Klein ISD Students get Personal Computers

[H-Town Man]

H-Town-

I hear what you're saying. Some of my children's friends are getting ready to be either seniors in high school or freshmen in college next year, and they're talking about signing up for Freshman Composition online at community colleges in order to get this course out of the way so they don't have to take it in college. Have you noticed this trend where you are?

Yes, many students here at Texas A&M decide to take it at Blinn Junior College over in Bryan. A lot of the lecturers who teach it here also teach it over at Blinn, but the standards are of course not the same. The sad thing is that the ability to write is probably the one skill that is in drastic decline among college students, and that most separates this generation from their parents. People here who have taught composition for twenty years will tell you that the quality of student has declined steadily, partially because high schools aren't as rigorous about teaching writing, but mainly because students today did not grow up reading as much.

I probably only get about five students out of a 25 student class who I would say are able to write well, and maybe two that I would say could write very well. This is at a school whose average entering SAT score is the second highest among public universities in the state (somewhere in the 1100's), and most of whom were in the top 10% of their high school class. Put it all together, and you begin to face the scary truth that America is on its way to having an illiterate culture.

[ENGcons]

Oh, H-Town Man! Where's your red pen?

This could prove to be instructional for those who are overly enamored of technology.

grammar police ooh ahh, wow, how original, yippee, how about adding something constructive?

I really can only imagine that the only people not for this are ones who are afraid of or intimidated by technology. It should be embraced because it is an ESSENTIAL requirement for anyone who wants a job that does not involve checking someone elses tire pressure. Computers are a learning tool, just like books, the internet is full of information. The world is changing if you don't change with it you will be left in its wake.

[Chris]

grammar police ooh ahh, wow, how original, yippee, how about adding something constructive?

I really can only imagine that the only people not for this are ones who are afraid of or intimidated by technology. It should be embraced because it is an ESSENTIAL requirement for anyone who wants a job that does not involve checking someone elses tire pressure. Computers are a learning tool, just like books, the internet is full of information. The world is changing if you don't change with it you will be left in its wake.

I agree 100%. Computer and technology usage should be embraced more in schools today. This is a wonderful way of bringing it out. Technology is a learning tool.

[H-Town Man]

I really can only imagine that the only people not for this are ones who are afraid of or intimidated by technology. It should be embraced because it is an ESSENTIAL requirement for anyone who wants a job that does not involve checking someone elses tire pressure. Computers are a learning tool, just like books, the internet is full of information. The world is changing if you don't change with it you will be left in its wake.

You didn't answer my question:

Tell me what skill, other than computer literacy, will computers teach students better than books can?

In fact, you didn't answer anything I wrote in my post.

[ENGcons]

You didn't answer my question:

Tell me what skill, other than computer literacy, will computers teach students better than books can?

In fact, you didn't answer anything I wrote in my post.

Let's see

How to do research on the internet.

How to build spreadsheets (business essential, and I could go on forever with examples in my business alone)

How to create a power point presentation (business essential)

How to build and control a database

How to use information to calculate financial information for the future(goes with spreadsheets, and esential in business)

How to use personal finance through online banking institutions (again , the future)

How to build a schedule

How to manage a personal planner

How to use email

Photo editing

Graphic design

Web page design

Design of building documents (Autocad)

Stock trading

Market research in real time

How to actually type a letter

Billing and reporting for people with clients

How to file taxes (you don't need an accountant these days)

I will think of some more as the day goes on, I have meeting.

[H-Town Man]

Let's see

How to do research on the internet.

How to build spreadsheets (business essential, and I could go on forever with examples in my business alone)

How to create a power point presentation (business essential)

How to build and control a database

How to use information to calculate financial information for the future(goes with spreadsheets, and esential in business)

How to use personal finance through online banking institutions (again , the future)

How to build a schedule

How to manage a personal planner

How to use email

Photo editing

Graphic design

Web page design

Design of building documents (Autocad)

Stock trading

Market research in real time

How to actually type a letter

Billing and reporting for people with clients

How to file taxes (you don't need an accountant these days)

I will think of some more as the day goes on, I have meeting.

Wow ENGcons, way to completely confirm what I said. I ask what skill besides computer literacy can computers teach better than books can, and everything you just gave back to me falls under the umbrella of computer literacy. No understanding of literature, no knowledge of history, no exploration of other cultures, no solving of math problems, or understanding of scientific laws and theories, etc., all of which, although they exist on the internet, are in a much shallower and more watered down form than anything you can find in books.

