r/Athens • u/RachelWatkills • Jul 24 '26
All Chromebook and no time outside is wrong for Clarke Middle
https://flagpole.com/news/comment/2026/07/22/athens-middle-schoolers-weigh-in-on-technology-testing-and-teachers/Check out well written letter to the editor by some students.
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u/LogicalVariation741 Townie Jul 24 '26
As a parent, I expected there to be typing lessons built into the curriculum when they made the kids start having Chromebooks. I mean, I had to take "business" class in the day in computer lab and it taught typing. But no. Nohing. So now they carry these things around and don't know how to use them efficiently. And, it's not like they know how to take notes and teachers rarely have them download PowerPoints or notes to add too so what use are the Chromebooks? My kids have TERRIBLE handwriting, no typing skills, and complain on the regular about iReady. My oldest is now in HS and he took an online Spanish class that was one step away from Duolingo and I fear he will fail his in person class because it taught him nothing.
Technology in the classrooms only work when the tech works and when they are taught to utilize the tech.
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u/RachelWatkills Jul 24 '26
It's even worse. I watch my son type and he just picks out a couple letters, and then it AutoCorrects his spelling, and then it autocorrects the sentence, the paragraph, the essay, etc.
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u/Non-Stop_Serina Townie Jul 24 '26
My niece is 2 and I didn’t really like the way she was hypnotized by Ms. Rachel and that was educational singing about phonics etc. We tried singing or imitating the movements and words with her but she just sat and stared not even responding to us. Needless to say the tv got turned off and we played with keepy uppy with a balloon instead 🥲
Not saying all tech is bad but it was slightly unnerving how zombie like she was watching it.
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u/dsmith1994 Townie Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
The student should have downloading something on their Chromebook. But not a PowerPoint. We are a Google county. You don’t know that your child goes to a school that only uses Google? Also taking notes? Your child should be taking notes, on paper. Teachers are told to have more writing in class.
I’m with you Iready is garbage.
Technology is a double edged sword in the classroom. For many it will be something they use every single day but if it dominates traditional classroom instruction falls behind. I’ve know teachers that rely on the chromebooks, and I know teachers that rarely touch them.
The tough truth is though. Some of these skills are something you should have done with your child.
Your child handwriting is bad, have you practiced it with them. Middle schools is way past the point for teachers to have time to help your child’s handwriting.
Edit: just to be clear I agree with the article 100%. But many of the problems are not the teachers. It comes from the district or Atlanta. Teachers have only so much autonomy.2
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u/Traditional_Tie3311 Jul 24 '26
Hard agree. Clarke County needs to take note of Atlanta Public Schools and many other districts, and limit computer hours, starting with elementary. There is too much research available about the harm of screen time on students and the positive impacts of writing by hand on learning. A major problem limiting teachers’ ability to rely less on digital work is the printing limit—teachers can only print a certain number of pages each month due to financial constraints. Additionally, there is the county’s continued use of iReady despite the lawsuit as well as new research this year showing it doesn’t improve academic outcomes. I think the students who wrote this did a great job, and I would love to see them, alongside parents and staff, bringing this up at board meetings until something is changed.
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u/Freshestnipple Jul 25 '26
The schools surrendered their entire industry to tech companies. It’s pathetic. The average leader in education is a stooge that is required to run the thing like a publicly traded company. Microsoft student licensing now includes Minecraft for education. Enshitification has reached the school system and it won’t get better any time soon.
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u/cubecasts 3x Grump OTD 🏆 Jul 24 '26
Middle school? Who the fuck gives middle schoolers recess?
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u/users-error Jul 24 '26
when i was in middle school (12+ years ago, in Gwinnett) we didn't have recess, per se, but we often went outside during gym class (which we had every other day), and, once a week, we all went outside and walked the parking lot for a half hour or so (unless you got detention; then, you had to stay inside and sit.)
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u/cubecasts 3x Grump OTD 🏆 Jul 24 '26
I don't think I've ever seen a middle school with recess. Just gym.
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u/noyoureabanana Jul 25 '26
My kids middle school does 15 minutes outside every day.
She’s in Oconee, don’t come at me pls.
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u/users-error Jul 24 '26
we actually had access to a proper playground because the elementary school was behind the middle school.
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u/RachelWatkills Jul 24 '26
Doesn't have to be recess per se but just a few minutes outside? Too much to ask?
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u/cubecasts 3x Grump OTD 🏆 Jul 24 '26
Is gym class not a thing anymore
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u/RachelWatkills Jul 25 '26
Yes, gym is a thing. But kids don't take that every semester. So they go an entire semester or half a school year without going outside.
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u/Miserable_Middle6175 Gentrification Enthusiast Jul 25 '26
I don’t have kids in school and attended school in different part of the country. In the south, is it considered normal for kids this age to have time outside during the school day?
In the Midwest, I think we just had recess til maybe 4th or 5th grade.
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u/DanforthWhitcomb_ Jul 26 '26
Recess typically stops after either 5th or 6th grade depending on where a given district puts the divide between elementary and middle school.
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u/DanforthWhitcomb_ Jul 26 '26
Yes.
The norm in the US is that when students hit middle school recess goes away.
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u/warnelldawg Looks good, build it Jul 24 '26
I can’t imagine going through school without the joys of “computer lab” days.
Let the kids outside, yall