TOTALLY GEEKED!

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

school supplies: mostly a rant

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

The tablets the school gives out have a lot of websites blocked. You can't just surf the web at will.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Yeah.

Jesse bypassed all those blocks the first week of 6th grade.

And that doesn't stop you from using wifi somewhere else.

Ohfour · Hooker

lilyofcourse wrote:
Yeah.

Jesse bypassed all those blocks the first week of 6th grade.

And that doesn't stop you from using wifi somewhere else.

They can disable the wifi. This is not rocket science. Use it just like a basic Kindle, but without the wifi.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Whenitrains wrote:
Oughttabeworking wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
The number one job of schools should be to fund the classroom. Nothing else should get funded until that does. Stop letting schools get away with under supplying.
Should be.
High school here needs new computers and kids are sharing text books, or the teacher has to make copies out of one text book for the 6 classes she has everyday, but the football stadium got a complete upgrade.
New field dug, sod, stands replaced, new track and the field house got a make over!
It's beautiful.
But there isn't money for computers or books.
This. DD was having a hard time in one of her classes last year, so I told her to bring her book home and I would help her study (it was a foreign language). She said they weren't allowed to take the books from the classrooms. Okay. So I told her to check one out from the book vault (I know they have one--I've been to it several times). She went and the gatekeeper told her that the did have copies available in the vault, but they weren't checking them out to students. So who the hell ARE they checking them out to? Aliens?? I went to the school and had a long and slightly-elevated-volume discussion with the vice principal, and what do you know, turns out that students were able to check out the books. Go figure. It is ridiculous when it takes an angry parent to get the school to do what it is supposed to do for the students.
That chaps my hide more than anything. We have that problem in our area. There excuse is "that money is designated for the sports, it can't be used for the computers, books or supplies. If they don't spend it they don't get as much money next year." Wah freaken wah!

Don't athletes have to graduate in order to get to college level? Buy some d@mn computers.

Ohfour · Hooker

Tignanello wrote:
Whenitrains wrote:
Oughttabeworking wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
The number one job of schools should be to fund the classroom. Nothing else should get funded until that does. Stop letting schools get away with under supplying.
Should be.
High school here needs new computers and kids are sharing text books, or the teacher has to make copies out of one text book for the 6 classes she has everyday, but the football stadium got a complete upgrade.
New field dug, sod, stands replaced, new track and the field house got a make over!
It's beautiful.
But there isn't money for computers or books.
This. DD was having a hard time in one of her classes last year, so I told her to bring her book home and I would help her study (it was a foreign language). She said they weren't allowed to take the books from the classrooms. Okay. So I told her to check one out from the book vault (I know they have one--I've been to it several times). She went and the gatekeeper told her that the did have copies available in the vault, but they weren't checking them out to students. So who the hell ARE they checking them out to? Aliens?? I went to the school and had a long and slightly-elevated-volume discussion with the vice principal, and what do you know, turns out that students were able to check out the books. Go figure. It is ridiculous when it takes an angry parent to get the school to do what it is supposed to do for the students.
That chaps my hide more than anything. We have that problem in our area. There excuse is "that money is designated for the sports, it can't be used for the computers, books or supplies. If they don't spend it they don't get as much money next year." Wah freaken wah!
Don't athletes have to graduate in order to get to college level? Buy some d@mn computers.

LOL! You're cute.... wink

I'm just messing with you Tig. There are a lot, and I mean a LOT of college players that can't read above 5th grade level. They bring in the money, they get the grades they need.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Yeah, I know. I remember going to high school with farm team hockey players (only one ever made it big). Dumb as rocks. All of them.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Ohfour wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
Yeah.

Jesse bypassed all those blocks the first week of 6th grade.

And that doesn't stop you from using wifi somewhere else.

They can disable the wifi. This is not rocket science. Use it just like a basic Kindle, but without the wifi.

If it's the students ipad or tablet, then they are going to use it everywhere.

Not just school.

Example.

Some teachers let students use their smart phones during class to do projects and papers.

When the student uses the schools wifi, the phone becomes school property.

Which means anything on there is subject to school authority.

Wifi is how you use kindle features.

There are virtual classrooms.

They can't just disable wifi.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

They can block sites Lilly. Facebook is blocked. So are a lot of message boards.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Btw all those devices have an electronic footprint. So the school can easily see what websites kids are on.

Ohfour · Hooker

lilyofcourse wrote:
Ohfour wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
Yeah.