High school students need to know what it's like to sit down with a plain old book and read it until they discover something that they didn't know or expect was there. Giving them laptops to surf and play games on almost ensures that that won't happen.

How many books have you read in the past year?

[ENGcons]

Wow ENGcons, way to completely confirm what I said. I ask what skill besides computer literacy can computers teach better than books can, and everything you just gave back to me falls under the umbrella of computer literacy. No understanding of literature, no knowledge of history, no exploration of other cultures, no solving of math problems, or understanding of scientific laws and theories, etc., all of which, although they exist on the internet, are in a much shallower and more watered down form than anything you can find in books. Now that is funny!!!!

High school students need to know what it's like to sit down with a plain old book and read it until they discover something that they didn't know or expect was there. Giving them laptops to surf and play games on almost ensures that that won't happen. Once again, another weak assumption on your part.

How many books have you read in the past year?

H-town that is a one sided question that is geared towards achieving an outcome that you desire. But I guess you can enjoy life in good old 1955 with that attitude. I mean why change with the world when you can remain in the same decade forever. Enjoy being left behind in the real world H-town. Your "theories" on how a book is more informative than information online is nothing more than your opnion, which we all know by now is outdated.

I tell you what, lets both start a business, any kind of business, Hell even a bookstore. You run yours on the dewey decimal system and spend all your time researching at the library looking up things in books on how the business should be run. I'll buy one laptop with a high speed line and we can see who gets more done, faster, and more efficiently, and who is able to communicate in the real world.

I hear that if you tie a string between two soup cans it is just like a phone, good luck with that.

And by the way I have read three books so far this year, I usually read about one a month. Of all the irony, we have a library in our house.

Ghost Rider, Travels on the Healing Road - Neil Peart

Roadshow - Neil Peart

Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt

[dbigtex56]

grammar police ooh ahh, wow, how original, yippee, how about adding something constructive?

As you wish.

Technology has provided us with a feature called 'spell check'. You may find it helpful.

[musicman]

As you wish.

Technology has provided us with a feature called 'spell check'. You may find it helpful.

LOL call the dr i've fallen and i cant get up! LOL

[musicman]

Let's see

How to do research on the internet.

How to build spreadsheets (business essential, and I could go on forever with examples in my business alone)

How to create a power point presentation (business essential)

How to build and control a database

if someone has no computer skills, in this instance i would say reading a book will help them more than sitting down at a computer that they don't know how to turn on.

[dbigtex56]

My child 4 years old already has aquired many basic skills onteh commputer that will aid her in her education. It is up to the parents to parnet their childredn

Oh, H-Town Man! Where's your red pen?

This could prove to be instructional for those who are overly enamored of technology.

grammar police ooh ahh, wow, how original, yippee, how about adding something constructive?

As you wish.

Computers can incorporate programs which automatically check for spelling and typographical errors. Some programs even check for rudimentary errors in grammar and usage. I hope that my suggestion that you use such a program will be greeted as constructive.

However, there's (or, as you might put it, 'theirs') no substitute for acquiring basic language skills. Computers and their interfaces will continue to change; why waste our scant educational resources on skills which will be rendered obsolete in a few years?

[H-Town Man]

Good point dbigtex, most of the computer know-how is highly ephemeral.

ENGcons, your comments about me being stuck in 1955 are laughable. How would I be typing to you on this computer if I were stuck in 1955? That's a knee-jerk answer to an argument you don't seem to know how to handle.

No one denies that computers are a fantastic tool for running applications that can be useful in almost any kind of business. This all falls in the realm of professional training, or applied knowledge. As far as pure knowledge is concerned, nothing outdoes books in just about any subject.

The internet is a vast web of mostly shallow information. Take architecture, for instance. You could find hundreds of websites, such as this one, about architecture, but how much does one really learn about architecture by reading this website? Not nearly as much as if they went to the library and checked out a few good books about it. This is even more true of literature. Nothing on the internet will challenge a young person's mind the way reading Shakespeare or Dickens or Tolstoy or Hemingway will - there just isn't the same emphasis on quality in cyberspace. You have to get it from books.

My qualm with giving laptops to students is not that I don't think computers are important in today's world. Computers are important, and students seem to have no problem learning how to use them. The idea that they won't learn how to use computers for their jobs if we don't hand out laptops is silly... how did you and I learn about computers? Did we need to be handed laptops?

