iLounge

1

So much for iPods in education…...

Posted by Bob Levens in UK on April 27, 2007 at 6:37 AM (PST)

2

Beuller!

Posted by multimoog on April 27, 2007 at 6:51 AM (PST)

3

Let me see…they are going to ban the iPods because they cannot see the earbuds during the exam while the kids are sitting still for an hour or so. And they are going to find them BEFORE the exam exactly how?

Posted by otaku on April 27, 2007 at 6:56 AM (PST)

4

Funny. So when were they allowed in first place?  I agree, schools should ban cell phones, iPod, caps, etc during any class and exams.  They should only be allow during class break, outside the classroom.  That’s how every school I went to, did it.

Posted by Cabrita on April 27, 2007 at 7:09 AM (PST)

5

Listening isn’t the prooblem. It’s the “Notes” section on the iPod. You can store virtually anything and read it during a test.

Posted by ddsd on April 27, 2007 at 7:17 AM (PST)

6

The problem isn’‘t the iPod or cell phone, it’s the proctors that don’t pay ANY attention and just sit there for 3 hours with their nose in a book.  No one can text someone discretely, and the same goes for reading the notes section of a pod.  If the proctor looks at me and my head is staring at the floor just next to me, or worse yet, my crotch, they should assume that I’m not actually staring at the floor or my crotch,g et off their butt, and investigate the situation.  My ‘pod always kept me awake during those early morning exams and I would fight anyone who told me I couldn’t bring it in because I might cheat with it.

-Brian

Posted by Brianbobcat on April 27, 2007 at 7:47 AM (PST)

7

That’s pretty obvious since you can record your voice. Please don’t tell anyone.

Posted by Ferris on April 27, 2007 at 8:12 AM (PST)

8

it is crazy to even think that kids have these items in the classroom, let alone use them.  and Brianbobcat’s comment about not being able to get through early morning classes w/o them is almost as crazy as his saying he would “fight anyone” who told him he couldn’t bring it in. 

Ever heard of Safe School Act?

Posted by Mike on April 27, 2007 at 8:32 AM (PST)

9

“No one can text someone discretely…”

Oh, contraire! You apparently haven’t seen The Departed. ;^)

Posted by Tommy on April 27, 2007 at 9:51 AM (PST)

10

What is you for real thats the only way I can do my work if Im listen to music while the instructor is not talking.

Posted by bri on April 27, 2007 at 10:21 AM (PST)

11

What we are forgetting is that school is for learning in the first place. I’m a high school student, who actually learns, and Im all for this.

Posted by brent on April 27, 2007 at 11:48 AM (PST)

12

Hmm.. that’s a bit more extreme than what I experienced.  My school only prevented me from listening to music during the STAR testing that we just finished.

Otherwise, out of 6 teachers, 3 of them allow me to listen to music or even pull out my Macbook as long as it’s not interfering with my work.

Sebastian

Posted by Sebastian Lewis on April 27, 2007 at 12:34 PM (PST)

13

In my school we aren’t supposed to have ipods or cell phones any time.  However, people still text during class and most teachers are too dumb to notice it.  In our math tests they even take away the covers to our calculators in fear that we would write answers on them.

Posted by etm42 on April 27, 2007 at 12:38 PM (PST)

14

If these “students” only spent half as much energy in studying and learning the material as they do in trying to cheat their way through the system, this would be a non-issue.

Posted by flatline response on April 27, 2007 at 12:40 PM (PST)

15

The town this article was about is about 30 min from where I’m at.  It’s funny what kids can do these days and get away with.

Posted by ydkjman on April 27, 2007 at 2:05 PM (PST)

16

I don’t think banning iPods and phones outright is the right answer to this problem. As any parent knows, the more you disallow or ban something, the average teenager is going to want to do it more. At my high school, the teachers let us listen to music when the teacher isn’t talking or giving instructions, otherwise we’re free to do whatever. For cellphones, we aren’t allowed to use them in class, although almost everyone just puts them on Silent Mode and texts their friends - I do. I never see cheating at my school though, because the people who fail tests are stupid and most likely aren’t smart enough to do something like this.

Posted by The Soup Nazi on April 27, 2007 at 7:37 PM (PST)

17

I graduated HS last summer, so I know all about this topic of contention, and to clarify, I DON’T think students should be allowed to LISTEN to them during the tests, but BANNING them IN the classroom is wrong.  When I was done with my tests, I’d whip out my pod and play bricks or solitaire with no music.  And as far as the comment about me needing to get through the day with it, it’s just a matter of me going to bed too late and then needing to get up at 6:30 for class, it just helped me awaken.

-Brian

Posted by Brianbobcat on April 27, 2007 at 10:12 PM (PST)

18

I teach at the college level, and I can say from experience that kids will go to extremes to cheat. As one poster put it, if they would just study as hard as they work on cheating, this would be a non-issue. I’ve had students hide their notes in the bathroom, so I don’t allow leaving the classroom during exams. I’ve seen students make soda bottle labels with the answers on the back side, so I don’t allow beverages during exams. I warn them that if their phone rings or vibrates during the exam, they fail. It sucks to have to be so militant, but these kids, who are so stupid, seem to find really smart and clever ways to cheat.

On the general topic, I think cell phones and music players should be banned during classroom hours. In between classes, or during lunch breaks, that’s fine. School is for learning. This is why Americans are becoming so stupid. Every other country’s students are studying their butts off. Ours are crying because they can’t use their phones! Spoiled brats!

Posted by Jason on April 27, 2007 at 11:19 PM (PST)

19

This is nothing new…I used to program the answers into my TI-85 calculator in highschool…and that was 12 years ago.

Posted by Old Timer on April 28, 2007 at 6:08 AM (PST)

20

Unfortunately, the problem occurs from both ends with regards to cell phones.  My wife is a teacher, and has had parents complain that the school cannot make them turn their cell phones off as the parent will have no way of reaching their child in an emergency.

Of course, thus far, such “emergencies” from parents have taken the form of requests to pick up milk on the way home, or questions about where the TV remove control was left.

Posted by Jesse Hollington in Toronto on April 28, 2007 at 6:10 AM (PST)