The Core Standards

I READ ABOUT THE INFORMATION ON THE NEW JERSEY CORE CURRICILUM STANDARDS. WHAT A BUNCH OF STUFF. IT ALL SOUNDS VERY NICE BUT IN THE URBAN SCHOOL SYSTEM IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY, AT LEAST NOT IN MY DISTRICT. I HAVE BEEN IN THE EAST ORANGE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR TWO YEARS NOW. IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOMS THERE ARE ABOUT 4-6 COMPUTERS SET UP. THE STUDENTS USE THEM FOR ASSISTANCE WITH UNDERSTANDING THEIR CLASSWORK WITH SITES SUCH AS COMPASS LEARNING. THEIR TECHNOLOGY CLASSES CONSIST OF THEM COMPLETING A PROGRAM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO TEACH THEM TO TYPE AND SOME DOCUMENTING SKILLS. THE 8TH GRADERS ARE ALSO DOING THE SAME PROGRAM. THERE IS NO DIVERSITY BETWEEN LEVELS AND TECHNOLOGY TECHNIQUES. I UNDERSTAND THE STANDARDS ARE PUT IN PLACE TO HELP THE STUDENTS TO EXCEL AND LEARN TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY AT THEIR FINGERTIPS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. MY QUESTION IS WHO IS TEACHING THEM USING THESE STANDARDS ACCORDING TO THERE RESPECTIVE CLASSROOM LEVELS? MY 8TH GRADERS CAN CHAT ON MY SPACE, SEARCH YOU TUBE AND TEXT BUT THEY CANNOT TYPE A DOCUMENT IN WORD, CREATE A DATABASE, OR SURF FOR IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION. I THINK THAT THE STANDARDS NEED TO BE REWRITTEN OR SOMEHOW ENFORCED.

Why don't the students care about internet safety?

hello again. i recently read some articles about safety and the internet. i felt that the articles were very informative. i have 8th grade special ed students who have showed me how in the schools our young adults get around the blocks that the districts put up. in the east orange school district there are many sites that the students can not get onto, however, they do. i have caught students chatting on my space and other sites that have absolutely nothing to do with school. also they do tell me that they play it safe, so to speak. they do not post their real names but it is safe when they post their pictures and the name of their school. how hard is it for a predator to find them though? they don't really understand or rather care about the reprecussions of their actions. as some other sites said if they are taught the safety measures from their first encounter on the internet maybe the rules will stick.