Jesse bypassed all those blocks the first week of 6th grade.

And that doesn't stop you from using wifi somewhere else.

They can disable the wifi. This is not rocket science. Use it just like a basic Kindle, but without the wifi.
If it's the students ipad or tablet, then they are going to use it everywhere.
Not just school.
Example.
Some teachers let students use their smart phones during class to do projects and papers.
When the student uses the schools wifi, the phone becomes school property.
Which means anything on there is subject to school authority.
Wifi is how you use kindle features.
There are virtual classrooms.
They can't just disable wifi.

Absolutely they can. Not disable wifi, but disable the table from connection. All of the tablets are loaded with texts books and other reference books they may need. If they need something else, they can go to the library, the librarian can unlock the receiver and the book can be downloaded. Sony e-readers didn't have wifi on them for a while. You had to download via computer and transfer using a USB cable.

And don't let them us their own tablet. Only school provided tablets can get textbooks...

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
They can block sites Lilly. Facebook is blocked. So are a lot of message boards.

Yeah. I mentioned that. She didn't believe it when I said it so good luck.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Ya'll are not understanding what I am saying.

Disable and block what ever at school.

But if the kid uses it at home, and visits a social page or porn site or sends inappropriate emails, while at home, and then he uses the school's server, everything on the computer is school property.

Meaning the email sent to grandma at 10pm Saturday night is fair game when the kid logs in to do his membeen on Monday at 9am.

Divine Geek · Guru

Re the OP, since you say you live in a well off district, I understand your annoyance. Where I live (and my mother taught) the district is by no means well off. Every year my mother taught, I bought hundreds of dollars of school supplies for her and her fellow teachers. There were that many kids who had nothing. Many times I or my father bought boxes of paper because there was none for them to use. I bought board games, craft supplies and play ground toys.

To the rest, I also understand the annoyance at everything going in a communal closet. I wouldn't like that either. That's not how any of the teachers I know do it. The kids keep their stuff, and the extras, if the are any, are collected.

Oh, and students do use the dry erase in some classes. My mom had a stack of dry erase boards for the students to use.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

lilyofcourse wrote:
Ya'll are not understanding what I am saying.

Disable and block what ever at school.

But if the kid uses it at home, and visits a social page or porn site or sends inappropriate emails, while at home, and then he uses the school's server, everything on the computer is school property.

Meaning the email sent to grandma at 10pm Saturday night is fair game when the kid logs in to do his membeen on Monday at 9am.

Well when you write that email on a school device, yes the email is theirs! Just like if you wrote that email IN a text book, on the pages, it would be their property too! Not sure why you are so upset about that. I can't use my work computer for anything like that without IT having access. Same thing. Dont use a borrowed device for anything you wouldn't want the owner of the device to read in front of a crowd. Basic common sense.

-- Edited by Mellow Momma on Thursday 11th of August 2016 09:59:20 PM

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Oh and they can block the sites on the DEVICE so you cannot visit a porn site on the school device no matter where you take the device.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Mellow Momma wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
Ya'll are not understanding what I am saying.

Disable and block what ever at school.

But if the kid uses it at home, and visits a social page or porn site or sends inappropriate emails, while at home, and then he uses the school's server, everything on the computer is school property.

Meaning the email sent to grandma at 10pm Saturday night is fair game when the kid logs in to do his membeen on Monday at 9am.

Well when you write that email on a school device, yes the email is theirs! Just like if you wrote that email IN a text book, on the pages, it would be their property too! Not sure why you are so upset about that. I can't use my work computer for anything like that without IT having access. Same thing. Dont use a borrowed device for anything you wouldn't want the owner of the device to read in front of a crowd. Basic common sense.

-- Edited by Mellow Momma on Thursday 11th of August 2016 09:59:20 PM

Again, you haven't actually read what was written.

If it is the kids device, their ipad, tablet, phone, it doesn't matter.

If they use their own device to access the schools server, their own device is then under school authority.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Again, NOT the schools device.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

And then there is the other side.

Schools using the Web cams in school owned devices to spy on students at home.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/School-Spies-on-Students-at-Home-with-Webcams-Suit-84712852.html

chef · Guru

Having been in the field of education, I will never begrudge a teacher what they need. I know firsthand what's truly a need and what isn't. I also know that kids are rough on supplies, especially the younger ones. I can understand wanting certain brands if the brand is truly superior. But, sometimes, it doesn't matter. DS starts school next year so I will likely find out what all is on the supply list so I can start watching for sales.

