What? Size 12 font, double spaced by tomorrow?!

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Permalink Reply by Kim FB on September 4, 2007 at 8:23pm

Good question, Annie. I wonder under what circumstances it would be right. I was thinking perhaps if:

1. Teachers said, "If this is a problem for you, come and talk with me."
2. If there is a sufficient computer lab with enough computers to accommodate all students with such assignments made by teachers. Still, I would think students w/o access might also need to make prior arrangements for transportation after they finish in the lab. Not possible today.

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Permalink Reply by Victoria Ford on September 5, 2007 at 10:19am

I think I agree with both of you:

- First, I think it IS important that the teachers treat you high school students like the responsible young adults you are. Everyone needs to find a way to get the work done; that's a good lesson to start learning. (In fact, I have that exact same challenge in my current work. I don't have the internet at home, and sometimes I need to do work over the weekend... so I have to figure out where I can get computer access!)

- But - you raise a good point, and I think Kim poses a good solution. The teacher should say "If getting access to a computer is going to be a problem, let me know and we can work something out." A student shouldn't get in trouble because they aren't able to type something up (provided they do a good job on the actual writing of the paper)!

A few years ago, I would have pointed out that the libraries are a good resource for computer access, but these days their schedules are so limited that they aren't that helpful. The Minneapolis libraries are closed on Sundays and Mondays, only open until 6:00 on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (8:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays).

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Permalink Reply by Victoria Ford on September 5, 2007 at 10:21am

Oh - and about transportation:

I'm of the mind that once someone hits high school, they should be able to navigate the bus system (and that students should have free/cheap access to buses, which I know is not universally true). Am I wrong? Is 14 too young?

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Permalink Reply by Kim FB on September 5, 2007 at 2:23pm

Re: the transportation. I literally meant "today" (now yesterday) versus today as in "modern times". Certainly a student can figure out other ways to get home BUT to be expected to do so yesterday, on a moment's notice, is probably not feasible. I'm just imagining that it had not occurred to someone that they would need to stay after, use the bus, etc. on the first day...

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Permalink Reply by Annie Wood on September 5, 2007 at 8:02pm

For sure...I mean, I've taken the city bus before, but it takes planning..going online, finding the schedule, a stop. 14 isn't too young to take the bus at all, but it's sort of the last minute thing that makes it hard. And some kids have sports immediately after school.

Also, I found out that there's lots of stuff we have to BUY! 88 dollars worth of books for juniors and seniors for example (not sure how much mine cost yet) AND you need to buy a graphing calculator...those are 50 dollars and up! It's public school...what happens if you can't pay? They can't expect everyone to be able to pay that...and there are no scholarships etc. How does that work?!

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Permalink Reply by Victoria Ford on September 6, 2007 at 2:40pm

I don't know! Will you ask your teacher? I'd be very curious to see what they would do if a student just couldn't afford those things.

My mother has a bunch of graphic calculators that students use in class. I wonder if she lets students use them for homework if they come into her classroom after school.

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