Does Anyone Else Find Watching Simpletons Discuss Technology To Be Oddly Reassuring?

[Asher]

They have teacher's unions in Canada, right? How are unions the problem with American education? Especially when places like Texas and Virginia probably have less powerful unions than Canada does. I'm skeptical.

Clearly, reading comprehension is the true problem because I didn't say it was "the" problem, let alone "the". There are many problems, especially at the government level (inconsistent funding and reliance on arbitrarily awarded grants). The fact that teachers basically can't be fired and that old teachers have significant seniority advantages over younger ones regardless of skill are probably the single largest problem with the education system. It relies on the teachers to incentivize themselves to teach brilliantly, which is difficult to sustain for decades in a teaching career.

[Sava]

That's one thing I've learned thanks to the Time Travel thread. Asher has had the longest running case of PMS I've ever witnessed.

[Asher]

Bugger off, you supercilious ignoramus. I understood it just fine. It doesn't matter if the board can reach down, unzip your pants and give you the world's best BJ. It's still a board. It is used for lecturing or demonstration. Lecturing or demonstration are of limited use, regardless of special features, because few people get a lot out of sitting there watching somebody else do math problems, diagram sentences, sing opera, or whatever. There is a place for demonstration, but not enough to justify the added expense of a shiny toy in most situations. It's much better (and significantly less boring) to get any necessary demonstration out of the way quickly and get them into practice.

Am I an education expert? No. But I have significantly more experience with the supply side of education than you do. Enough to know that there's a new "scientifically proven" better way to teach every couple of years, and usually it's a mixture of kinda-useful and utter rubbish. Weighted towards the utter rubbish side. Think "time-wasting, tax-fed subsidies for Pearson."

OTOH, ELMO projectors are a vast improvement on overheads, and some of the computer programs to help kids who lag in math or reading seem to work quite well. I'm not a luddite. I'm just a sub who got home from a school with state-of-the-art environmental controls that randomly turn off the lights in mid-lesson. I'm also probably going to stop clicking "view post," because I can guess your future posts from past precedent. You will simply become more and more obnoxious and condescending, without ever actually adding new content to your arguments or acknowledging a word I say. Peace out.

Okay - you still don't get it.

The boards are one component of the system. You keep fixating on it and ignoring the rest. You either do not comprehend the solution or you chose to ignore it to make strawman arguments.

Either way, what the ****?

The entire point of the smartboards we have developed over the past five years is specifically FOR collaborative learning. It's not a toy for the teacher to play with and students to watch. If that's how teachers are using it, they're doing it wrong. Judging by your attitude and understanding here, this shouldn't be surprising that teachers can't figure out how to use it correctly.

Students can use their own devices (iPods, iPhones, Androids, iPads, whatever) to contribute to the lesson on the board in tons of ways - answering interactive questions, contributing to a real-time word cloud or brainstorming session, etc. They can get up to the board and collaborate together to solve a problem (up to 40 touches on displays up to 110"), etc.

Eg:

[Asher]

That's one thing I've learned thanks to the Time Travel thread. Asher has had the longest running case of PMS I've ever witnessed.

My tolerance of stupidity has always been very low. It's only gotten lower with age.

[Sava]

My tolerance of stupidity has always been very low. It's only gotten lower with age.

How do you live with yourself?

[Asher]

I don't associate myself with stupid people?

It's also why I post with less frequency here.

[Sava]

You should lighten up.

[giblets]

Clearly, reading comprehension is the true problem because I didn't say it was "the" problem, let alone "the". There are many problems, especially at the government level (inconsistent funding and reliance on arbitrarily awarded grants). The fact that teachers basically can't be fired and that old teachers have significant seniority advantages over younger ones regardless of skill are probably the single largest problem with the education system. It relies on the teachers to incentivize themselves to teach brilliantly, which is difficult to sustain for decades in a teaching career.

The problem with the US system is largely with the unions there - nothing inherent to the country or the people. This isn't an example of me having an inferiority complex or slinging boondoggles, it's an example of you once again pretending to know something about a field in which you demonstrably know nothing about. Just because your teachers couldn't leverage the technology doesn't make it my fault, nor does it damn the technology.

Yes, you didn't blame 100% of the failings in America's education system on ZOMFG UNIONS, but you clearly said it was the problem. I guess you get a cookie for not being completely wrong?

[giblets]

DP because technology is made by idiots

[Sava]

DP because technology is made by idiots

Yup. IT people are basically like auto mechanics... only they work with computers.

[Asher]

Yes, you didn't blame 100% of the failings in America's education system on ZOMFG UNIONS, but you clearly said it was the problem. I guess you get a cookie for not being completely wrong?

I said LARGELY. Do you understand the word?

I did use the word "the" in the sentence, as I use in many sentences, but the context quite clearly says it is not the one, singular problem.

[Asher]

You should lighten up.

I'm frequently told I need to be more serious at work.

[giblets]

I said LARGELY. Do you understand the word?

I did use the word "the" in the sentence, as I use in many sentences, but the context quite clearly says it is not the one, singular problem.

It's the only one you bothered to mention, but then I guess that's to be expected from right wing hacks with an irrational hatred of unions.

[Asher]

I apologize for not enumerating every possible issue with the US education system when posting in an off-topic forum on a civilization site.

I apologize also for being a right-wing hack.

Thank you for your contribution to the thread as well.

[giblets]

I accept your sincere apologies. Also, you're welcome for being enlightened.