Tell me what you really think.
I would agree with you. HG's school is the exception. The computer teacher actually is just that....a computer teacher.
So I took your advice and called the administration to thank them. The principal was very available and took my call right away.
Not only was he nice but thanked me for my call. Now I'm on his A list.
This is the reason we pay the big bucks for private school.
I couldn't agree more that mediocrity is absolutely unacceptable when it comes to educators, and I'd say if computers are just the tip of the iceberg.
Oops. Please disregard that "if."
We are very fortunate that in the school my son attends they use computers extensively. There are computers at each of the table (the kids are set in groups of 4). They do a lot of their schoolwork on the computer, they make powerpoint presentations, and they even have a classroom blog. And YES, this is a public school.
Now, my son DOES attend an MST school (which is a Math, Science, Technology Center) so, they may use computers more then the typical elementary school.
We're also very lucky here - not only has my kid had a computer class where they were *required* to set up email accounts, learn how to keyboard, etc.; but the middle school has a 36-computer linux lab set up and funded by parents, and staffed by a media instructor.
Our school principal sends out regular email newsletters (she knows the paper ones are hard to get out of kids' backpacks and into parents' hands), and responds to issues via email - as have several of my son's teachers. (And yes, the principal knows my name, even though I'm hardly ever in the school itself these days.)
My daughter's elementary school has a regularly-updated website based on a blog software package, teachers have their own classroom pages, and the school's calendar is one you can subscribe to via RSS.
And yet we're the school district that's just about to get made fun of in Doonesbury *yet again* when Trudeau gets wind of our latest pending budget crisis (a $57 million dollar gap for next school year, thanks to Oregon's boneheaded ways of funding their public schools...)
We have one of the fortunate schools computer wise. We have issues with the school (who doesn't these days) but the computer program isn't one of them.
computers are the future for kids and they know it here..they also hired someone with knowhow to teach basics to the kids..Some kids are on a wait list to get into the class.. : )
1980's--California. Big push to get computers into the classrooms. After I had been teaching for a year or so, many schools had gotten them. They were relegated to the corner of the classroom and used as a "reward" for the kids who did the best work that day. That was all.
As far as the mediocre, I firmly believe public schools have no other choice--the educators are not being educated in college so what can be expect. I cannot tell you how many times I was called "too tough" on the kids simply because I expected them to memorize a few lines of dialogue. Since acting and other arts were bounced from schools for I'm not sure what, I now have a different profession--primarily working with (yes) computers!
I am very lucky. I am the school- the teacher and administrator. I am not a computer expert, but my children's dad is. And, yes, he makes the big money. He wanted to move to academia, but despite his expertise, he'd have to go back to school to make less money. So he has stayed where he is.
Commenting by HaloScan
