#edublr

[stoned-perregrin]

Are are of my history teachers or art teachers using the New Yorker covers for teaching cause having just looked at a ton — I think they would be a great thing to have your students dissect! Here are some examples or some old and new ones that I Loved!

[crvngefrvll]

The thing I don't like about learning something from Tiktok, or any social media short form content, is the very lack of context some supposed "educational" or "informational" content provides. You can read a fun fact or a theory in the form of quotes yet they always lack explanation, concrete examples, or nuance/complexities behind it. This creates stereotypes and very oversimplified information.

Sometimes, rage bait exists. They not only benefit of your flared up emotions, but they also take advantage of people's lack of context in said knowledge and make every phenomenon or event appear black and white.

For example, the thought that this post is anti learning-through-social-media. My main criticism lies on the frequent lack of context or explanation some social media content provides, not the existence of educational content on social media. Yet with oversimplification, it's easier to say that this post is anti simple and concise education.

It's one thing to be concise with information. It's another to strip a certain information completely of its nuance and explanations and overconclude everything.

[187days]

Day Seventy-Six

Today was a bit nonstop, but it wasn't bad, and, amusingly, I was doing it all in my pajamas since that was today's spirit week theme. This is the kind of thing my friends who have office jobs never get to do.

Heh.

But yeah, it was busy from the get-go. Dean 1 caught me right after the bell rang to ask me to do an update to my department's draft for the program of studies; it took me all of about two minutes, and I think he forgot how fast I am because he was super surprised. I certainly didn't mind the praise for it, though.

I had about half an hour to get prepped for my classes and decorate my door for our annual door decorating contest. Then some APGOV students come in to make up work since they have open blocks in their schedules. A few more came in during flex time, which was good. They're happy to get the zeroes off their grades, I'm happy to get them off my gradebooks!

In Global Studies, students presented projects to wrap-up our unit on major belief systems. They were either comparing a religion/philosophy we had learned about to one we hadn't, or they were explaining an aspect of one of the religions/philosophies we'd studied in greater detail. So I heard presentations about different religious sects, holidays, dietary rules, worship customs, central beliefs, the art and architecture of holy sites, the involvement of different groups in current affairs, and more. It was really cool, and I was proud of everyone who got up and shared their knowledge because it's not easy to do that. There are a handful of students who will present on Monday because they were absent (yes, we have school on Monday and Tuesday), and I'd figured there would be so I planned for that.

Meantime, my APGOV students wrapped up their latest test with some FRQs. I've graded about half of them and will do the rest Monday during my prep time. So far, I'm very pleased with their efforts. Since I've been teaching about civil liberties and civil rights, I plan to spend the two days next week tackling the state of things today- it might not be on the test, but it's important for them to talk about as citizens- and then starting the final unit after vacation.

Track practice was short and to the point today: a few sprint repeats, block starts, baton practice for the relays, that's it. Our next meet is Sunday!

[bagalois]

update on academic integrity among my students:

i have finally met with them all.

a lot of them were actually fine.

two of them confessed to cheating - one person looked up answers, one person had somebody else help them.

two people used a graphing calculator program despite me having outlined in the syllabus and in class that i dont allow that.

two people are not giving me straight answers. one was very creative with lying and had a lot of tactics and distractions. but i dont think she knows statistics that well or else she'd be better at lying about it.

i probably should have gone the aggressive route. i could have at least called out the person who was badly making things up.

because the longer she talked, the more holes came up in her story. i dont know if i have ever met someone who was so ... bad at lying but kept trying anyway..?

at least the first person came up with one lie and stuck to it.

upon addressing a few holes in their explanations, what they both had in common was that they "forgot what they were thinking" and that "they were confused in the moment" or "just guessed" (guessed the right answer that the other students who cheated wrote and chatgpt also has?)

and these two students were the only ones who told me: they understood if it looked like they were cheating from my perspective, yet they adamantly denied cheating without giving any explanation as to how they approached those questions.

so i ended my calls with both of them saying that i wasnt convinced. i said i would get back to them with my decision later. at the time i thought i could report them, because i couldnt see myself making further progress with this conversation and maybe higher-ups could do a better job. from the looks of things though, i cant report anyone unless i have *overwhelming evidence* (aka more examples of cheating...)