On the other hand, I simply don't think that students will get the same amount of serious learning done - learning such as you can only get from books - if the temptation to explore cyberspace, play video games, or just fiddle around with their new electronic toy is constantly by their side. Books - challenging books, great books - involve delayed gratification. With the internet, the gratification is instant, and the experience, 9 times out of 10, is shallow.

[Chris]

Krimmel Intermediate School Core Concept (Laptops, PLC)

[VicMan]

Most kids learn computer skills on their own. The state of TX also requires computer instruction at all grade levels.

By the way, people DO read with computers. People may read news articles and entire books on the internet (see if you can find some Shakespeare plays!).

Also, the writing of e-mails has revived the concept of writing letters to others, which fell on hard times after the introduction of the telephone.

[Daniel M]

Hi I'm Daniel Merritt I went to Krimmel Intermediate 2007 - 2008 in 8th grade and I was playing games everyday. I got my laptop using a USB flash drive to transfer files between my Desktop to Laptop. I also found out exploits in the system to allow me to download the latest flash player. I also Downloaded a 8 GB Game called World of Warcraft and played it when I brought my laptop home from school each day. The schools internet filtering wouldn't allow me to play it at school but could play it at home. I used proxy websites that I create also to go anywhere I want when I am at school and at Home. I am Going to 9th grade 2008 - 2009 to Klein Oak next school semester and I'm looking forward to playing games at school. And thanks to computers I've gotten a lot smarter and Youtube is very Educational.

And people that usually say how are computers useful in our education learning at school Barely know anything about computers probably.

I am Really Smart with computers and how they work. I know HTML and PHP coding for websites and I have setup my own webserver.

I dont really think parents need to help there children work a computer they need to learn themselves.

[ChampionsAdam]

Hi I'm Daniel Merritt I went to Krimmel Intermediate 2007 - 2008 in 8th grade and I was playing games everyday I got my laptop using a USB flash drive to transfer files between my Desktop to Laptop. I also found out exploits in the system to allow me to download the latest flash player. I also Downloaded a 8 GB Game called World of Warcraft and played it when I brought my laptop home from school each day. The schools internet filtering wouldn't allow me to play it at school but could play it at home. I used proxy websites that I create also to go anywhere I want when I am at school and at Home. I am Going to 9th grade 2008 - 2009 to Klein Oak next school semester and I'm looking forward to playing games at school. And thanks to computers I've gotten a lot smarter and Youtube is very Educational.

And people that usually say how are computers useful in our education learning at school Barely know anything about computers probably.

I am Really Smart with computers and how they work. I know HTML and PHP coding for websites and I have setup my own webserver.

I dont really think parents need to help there children work a computer they need to learn themselves.

Nice to know my property taxes increased so these kids can play video games in class.

Daniel, I think it's great that you have come on here to share your experience with the computer and clearly you are very knowledgable with the different applications.

I'm going to point out to you however that there are several grammatical errors in your post, perhaps it would be wise to spend more time during class listening to the teacher and less time playing with the computer.

Congratulations on your upcoming year at Klein Oak.

[houstongirl]

The first thing that caught my attention, other than the high cost of loss/theft/damage, is that Klein High is among the last to receive their laptop. Being the pride and joy of the district, I'm very surprised they were put at the bottom of the list.

[VicMan]

Nothing on the internet will challenge a young person's mind the way reading Shakespeare or Dickens or Tolstoy or Hemingway will - there just isn't the same emphasis on quality in cyberspace. You have to get it from books.

In the case of works in the public domain in the United States (published before 1923), you CAN get that from the internet. You can read Shakespeare, Tolstoy, etc. on many websites that host works. For example, SparkNotes hosts some Shakespeare stories.

[CDeb]

In the case of works in the public domain in the United States (published before 1923), you CAN get that from the internet. You can read Shakespeare, Tolstoy, etc. on many websites that host works. For example, SparkNotes hosts some Shakespeare stories.

Awesome, but you don't need a $1000 laptop to read those works, either.

[houstongirl]

In the case of works in the public domain in the United States (published before 1923), you CAN get that from the internet. You can read Shakespeare, Tolstoy, etc. on many websites that host works. For example, SparkNotes hosts some Shakespeare stories.

When I was in school, these were required reading. Guess how we did it??? A $2.99 book!

All I can say is that KISD sure loves spending that money!

