipline. Too often parents step in and demand their child not be held accountable. This goes across all areas of education at every age level and all population groups from the extremely intelligent to the severely diasbled.