..which is why if i ever have students do this again, i think i should try taking the aggressive route.

even if i cant do anything else for those two, i hope this has sufficiently scared them into not cheating again. they arent good enough at statistics to be able to fake the knowledge. i hope they know that i can tell and that i have the audacity to go after them for it.

[chineseffect]

Speak DECENT CHINESE in 4 months - 8 easy tips

______

1. Have someone to guide you to get good pronunciation habits. It is almost impossible to re-learn bad habits later so make sure you get your pronunciation right from the beginning. I mean the pronunciation of the sounds, not the tones. Tones take more time to get used to and you can't rush it - but try the best you can. Some tutors don't bother too much about the pronunciation so make sure you find someone who is strict about that, you will be grateful later. Also get confident in pinyin, you will need it.

2. Understand the composition of the sentences. The word order is super easy and it stays the same all the time (the question and informative sentences have the same word order). I have a formula for the word order but I won't reveal it here, it is one of the secrets I keep for my students and people who use my materials.

3. Understand that there are no tenses in the sense we think about them in English and other languages. Learn to express future, potential future, finished action, change of state, experience in the past and circumstances of the event. See the difference between action verbs and verbs of state.

4. Learn to use modal verbs and conjuctions.

5. Build usable vocabulary based on the fact that everything in Chinese is interconnected.

6. Understand 就， 才，的 and 得

7. Don't learn grammar rules and words separately. Learn functional practical sentences that will serve you as examples of the grammar structures (then you just need to change the words in these sentences).

8. Develop your listening skills - that is very important. For that there are Youtube channels and podcasts on Spotify (and in my materials the audio part also plays an important role). You can listen to Chinese radio stations just to get the feeling of the language.

______

After 3-4 months you should feel pretty confident in normal conversations if you study regularly under competent guidance.

______

R-evolutionary learning materials and resources: https://chineseffect.com

MAGIC PLAYBOOK for beginners

[toiletpotato]

school supplies should be free. you agree. reblog.

[youneedtostudyives]

When I get my degree

[infernalburner]

Drama Teacher Accused of Bullying Disabled Students at CSAS @ NE HS

Oklahoma City, OK – Mrs. Lauren Peck-Weisenfels, the drama teacher at Classen School of Advanced Studies at North East High School, has come under scrutiny for allegations of bullying and discriminatory behavior towards autistic and physically disabled students. The claims have ignited concerns about the treatment of vulnerable students in the school’s drama department.

A Troubled Past

Four years ago, Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels was a teacher at Classen School of Advanced Studies Middle School. During a virtual class in 2020, she allegedly expressed disdain for teaching autistic and special education students, stating, "I hate teaching autistic & special Ed students!" This remark, reportedly overheard by the mothers of two seventh-grade students, prompted complaints to the school administration.

Despite these allegations, Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels was later transferred to the high school, where she continued to teach drama. Concerns about her behavior persisted as students from her middle school classes advanced to high school and found themselves once again under her instruction.

Current Allegations

This school year, a sophomore student who had previously encountered Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels in middle school was placed in her class due to limited elective options. According to the student and their mother, Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels continued to exhibit unkind and discriminatory behavior. The student, who is physically disabled, was allegedly ridiculed for their inability to keep up with costume-making tasks and was marginalized within the class.

In February 2024, Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels emailed the student's mother, stating her intention to fail the student for wearing headphones in class, even though the student was not being disruptive. The email hinted that Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels felt slighted by the student’s lack of engagement, which the mother attributes to previous verbal and emotional abuse.