DS will be going to private school but I'm sure there will still be a list. I figure, I will buy him a set of supplies for him to use. I will buy another set of supplies for the community supplies in addition to stuff I know is needed - tissues, etc - to make a classroom functional. I will probably ask the teacher if there are any kids in the class that he/she knows can't afford the supplies or the parent simply doesn't care and I will buy those too. Nothing I hate more than a parent who can't be bothered to be involved with their child's education.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

Some supplies ARE better than others. Crayola crayons are 10 times better than waxy Roseart. Ticonderoga pencils are better - they sharpen well and don't break as easily. Generic binders start falling apart after a week of use. And the regular Elmer's glue sticks (not the disappearing purple) are better.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

My point is that the burden and cost to fubd the class shouldnt be on the teacher. That should all be budgeted and taken care of.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
My point is that the burden and cost to fubd the class shouldnt be on the teacher. That should all be budgeted and taken care of.

Yeah, well, keep dreaming. You can think they should all you want, but it doesn't change the reality that they don't.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

It would change if people demanded that it change.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I never minded getting the things for my kids.

I didn't mind getting some classroom stuff.

But when they started stockpiling and then charging the kids to use what I had bought, I was done.

Oughttabeworking · Regular

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
My point is that the burden and cost to fubd the class shouldnt be on the teacher. That should all be budgeted and taken care of.

This. Funding the classroom should be done by the school district. Not the parents. Especially when we are talking about a VERY affluent district.

Oughttabeworking · Regular

Lawyerlady wrote:
Some supplies ARE better than others. Crayola crayons are 10 times better than waxy Roseart. Ticonderoga pencils are better - they sharpen well and don't break as easily. Generic binders start falling apart after a week of use. And the regular Elmer's glue sticks (not the disappearing purple) are better.

I'm totally with you on the Crayola brand crayons. It is the brand I would choose anyway. But for some reason, being told that it HAS to be a certain brand makes me want to buy a different brand. I do prefer the disappearing purple glue sticks to the regular ones, though.

Tangerine · Guru

Last year I bought all the supplies on the list myself. Then I found out that they combined them all and divvied them up between the kids, so Bunny was likely not even using the special things I bought for him.
This year I ordered a packet of supplies through the PTA. It's easier and cheaper.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Our schools only combined the paper towells, tissues, etc. They don't do that with the pencils, notebooks, etc. I don't understand that practice at all.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

It's because not every parent will or can buy the supplies.

And the extras can be sold back to the students.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Oughttabeworking wrote:
Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
My point is that the burden and cost to fubd the class shouldnt be on the teacher. That should all be budgeted and taken care of.
This. Funding the classroom should be done by the school district. Not the parents. Especially when we are talking about a VERY affluent district.

Actually, even more so in a poor district. How do they expect people in poor districts to afford all the supplies as well? A poor district usually is populated with poor people as well. I think that we fund all kinds of things. Job #1 should be the class room and nothing else should be funded until it is. We aren't talking huge sums of money here. We are talking a classroom of basic supplies. There is no reason schools can't choose to do that or than they just choose not too. Yes, i know, it probably won't change. But, expecting some teacher who is making $35K a year to fund the class is absurd. Do you purchase the supplies for your job?

Divine Geek · Guru

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
Oughttabeworking wrote:
Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
My point is that the burden and cost to fubd the class shouldnt be on the teacher. That should all be budgeted and taken care of.
This. Funding the classroom should be done by the school district. Not the parents. Especially when we are talking about a VERY affluent district.

Actually, even more so in a poor district. How do they expect people in poor districts to afford all the supplies as well? A poor district usually is populated with poor people as well. I think that we fund all kinds of things. Job #1 should be the class room and nothing else should be funded until it is. We aren't talking huge sums of money here. We are talking a classroom of basic supplies. There is no reason schools can't choose to do that or than they just choose not too. Yes, i know, it probably won't change. But, expecting some teacher who is making $35K a year to fund the class is absurd. Do you purchase the supplies for your job?

In those poor districts, people like me, and my friends, and coworkers buy the supplies. And yes, I do buy supplies for my job. if I have something specific I want above what is provided, I buy it. I'm picky about my pens, so I buy my pens.

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
Oughttabeworking wrote:
Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
My point is that the burden and cost to fubd the class shouldnt be on the teacher. That should all be budgeted and taken care of.
This. Funding the classroom should be done by the school district. Not the parents. Especially when we are talking about a VERY affluent district.

