Education System during the Covid Pandemic

[VladtheImpaler]

I have to circle back to my teacher GG from 3 weeks ago...
So, now we are getting some email "homework" which is basically useless crap that we easily could (and did) find ourselves for free on the web. We have to facilitate this, make sure it is presented in a way our kids can do it, make sure they do it, then submit it back. **** - it's actually more work for us. Here is a thought - you are ostensibly getting paid for 8 hours of work per day. Why don't you either (a) do a live classroom where we can park the kids for a sustained period of time or (b) upload 5 hours of You Tube content per day that, again, we can park our kids in front of? The You Tube option would be so simple, would actually help the parents by leaving them free to do their own work instead of doing yours and I think would be better for the kids. Do your ****ing job - teach! Not asking for anything you wouldn't be doing at school, and it is actually easier because you don't have to supervise the kids.

[Table 5]

I'm not necessarily fuming about it like you Vlad, but I kind of felt the same way when I saw what they sent. It was a bit...underwhelming. A few links with printouts? That's it? While I'm not crazy about my kids spending hours in front of a screen, surely they could do something a little more engaging and interactive.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I'm not necessarily fuming about it like you Vlad, but I kind of felt the same way when I saw what they sent. It was a bit...underwhelming. A few links with printouts? That's it? While I'm not crazy about my kids spending hours in front of a screen, surely they could do something a little more engaging and interactive.

This is what the great academics have been working on furiously for weeks.

Something 2 minutes searching Google came up with.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Locke

This is what the great academics have been working on furiously for weeks.

Something 2 minutes searching Google came up with.

The teachers have to stand in front of a class and present lessons for 5-6 hours per day (or so?). Why not record those lessons (even 3-4 hours) every day on your phone and upload to the school You Tube channel?

[SportsJunky]

Our 5th grader's teacher sends a photo of the workbook pages. We have to redraw everything onto graph paper before we start the lesson. Takes twice as long. I don't have time for this, teacher.

[81MC]

Teachers really not helping their image. My buddy is a professor, so he’’s even more enraged with the lack of effort school teachers are putting into remote education.

I’m an ardent supporter of teachers, but this is the time for them to collectively step up and provide as quality education as possible. Live stream lessons, it’s not rocket science.

[Slava]

I can't complain about my kids teachers at this point. I had a good chat with one of them and he is really good (in general) and just gets where I'm coming from. You (the province) tells these kids they're passing, gives them 5 months off and now wants parents to do the dirty work of trying to motivate them to do work they dislike at the best of times. Good luck!

But like I say, he was totally reasonable and more than happy to try help in this scenario. I have a lot of respect for that. I do want my kids to learn, and obviously that's what really matters here.

All of that said...my daughters grade 9 teacher who gave them 6 hours of a podcast to listen to and make notes? GTFO. I'm sure it's interesting (it's the podcast Serial), but that's just ludicrous.

[GGG]

My kids teachers are both awesome so they are feeling very restricted by the provincial limit of 5 hrs of work per week. They have cut back the amount of work being assigned every week.

Both teachers are doing video lessons each day and a group chat every few days. I see the province as the bottleneck right now.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by GGG

My kids teachers are both awesome so they are feeling very restricted by the provincial limit of 5 hrs of work per week. They have cut back the amount of work being assigned every week.

Both teachers are doing video lessons each day and a group chat every few days. I see the province as the bottleneck right now.

Wait, what's this all about? I don't think I caught that before.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Slava

Wait, what's this all about? I don't think I caught that before.

Yeah, I havent heard that. Whats the point of that? Everyone is at home, time is something we have lots and lots of.

[CMPunk]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah, I havent heard that. Whats the point of that? Everyone is at home, time is something we have lots and lots of.

Strange, the only thing I can find regarding this is an article from March 20th saying there will be a minimum of 5 hours of school work assigned every week

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Slava

Wait, what's this all about? I don't think I caught that before.

https://www.alberta.ca/student-learn...-covid-19.aspx

For grades 4-6 kids get an average of 5 hrs per week. It’s dumb. Older grades get more though.

[Harry Lime]

The various school boards really dropped the ball when they left direction to each individual school administration. Some administrators are taking a hands on approach and making sure that every teacher has some guidelines and a set bar for what is acceptable. Some administrators are MIA.

So there is a wild discrepancy in what some teachers are providing, compared to others. I know of some teachers who are going way overboard with what they are providing, because the principals at their school have disappeared, and they are compensating too much. I know others in the same situation who have checked out and are providing pretty sparse learning materials.

There are no checks and balances. Teachers who are killing themselves providing content for 140+ students are being paid the same as those dropping a plan devised in an afternoon, paid the same as those options teachers who are getting a vacation. There is no support for teachers in core classes where providing content online is a challenge.

Add to that that some kids can be brats, complain about everything, and basically be entitled and not engage in the work. Some parents are having to deal with the monsters that they have created for the first time, and don't know how to handle it. Imagine being responsible for the learning of 40+ kids in a class, when a quarter of them are actively aggressive. The parents of these kids are usually more of a handful than the kids themselves. They came from somewhere.

I feel for those parents who are having to deal with a less than ideal online teacher. The fact is that some of them are in fact good teachers, who have no idea what they are doing in an online environment. And have no direction.

The parents having a good experience either have great teachers, who understand the technology, or a school where the administrators are offering the best support.

[flamingred89]

I think that is pretty well said. I wonder if during this period any cracks start to form in that god awful ATA. Once more teachers realize the discrepancy in work quality/load, maybe they’ll think that not all are created equal?

[Sliver]

JFC. Just got an email from the school. I'm beyond annoyed. So of course they're taking Good Friday off, but the Monday after Easter Sunday they're ALSO taking off. No instruction and staff not available to students Friday or Monday. Fataing fire them all. It's outrageous. Next week instruction time is Tuesday - Thursday. That is pathetic. I honestly can't believe it.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Sliver

JFC. Just got an email from the school. I'm beyond annoyed. So of course they're taking Good Friday off, but the Monday after Easter Sunday they're ALSO taking off. No instruction and staff not available to students Friday or Monday. Fataing fire them all. It's outrageous. Next week instruction time is Tuesday - Thursday. That is pathetic. I honestly can't believe it.

That’s a weird schedule. So 2 Friday’s off?

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Sliver

JFC. Just got an email from the school. I'm beyond annoyed. So of course they're taking Good Friday off, but the Monday after Easter Sunday they're ALSO taking off. No instruction and staff not available to students Friday or Monday. Fataing fire them all. It's outrageous. Next week instruction time is Tuesday - Thursday. That is pathetic. I honestly can't believe it.

Easter Monday has never been an instructional day as long as I can remember. All through the time my kids were i grade school and I don't recall having class that day either.

And FWIW the universities are generally not open that day either.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Easter Monday has never been an instructional day as long as I can remember. All through the time my kids were i grade school and I don't recall having class that day either.

And FWIW the universities are generally not open that day either.

+1

My (non-CBE) school is closed on Monday also.

Seems... normal?

FWIW, I am over-the-moon impressed with how well things are going so far.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Easter Monday has never been an instructional day as long as I can remember. All through the time my kids were i grade school and I don't recall having class that day either.

And FWIW the universities are generally not open that day either.

In light of the fact that these are somewhat unusual times, you might think that ATA would do their small part and sacrifice a bit for the good of society.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

The parents having a good experience either have great teachers, who understand the technology, or a school where the administrators are offering the best support.

By removing the presence of a crowd of peers to hide among this crisis is exposing everyone: the teachers who mail it in, and parents who aren't engaged, and the kids who have no interest whatsoever in learning.