Ch.+15

 Kelly McCaffrey Chapter 15 Discipline and justice: Zero Tolerance or Discretion “From its inception in federal drug policy of the 1980’s, zero tolerance has been intended primarily as a method of sending a message that certain behaviors will not be tolerated, by punishing all offenses severely, no matter how minor.” (Nelson, Palonsky, and McCarthy, p.366) The idea of zero tolerance sounds ideal; unacceptable behaviors will not be tolerated, especially when students are being bullied. But there are so many factors that come into play that make such a policy much easier said than done. There should indeed be consequences for certain behaviors and any form of bullying should warrant an immediate consequence but removing the child from the school setting does not always solve the problem. Many times, aggression is a learned behavior. While some of the behaviors may be learned from other children, often the child is exposed to inappropriate aggressive behavior at home. With the zero tolerance policy, if a child is disruptive, disrespectful, aggressive, or inappropriate, the child is sent home and sometimes suspended for one or several days. My concern with this procedure is that sometimes the home is the worst place to send the child. The home is where the student learned the disruptive, disrespectful, aggressive, or inappropriate behavior in the first place. It can also give the wrong the message to that child that teachers do not care. On the other hand, there are situations where suspending the child is the most appropriate consequence. Children need to understand that certain behaviors necessitate consequences. It not only sends the right message to the student, that breaking the rules will not be tolerated, but to the parents as well. Unfortunately, however, behaviors are often ignored, over-looked, or dealt with lightly because of the procedures required to suspend a child. There are specific procedures that must be followed that when done correctly, are very time consuming. Many times, there is not enough staff support in a school to properly follow through with a zero tolerance policy. When there is only one person in a building that can administer these procedures, it becomes very difficult to follow through with every child. In an ideal world, there would be one ideal solution but unfortunately we live in a realistic world with realistic problems and unfortunately problems like these will always exist.

Maura Costello Education 610 Technology and Learning

If technology is used in the proper way it can be very useful in a classroom. Technology is changing constantly in our society. It can be used for so many things and to help students in many different ways. Each student in a classroom learns a different way and technology can help those learners through accommodation to their specific learning styles. For example, if a student is more a visual learner the teacher can use overhead projectors, smart boards and white boards along with other tools to illustrate information for the students. There are also many computer programs that help students who may be hard of hearing. Using technology in the classroom is however, not cheap, “local, state, and federal governments spend billions of dollars to put new technology in schools every year. Not only can technology adapt to the classroom but students today are surrounded by technology at home. Today children use cell phones, laptops, video games and many other electronics in everyday life. One downside of technology is overuse of technology. Children use technology so much that they are forgetting things such as proper grammar and ways to interact with peers because they are in front of video games all day. Another issue with technology in the classroom is having someone who understands how to work it; sometime teachers that are not as comfortable with new technology may not be ready or willing to use it in a classroom, even if it would benefit the learning of the students. Overall technology in the classroom can be a powerful tool if used in the right way. As a country we are in constant need of improving math science and technology practices in education.

Denise Alexander

Chapter 15: Zero Tolerance
This chapter presented very interesting information regarding policies of other school districts. Most schools have some form of zero tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol. The issue is to what does that zero tolerance equate in terms of punishment. In the chart on p. 365 in the text, the possible punishments for what the New York City schools consider Level 1 offenses varies considerably. The range of school reaction varies from a reprimand by a school staff member to a suspension. On the other hand, many zero tolerance policies have been criticized for being too rigid and punishing “good kids” for making “a mistake.” In the School District of Philadelphia, Dr. Ackerman implemented a zero tolerance policy regarding violence towards staff members approximately three years ago. This meant that any student that makes a clear threat to attempts to assault a staff member is automatically placed into an alternative school. Unfortunately, since its implementation there have been several occasions in my building alone that call into question this policy. One student repeatedly punched a contracted behavioral health worker in my classroom. The district explained that since the worker was a contracted position, they are not technically school district personnel and therefore the policy does not apply. Another student brought a box cutter to school and threatened to kill the principal, assistant principal and his teacher and was given a mandatory 10-day suspension at which point he returned to our school. These incidents help to support the research by Billeteri et al. (2008) that indicates that there is very little evidence reinforcing zero tolerance policies. It is nearly impossible to make a blanket statement that fits all situations. It is also very difficult to consistently follow this policy. Unfortunately, such a rigid policy loses its power once exceptions have been made It is important that there are clear guidelines and procedures that schools will follow to respond to behavioral issues, but it must be realistic, enforceable, and specific in order to be effective.