Actually, even more so in a poor district. How do they expect people in poor districts to afford all the supplies as well? A poor district usually is populated with poor people as well. I think that we fund all kinds of things. Job #1 should be the class room and nothing else should be funded until it is. We aren't talking huge sums of money here. We are talking a classroom of basic supplies. There is no reason schools can't choose to do that or than they just choose not too. Yes, i know, it probably won't change. But, expecting some teacher who is making $35K a year to fund the class is absurd. Do you purchase the supplies for your job?

Well think about that statement. If the district is poor, then it would make sense that their tax revenue to cover the needed budgets is low too. It certainly is a conundrum. But I would ask why teachers require kids to have certain type markers, particular crayons, crayons at all for that matter.

We send in things such as paper towels and tissues as supplies for the teachers but buy our own kids supplies such as note books and pens and pencils. We (the PTO that is) will do school supplies for those kids who can't afford supplies, the entire community helps with that.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

"Should" is nothing but a wish.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

OK, then don't try to change anything.

Ohfour · Hooker

Our church has "adopted" a low income school. There are 350 students. The first day of school, they receive a backpack full of all of their school supplies. Once a month, we have a "school offering" where parishioners bring in things like kleenex and paper towels...or whatever the teachers may need for their classrooms...

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Good news is, after elementary school, the lists aren't so bad.

Some teachers will dictate no spiral notebooks or specific ink color but that's about it.

The most expensive thing I've had to buy was a $30 calculator.

I think I've bought safety goggles for science class.

Southern_Belle · Nothing's Impossible

I used to hate buying everything on the list and then DD would come with other lists that specific teachers sent home.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Yeah, that was annoying.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
OK, then don't try to change anything.

How does stomping your foot and whining that something 'should' happen trying to change anything?

and how does disagreeing with stomping your foot and whining about 'should' = not trying to change anything?

confuse

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

lilyofcourse wrote:
Good news is, after elementary school, the lists aren't so bad.

Some teachers will dictate no spiral notebooks or specific ink color but that's about it.

The most expensive thing I've had to buy was a $30 calculator.

I think I've bought safety goggles for science class.

We also had to buy safety goggles for chemistry. But the calculator we had to buy was $100. Then when her sister was in school year later the school bought the calculators and each student "rented them" from the school for $25. Made a lot more sense to me to do it that way.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Well, I have 3 of them here, some where.

They used them from 9th to 12th grade.

So I don't feel like it was a waste.

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

Mellow Momma wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
Good news is, after elementary school, the lists aren't so bad.

Some teachers will dictate no spiral notebooks or specific ink color but that's about it.

The most expensive thing I've had to buy was a $30 calculator.

I think I've bought safety goggles for science class.

We also had to buy safety goggles for chemistry. But the calculator we had to buy was $100. Then when her sister was in school year later the school bought the calculators and each student "rented them" from the school for $25. Made a lot more sense to me to do it that way.

Remember the TX-1? over $100 way back when. Today it is I think $10 at any store.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Yes I do!! I wish that was the one they needed. Lol

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

lilyofcourse wrote:
Well, I have 3 of them here, some where.

They used them from 9th to 12th grade.

So I don't feel like it was a waste.

When we rented it from the school, each kid had an identical calculator which made it much easier for the teacher when explaining which buttons to use etc. If it broke or didn't work, we handed it back in to the school and they gave us a new one. It was a great way to handle it for everyone involved.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Each of my kids needed one and they each used it all through school.

No sharing or passing down.

But, they still have them and they still work.

So it was more of an investment, I guess.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Jesse is going to need more expensive gadgets for college.

Pens that record, notebooks that download to the computer, a laptop.

I'm really praying he qualifies for help in paying for these things.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

lilyofcourse wrote:
Jesse is going to need more expensive gadgets for college.

Pens that record, notebooks that download to the computer, a laptop.

I'm really praying he qualifies for help in paying for these things.

Does her really need ALL hose things? I did 2 masters degrees with pens, paper, 3-ring binders and a laptop. Oh - and a phone for texting if I got bored. In my 2nd masters I added a tablet so that I could watch Netflix while writing papers.

Also, a good printer/scanner is pretty cheap.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Jesse lives with autism.

He will need the laptop no matter what.

The other two things will aid in daily classes.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Oh right - I'm sorry Lily. I got your kids mixed up!