Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Worcester, Springfield: agreements, graduated, instructor)

[msRB311]

It does seem like quite a bit of bullying happens online these days. I wonder what's happening with that.

[jtolpin]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

Perfect. Just what we need, a reason for the lunatics to keep schools closed longer. Did the teachers unions engineer this mutation?

Name calling isnt really necessary. :/

[Steephill2]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

These are valid points. It should also be noted that designing effective learning activities and teaching through an online learning platform is decidedly different than in-person. I would suspect that many, if not most, public school teachers have not been adequately trained to pivot toward that form of instruction, and it will most likely result in significant deficiencies in learning outcomes.

Everyone learns differently so it’s impossible to say one format is better over another. “Seeing and talking to other people” in school is good but I’m not sure about the benefits of “Seeing and talking to other people while wearing masks and being 6+ feet apart”. I’m gonna need some studies to confirm those revised standards outweigh a remote only environment to form an opinion. People seem to keep comparing what things were like pre COVID vs remote learning but how many places are operating in a pre COVID setup?

[western mass and love it]

Originally Posted by mdovell

Schools aren't really closed the content just goes online. This concept of learned helplessness where someone must always feel validation by immediate in person attention just doesn't work.

Let's suppose right now you are in high school. What do you think things will be like once you get out? Do you think you'll have huge in person meetings? Any company is going to cram you into a cubical and probably non profits and government for that matter.

I'm sorry but things changed. Doing things in person all the time doesn't always work well. We can reduce things to information and just go with that. When I was in retail I'd get asked questions that somehow they wanted someone to tell them to their face as if the answer would change. It reminds me of an uncle I have that refused direct deposit. I'm sorry but some things just change.

I realize this is the birthplace of open town meeting but that is not the way how the vast majority of organizations govern themselves.

I read the Central Register every week. It comes out on Wednesdays and lists the bids for every town and city in Mass. Over the summer one, just one school district put out a legit bid for COVID related work (Yarmouth). Unless you have those robotic sprayers (Siemens I think) you probably haven't changed the building and thus the airflow. How many schools aren't testing people as they walk in and arent taking temperatures? Sure you can argue about the students but if the teachers and staff are not safe they can't come in. My girlfriend is a teacher and frankly this push to put students back in just backfires. Ok so you have a hybrid. She has to keep her mask on while teaching and then the students at home can't hear her. Well whose fault is that? She could take it off if there were no students there and teach from home. But wait for some reason we think it means something if it is in the classroom. Then parents that are just sitting around send their kids in with covid because they either don't know any better or just don't care. Each exposure is another week of isolation and having the classes taught online. Yes some parents complain but grades have been online for years if not decades. Assignments are all online as well even before covid. You don't hand write papers as a high school senior come on now!

The other nice thing though is this cuts down on bullying and frankly students can't say stupid stuff because it's all on webcam and can easily be recorded. Good luck doing that in person.

last spring everyone said teachers were heroes and then it changed in the fall when parents got sick of their kids. I'm sorry but they aren't babysitters. So is the problem that you can't trust your kid at home or you yourself are there as well? I've already heard of parents that treat at home virtual learning like a game show and start saying the answers to tests. With all the resources out there it's really hard pressed these days to blame teachers for things. If this was 30 or so years ago yeah I can see the issue. Between Project Gutenburg, Wikipedia, Youtube, Curiosity Stream, Masterclass, Coursera etc. There's plenty of educational resources out there.

How many people lost/had to give up their jobs so these teachers didn’t have to do theirs? GTFO with all your bs about , well everything. Millions of people are at work among the public everyday doing their jobs. Yet a teacher is in too much danger. I’d be willing to wager everything I have that more people are out working than people that WFH. I’m travel all over New England for work and am in and out of business all day. Most places are back to pre Covid level of staff. But I hear story after story of how they lost certain employees because they needed to be home with their kids because of school. I agree teachers aren’t babysitters but most parents are not educators either. That argument works both ways. How about the Teachers put their adult pants on and get back to work like the rest of the country. I’m completely over people using Covid as an excuse for things. This country has become a weak , pathetic, Whiney, sad display of a country. Trump was right about one thing, we do need to make America great again. Just not the way he envisioned it.

There’s no backbone, no real leaders, no one knows how to look out for themselves. Everyone wants someone else to look out for them. We’ve become a lazy, complacent, indifferent, sniveling society. I look forward to my time spent at my Cabin in Vermont. Completely off the grid , self sustaining without any people around for miles.

[msRB311]

These teachers are gonna be sad when it's time to go back to the classroom and that day is coming soon.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

GTFO with all your bs about , well everything.

Whoa! Let's try to keep this civil.

[BostonMike7]

Checks in...sees more name calling...checks out.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

How many people lost/had to give up their jobs so these teachers didn’t have to do theirs? GTFO with all your bs about , well everything. Millions of people are at work among the public everyday doing their jobs. Yet a teacher is in too much danger. I’d be willing to wager everything I have that more people are out working than people that WFH. I’m travel all over New England for work and am in and out of business all day. Most places are back to pre Covid level of staff. But I hear story after story of how they lost certain employees because they needed to be home with their kids because of school. I agree teachers aren’t babysitters but most parents are not educators either. That argument works both ways. How about the Teachers put their adult pants on and get back to work like the rest of the country. I’m completely over people using Covid as an excuse for things. This country has become a weak , pathetic, Whiney, sad display of a country. Trump was right about one thing, we do need to make America great again. Just not the way he envisioned it.

There’s no backbone, no real leaders, no one knows how to look out for themselves. Everyone wants someone else to look out for them. We’ve become a lazy, complacent, indifferent, sniveling society. I look forward to my time spent at my Cabin in Vermont. Completely off the grid , self sustaining without any people around for miles.

Right because this is all about teachers wanting to "skip out on work", and nothing to do with the fact that having all these kids crammed together in a school building can help spread a dangerous virus through the community. Talking about shameful.

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

These are valid points. It should also be noted that designing effective learning activities and teaching through an online learning platform is decidedly different than in-person. I would suspect that many, if not most, public school teachers have not been adequately trained to pivot toward that form of instruction, and it will most likely result in significant deficiencies in learning outcomes.

I agree with your points. Online learning is not a deficient way of learning, the current problems and weaknesses are due to the lack of training and expertise of execution. At some point the human race will need to pivot to online and digital methods of learning or else continued evolution will stall or worse reverse course.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by Steephill2

Everyone learns differently so it’s impossible to say one format is better over another. “Seeing and talking to other people” in school is good but I’m not sure about the benefits of “Seeing and talking to other people while wearing masks and being 6+ feet apart”. I’m gonna need some studies to confirm those revised standards outweigh a remote only environment to form an opinion. People seem to keep comparing what things were like pre COVID vs remote learning but how many places are operating in a pre COVID setup?

It is correct to say people have different learning styles. However, it's also clear that traditional schools of education have taught teachers how to design learning activities in a real world environment and not in the virtual world. Because students have different learning styles is precisely the reason that in order to be effective, teachers must be trained in the best practices for teaching to learning outcomes in a virtual world. Two different animals. Best practices have been developed in using technology in teaching. They are research-based and should be utilized, otherwise it's inevitable learning will be impacted. For example technology can benefit learning but can also be a distraction if not done right.