Technology and Learning: Enabling or Subverting Computers and the sharing of information that they facilitate have penetrated nearly every aspect of American life. Reliance on computers grows every day, from grocery shopping and filing taxes to booking travel and emailing friends and family. For many Americans, computer usage is an integral part of daily life. Yet, some contend that technology implemented into school systems negatively impacts student growth. However, Hess provides a compelling counter-argument: the tools of technology, when used appropriately, support innovation and reinvention in education. I emphatically agree. Technology is a facilitator and an enabler – when properly implemented and controlled, administrative management, information storage, and instructional strategies improve, effecting positive student performance and growth. As Hess discusses, technology must be put to good use. Computing technology as a tool for educational and not entertainment purposes. With the development of computing technology for business and/or academic purposes has come the proliferation of gaming or other forms of entertainment facilitated by technological advancement. A fundamental argument against computers in school is that they a source of distraction and used more for entertainment than for educational purposes. Yet, the solution is not to //remove// the technological tools, but to manage their employment to ensure proper and effective utilization of the resource and requires prudent, vigilant classroom management. Teachers must be trained and learn how to effectively employ technology to enhance academic experience and performance. This will provide students with the preparation for real world situations. This is not an essay lesson and is imperative to capitalize on available technological resources to enable competitive advantage for our students. Proper use of technology will promote and enable the development of innovative instructional strategies for teachers. With proper use of technology a teacher can improve their instruction by use video and audio clips, interactive websites, and computer applications to bring lessons to life. When students are full engaged it will positively effects student growth. Students today use technology with ease and are most engaged with hands-on learning. Technology infused lessons provide opportunity for creativity and collaboration while working with technological tools Information technology will boost school administrative efficiency, facilitating the collection and organization of important information pertaining to students and faculty. For example, integrated online attendance programs provide a fast and efficient means of tracking collective and individual student behavior. Teachers and administrators are able to quickly evaluate whether or not a student is where they should be by a few clicks with the computer mouse. Hess compares this to old methods of binders filled with logs of information- computer management and systems are much more useful. Allowing for electronic records and technology allows for easier access and data base management. Not only do teachers prepare lessons and deliver instruction, they must accurately grade the assignments with necessary comments, and keep records of student achievement. This is incredibly tiresome for a teacher to complete without any sources of technology. Hess discusses a essay grading software that many be used to minimize teacher time spent reading numerous essays written by students. This may take days to complete grading a set of 180 papers. Teachers usually hold off assigning another project or essay until grading in completed for the original assignment. However, if automatic graders were available for teachers, students would receive feedback promptly and can continue to practice their skills on a regular basis improving their performance. Hess states that computers and technology are a tool, not a miracle cure and “the information technology that makes the easy sharing of information possible is the engine that makes tough-minded accountability, school choice, and visionary leadership possible.” With proper resources available and used properly schools will function more successfully. Students will be fully engaged in lessons in the classroom, teachers will not be consumed by overwhelming amounts of grading and paperwork, and administrative school teams will run more productively. While using such technological devices and proper resources available, the technology used appropriately will automatically downsize the workforce; alter instructional delivery, or managerial efficiency. When technology is used wisely, it can help professionals to take advantage of their skills, eliminate time spent on rote tasks, and position resources and efforts where they were needed the most.