[Daniel M]

Nice to know my property taxes increased so these kids can play video games in class.

Daniel, I think it's great that you have come on here to share your experience with the computer and clearly you are very knowledgable with the different applications.

I'm going to point out to you however that there are several grammatical errors in your post, perhaps it would be wise to spend more time during class listening to the teacher and less time playing with the computer.

Congratulations on your upcoming year at Klein Oak.

Sorry didn't have enough time to proof read it. I was wanting to play World of Warcraft.

[TexasVines]

the people that designed and built PCs and computers and wafer chips probably learned with a slate, chalk, and a slide rule

the people that got us to the moon and back with a PC as powerful as a 70s calculator were probably taught with a slate, chalk, and a slide rule

we do not even expect parent to send their kids to school in the morning having eaten anything so we have school breakfast (where does the food stamps, WIC and ADFC go to)......and God forbid we expect parent to send their kids to school with a lunch or lunch money so we have school lunch programs

and now we even have summer feeding programs (they apparently work too well because so many kids in them are fat tubs of goo)

and some in this thread actually think we would dare hold kids or their parent responsible when the laptop is damaged or disappears.....when we don't even require them to feed them....and we already provide WIC, AFDC, and Food Stamps....much less Section 8 and subsidized utilities......except for cable and cell phones, but I am sure that is coming soon along with gas money for "running around"

this has to be the most stupid idea ever....I predict it will last two years before 75%+ of the laptops are gone or damaged beyond repair

[psmithtx]

I have no idea if this will even be read since this is so old. I have been researching the Klein ISD laptops and came across this forum. I'm a parent of a soon to be junior at Klein Oak and thought I'd comment on how the program has gone.

In my opinion, the laptop program needs to go away. I was all for this program and was pretty excited to my daughter would have a laptop for High School.

Here are some of the realities:

1. Teenagers are very hard on laptops.

2. Laptops that have been abused don't last.

3. The laptops at Klein Oak are in such disrepair, that they are nearly useless. This, after only three years of use. AND, the district doesn't plan on replacing them for two more years.

I use a laptop for work. I depend on it, but I take care of it. My company, with a much smaller annual budget than Klein ISD replaces my laptop every 2 1/2 to 3 years. After that amount of time, the computer is old and needs to be replaced. I couldn't imagine working on a five year old laptop - which is what my daughter will have for her senior year.

My daughter spent nearly 30 school days without her laptop this past school year. She had numerous issues that she didn't cause. Several times, she was working on a project when the laptop just failed. Gone. It wouldn't turn on, log on, nothing. She had learned to save her work, so what she had don't didn't get lost, but she couldn't finish and, of course, the work was due the next day. The teachers at Klein Oak don't allow a failed computer as an excuse for not finishing homework. Well, if you can only access your homework on the laptop, can only do your homework on the laptop, but that laptop doesn't work, how do you turn it in?

I have no problem with Klein ISD trying this program. Again, I thought it was a great idea myself. Now, in reality and with the 20/20 hindsight, it is time for Klein to retire the laptop program and go back to hiring actual teachers.

[mrfootball]

Parents & Students beware of these 'free' computers:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/189844/did_a_school_use_webcams_to_spy_on_students_at_home.html

[VicMan]

Psmith: "Well, if you can only access your homework on the laptop, can only do your homework on the laptop, but that laptop doesn't work, how do you turn it in?"

Klein ISD should allow the materials that can be accessed via the laptop to be ALSO able to be remotely accessed (with a student ID and password) or at minimum accessed via Klein ISD school computers AND/OR nearby library branches. KISD computer labs should be open 45-30 minutes or more BEFORE the start of classes, AND during lunch, AND after school.

[psmithtx]

Maybe Klein should have other ways to remotely access these materials, but they don't. We have high speed internet access at home and cannot access them from here unless my daughter is on her laptop. As for nearby library branches, there are no nearby library branches. On top of that, there are many disadvantaged students in our boundaries. They wouldn't even be able to get to the library.

There are a lot of things Klein SHOULD do, but they don't.

In the end, the laptop experiment has been a failure and a huge cost to the district. They were supposed to implement the program district wide, but haven't had the money to do it. I'm not even sure how they will have the money to replace these laptops in two years.

The best thing Klein could do would be to shut down the laptop program and go back to teaching with books, pen and paper. Then, we could just go back to the excuse that the dog at the homework.