The Role of Headphones for Autistic Students

Headphones are a critical tool for many autistic individuals, particularly teenagers, to manage sensory overload. Studies show that about 87% of autistic individuals experience sensory sensitivities. Headphones can help mitigate overwhelming sounds, enabling students to focus better and participate in classroom activities more comfortably.

Despite this, Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels reportedly expressed a desire to fail the student for wearing headphones in class. This attitude reflects a lack of understanding and accommodation for the needs of autistic students, who often use such tools to navigate their environment effectively.

May Incident and Unreported Bullying

In May 2024, tensions escalated further when Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels threatened to fail the student over a makeup project, despite the student attending their grandmother's funeral. This incident, while serious, was not formally reported at the time.

Additionally, another student, who uses a cane due to a physical disability, has been subjected to bullying by Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels and her entourage of students. The bullying has occurred behind the student's back and included mockery of their use of a cane and their social media activities, particularly on Tumblr. These actions were not reported until the evening of May 17, 2024, when the student with headphones informed their mother about the incidents.

The May 17 Incident

On May 17, 2024, Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels and a group of students allegedly taunted the aforementioned student in her office, calling them "lazy," "deaf," "ditzy," "slow," "stupid," and "a hindrance to the drama department." Believing the student couldn’t hear due to their headphones, the group reportedly yelled the student's name mockingly. The student, however, overheard everything but chose not to engage.

The same day, Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels reportedly threw a tantrum, slamming items around the classroom in an attempt to provoke a reaction from the student, who continued to ignore her.

Perpetuating Ableism and Discriminatory Rhetoric

Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels’ behavior is not only harmful to the targeted students but also perpetuates ableist and discriminatory rhetoric among her student entourage. By encouraging and participating in the mockery of disabled students, she is teaching her followers to normalize and perpetuate these harmful attitudes. According to psychological studies, teenagers are highly impressionable, and the behavior modeled by authority figures can significantly influence their beliefs and actions.

The Psychology of Living Vicariously Through Teenagers

Research indicates that some adults feel the need to live vicariously through teenagers, seeking approval and acting like them to fulfill unmet emotional needs or relive their own youth. This behavior can be particularly detrimental when exhibited by educators, as it blurs the boundaries between professional and personal interactions. Statistics show that about 30% of adults who exhibit this behavior struggle with identity issues and seek validation through younger individuals.

For teenagers, witnessing an adult, especially an educator, behave in such a manner can lead to confusion, loss of respect for authority, and the normalization of inappropriate behavior. This can contribute to a culture of bullying and exclusion, as students may mimic the adult's actions to gain favor or avoid becoming targets themselves.

The normalization of such discriminatory behavior can have lasting effects, contributing to a culture of intolerance and bullying. Studies indicate that witnessing or participating in bullying can lead to increased aggression, anxiety, and a distorted sense of empathy among youths. It is crucial to address these issues to prevent the spread of abusive behaviors and to promote a supportive and inclusive environment.

Parental Actions and School Response

Following these events, the student with the headphones relayed the incidents to their mother after school on May 17. The mother promptly contacted Kendall Stills with OKCPS via text message, though no response was received. That evening, the mother filed a formal TIPS report with Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS), detailing the history of bullying and including screenshots as evidence. She also contacted the parents of the student with the cane, encouraging them to email Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels and file a formal TIPS report. The mother included the names of the students in Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels' entourage and mentioned her own student in the report to help corroborate the incidents.

The parents involved are currently awaiting a response from OKCPS. Given that next week marks the last few days of the school year, it is uncertain when or if a resolution will be reached. The allegations against Mrs. Peck-Weisenfels highlight broader issues of inclusivity and respect for disabled students within the educational system.

Broader Implications

The situation at Classen School of Advanced Studies raises important questions about the responsibility of educators to create a supportive and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, particularly those with disabilities. As the community awaits the school district’s response, the case underscores the need for vigilance and advocacy to protect the rights and well-being of vulnerable students.