COVID-19, Part VIII - heading into flu season

[Redhook]

I am teaching 5th grade right now. Most of the teachers I am talking to are elementary school teachers. All kids love computers and prefer that to learning from a person in a room. I mean, when we were kids we loved it when the AV cart got rolled into the classroom, lol.

I agree in person is better, but it’s not like online learning doesn’t also get the job done. Of course, that depends on how sophisticated your online program is. Like with everything, it’s going to be different depending on where you are. If you are using AOL or Compuserve programs, it’s probably not going to do a good job.

Interesting and I was wrong in my assumption. My kids are in 4th and 5th grade. Online learning has been a complete disaster. Both of my children prefer “regular” school and they’re so excited to go back to school full-time tomorrow. Personally, I don’t think online learning gets the job done. Not even close. Maybe it’s different with where you teach, but my kids are falling behind academically with online learning. And, we supplement with Mathnasium and reading tutors. Socially, and maybe more importantly, it’s been a solid F. Kids need to interact with other kids. My kids are very friendly and social. It’s been tough in them, to say the least.

[BernieCarbo]

Dude, the discussion is about online teaching vs. in person classroom teaching. It’s not about what kids are like at home

Ok, you said it was about teaching them. There are other ways to teach kids. Online teaching through the schools is a waste of time, despite your assertion that kids prefer virtual life (they don't).

[Redhook]

The classrooms aren’t big enough to handle 40 students, sitting 6 feet away from each other. The schools that have 25 students classes have rooms big enough.

That’s a shame. My son’s grade has 3 teachers for 60 kids. My daughters grade has 2 teachers for 60 kids. Odd, but....money. 40 kids is way too much for one teacher. That’s very unfortunate for learning and, obviously, safety with this mess.

[Redhook]

My gf's daughters say that everyone is sharing homework and tests online and it's a joke. Of course, they are 16 and 18, and I'd be doing the same thing.

I heard 20 high school students were caught cheating with their parents help. You don’t say. Our kids aren’t robots. Online learning, for elementary/middle/high school, is awful.

[BernieCarbo]

I heard 20 high school students were caught cheating with their parents help. You don’t say. Our kids aren’t robots. Online learning, for elementary/middle/high school, is awful.

I can say that my parents wouldn't have helped me cheat, and helicopter parenting is a real problem, but most kids would be able to figure this out. Heck, they don't even allow phones at trivia because grownups cheat.

[757690]

That’s a shame. My son’s grade has 3 teachers for 60 kids. My daughters grade has 2 teachers for 60 kids. Odd, but....money. 40 kids is way too much for one teacher. That’s very unfortunate for learning and, obviously, safety with this mess.

LA Unified is a mess, it always has been, but mostly because it’s so big. 600,000 students. And funding keeps getting cut. They are currently working on a plan for next semester for in person classes with smaller class sizes. Schools outside of LA Unified, like Orange County are open for in person classes and doing well. They have always had smaller class sizes and better school buildings.

But the real issue is that LA County is still in the “purple” level of Covid cases, which means they can only open campuses if they meet strict guidelines, which they currently don’t. They are actually closer to being in the “red” level (not allowed to open at all) than the “blue” level (fully open campuses).

So it’s virtual for the rest of this semester, but hopefully, we will be back in actual schools in 2021. It’s better for the students, and I really miss it.

[Stray]

Do the kids also drive the bus, teach the classes, operate the cafeterias and clean the school?

I see this argument a lot and my take is pretty simple. Wal-Mart employees have NEVER stopped working. UPS, FedEx and USPS workers never stopped working. The reason is simple, they're essential for our society to function. There's a lot of elderly folks working at any Wal-Mart (or any grocery store) you shop at.

So bus drivers, cafeteria cooks and teachers? Well they're essential too as far as I'm concerned. They're not above grocery stockers or delivery people. There's not many things more essential than the development of our children. Maybe nothing. It is not healthy for kids to be cooped up and not developing socially.

[BernieCarbo]

I see this argument a lot and my take is pretty simple. Wal-Mart employees have NEVER stopped working. UPS, FedEx and USPS workers never stopped working. The reason is simple, they're essential for our society to function. There's a lot of elderly folks working at any Wal-Mart (or any grocery store) you shop at.

So bus drivers, cafeteria cooks and teachers? Well they're essential too as far as I'm concerned. They're not above grocery stockers or delivery people. There's not many things more essential than the development of our children. Maybe nothing. It is not healthy for kids to be cooped up and not developing socially.

Well, it's a completely different scenario. UPS drivers don't have 30 kids in their bus. Walmart has 20 foot ceilings and far more cubic feet of air per person. The density in a school is way higher.

I agree that the kids are not in danger and online learning doesn't cut it, but we need to identify the vulnerable school employees and keep them home.

[Stray]

Well, it's a completely different scenario. UPS drivers don't have 30 kids in their bus. Walmart has 20 foot ceilings and far more cubic feet of air per person. The density in a school is way higher.

I agree that the kids are not in danger and online learning doesn't cut it, but we need to identify the vulnerable school employees and keep them home.

You are very wrong about the Wal-Mart working environment. I used to work there. It's so many pallets you can hardly move and working as hard as you can to get it out on the sales floor where people are mobbing you.

If I were terrified of Covid I'd much rather work teaching clueless kindergarteners than literally *any* position at a local Wal-Mart.

[Stray]

Also there's no high ceilings or big rooms in the back at Wal-Mart. It's tiny rooms and hallways where pallets of freight are lined. Hallways so tight you'll routinely see palettes being pulled through the store because there's no room in those hallways for them to fit. And when you're on the sales floor customers are all over you. There's no yeah but I'd rather work at Wal-Mart in a pandemic. There's nothing that works here.

[Stray]

I have a hard time asking a 77 year old grandma to stock the shelves at my local Ingles where I grocery shop at and still say I shouldn't work because it's too dangerous. If it's too dangerous for me then it should be too dangerous for her. If anyone is necessary we all are.

I'll never be someone who considers my role in this world to be more important than someone else's.

[BernieCarbo]

Also there's no high ceilings or big rooms in the back at Wal-Mart. It's tiny rooms and hallways where pallets of freight are lined. Hallways so tight you'll routinely see palettes being pulled through the store because there's no room in those hallways for them to fit. And when you're on the sales floor customers are all over you. There's no yeah but I'd rather work at Wal-Mart in a pandemic. There's nothing that works here.

Ok, I was talking about the Walmart employees out on the floor. I've nenver been out back, but if the job environment is similar to 30 people crammed into an office conference room, then I'll take your word for it. But most employees are walking around or at the cashiers.

[BernieCarbo]

I have a hard time asking a 77 year old grandma to stock the shelves at my local Ingles where I grocery shop at and still say I shouldn't work because it's too dangerous. If it's too dangerous for me then it should be too dangerous for her. If anyone is necessary we all are.

I'll never be someone who considers my role in this world to be more important than someone else's.

Also, I'm not saying it's too dangerous for all teachers. I'm saying if you weigh 280 pounds or have been a lifelong smoker or have health issues, then it's too dangerous becaue you were teetering on the edege anyway. But the rest will be just fine.

[SteelSD]

So bus drivers, cafeteria cooks and teachers? Well they're essential too as far as I'm concerned. They're not above grocery stockers or delivery people. There's not many things more essential than the development of our children. Maybe nothing. It is not healthy for kids to be cooped up and not developing socially.

About 2 million children per year are home schooled. They don't seem to turn into socially and developmentally compromised adults en masse. Students who attend schools with summer breaks spend around 2.75 years during their K-12 years not attending classes. No one seems to complain about that either.

Hmn.

[Falls City Beer]

I’m gobsmacked at all the renaissance men we have here on this site: we have public school teachers/film directors! Community organizers/insurance salesmen/election commissioners!

What *don’t* you guys do?!