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The "Rant" Thread


robbalvey

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Today my cell phone went off in the middle of first period Trig/Pre-calc and it turned out later that the person calling me was a wrong number. It's a really, really bad feeling when your about to fall asleep and all of a sudden an annoying ring tone comes on and everyone in the class gets quiet and looks at you.

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^Did you get in trouble or is there no cell phone rule in your school?

 

He just told me to turn it off. He's a nice teacher.

 

^ I question his "about to fall asleep" while in class.

 

It's the first block of the day! I can't function correctly untill 9:00 AM at least.

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Just saw this:

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-0219-octo-mom-foreclosure,0,7724414,print.story

 

In addition to round-the-clock feedings and diapers, octuplets mom Nadya Suleman has another thing to worry about -- a place to live.

 

FoxNews.com is reporting the 33-year-old mother of 14 is facing foreclosure of the Whittier, Calif., home where she lives with her mother. Angela Suleman. Los Angeles County property records show the mortgage hasn't been paid in 10 months and $23,225 is owed on the house, which is now in default.

 

Angela Suleman's phone has been disconnected.

 

Poor grandma. You know she went under trying to take care of irresponsible Octo-mom's kids.

 

That's why you can't have just anyone staying in your place... not even your kids if they start messing up. A coworker was having an issue with her daughter... a year after she moved out, she was was trying to move back in after the place she rented went into foreclosure. The mom warned her to get out of the place and put her stuff in storage while she looks for another place and the daughter played around and didn't listen. So one day the daughter went home and all her stuff was on the curb... and some stuff got stolen. When she came to her mom crying the mom told her that she could only stay two weeks and none of her stuff can be put in her house... that's so the daughter won't get comfortable. The daughter got mad and went into some kind of shelter. The mom didn't want to have her stuff broke up and go into debt because of her daughter... so she didn't feel bad for her decision. I didn't think it was mean because I've had my share of worthless people trying to stay in my house costing me money and not taking care of their business.

 

Terry

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Today my cell phone went off in the middle of first period Trig/Pre-calc and it turned out later that the person calling me was a wrong number. It's a really, really bad feeling when your about to fall asleep and all of a sudden an annoying ring tone comes on and everyone in the class gets quiet and looks at you.

 

Yeah, I had that happen to me a couple weeks ago in Sociology at my college. I forgot to turn my phone off for class, and then some stupid telemarketer called me. Can't tell you how embarassed I was when my professor was in the middle of lecturing about culture and then everyone heard the Mario theme song emenating from inside my left pocket and started quietly giggling.

 

Luckily, he just politely told me to turn it off. Which is really fortunate because I've known some teachers that will ask you to leave the room if yours goes off.

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^ I will echo your rant about cell phone rings. Especially if you're in school---SET THE PHONE ON VIBRATE!!! Or better yet, turn it off---you might accidentally learn something.

 

I really wish there was a legal way for teachers to confiscate students' phones during class. Imagine how much texting (and cheating on exams) takes place because of that. Of course, not every student does it, but enough do to warrant some kind of action.

 

Eric

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^ While I respect your opinion and see where you are coming from, I don't see how something could bother you so much that doesn't affect you in any way. I believe that schools are getting to be too strict about rules. Some rules are important, sure, but many schools have just plain stupid rules. There are several districts that don't allow facial hair, some have dress codes, or don't allow some types of clothing. I can understand some of the rules on that, but rules like students not being allowed to wear ripped jeans are just stupid. There are police officers in the halls that scream at students to get to class, long before there is risk of them being late. All in all, schools today generally are depressing, restrictive places where learning takes a back seat to rules and oppression. I know many people who have dropped out of school to take the GED just because they couldn't take it anymore, and I myself took some night classes (the night school atmosphere is more relaxed) and graduated early to get the hell out of there. School administrators pay much more attention to truancy than they do bullying and other more serious offenses, instead punishing otherwise good kids who are simply too afraid to go to school.

 

As stated before, I did take a few classes in night school. There are less rules, it is more relaxed, and yet the students still manage to learn and pass their classes. If schools became more relaxed about certain things, then I think the dropout rates would decrease.

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I really wish there was a legal way for teachers to confiscate students' phones during class. Imagine how much texting (and cheating on exams) takes place because of that. Of course, not every student does it, but enough do to warrant some kind of action.

 

I know some medical schools have this thing called an "honor code" where if your cell phone rings during an exam you get an automatic FAIL for the exam. No questions asked. You fail.

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^ While I respect your opinion and see where you are coming from, I don't see how something could bother you so much that doesn't affect you in any way. I believe that schools are getting to be too strict about rules. Some rules are important, sure, but many schools have just plain stupid rules.

With all do respect, I realize this is only a partial quote, but it paraphrases your opinion rather well, I suppose. Anyway, I completely agree with Eric. To be honest, stupid, lazy kids eventually affect everyone. So yes, I too think schools should outlaw cell phones during school hours, PERIOD.

 

There's really no logical argument against that statement either. Generations of humans have graduated from every level of education without the use of cell phones in the past. Besides using it after the last bell to make sure mom's on time in the gas-guzzling SUV beast, or the obvious emergency situation, you have nothing - I repeat, nothing- that warrants the use of a cell phone during, or even between classes.

 

When this nation's average testing scores start to compete with the rest of the developed world, then we'll talk about keeping your toys in class.

 

All in all, schools today generally are depressing, restrictive places where learning takes a back seat to rules and oppression.

And why do you think that is? The answer lies in your peers' behavior. Or step into a teacher's shoes one day. It'll become crystal clear.

 

Sorry, my tax dollars say they don't want cell phones in school....and no ripped jeans either. [/end rant]

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It isn't about the cell phones.

 

I wish that you would look at the bigger picture here. I would think that your wish of spending tax dollars on enforcing dumb, pointless rules would take a back seat to the more important issue of graduation rates and test scores. Students would likely learn more if they weren't forced to obey pointless rules. My argument behind that is if they were treated with any amount of respect and weren't greeted at school with screaming cops and administrators restricting their creativity for absolutely no reason, then they would be more likely to stay in school and learn.

 

For the first two years I was in high school, I had a great principal who wasn't strict about things like this. Everyone was happier, attendance rates were great, and it was all around a good school. After that though, he was promoted to superintendent and one of the assistant principals took over and started ridiculous rules and brought in cops to get mad over nothing in particular, and the school has been hell ever since.

 

I never got into any major trouble in school and I graduated with a 3.7 GPA, but I've seen oppression in schools, seen what it can do, and I don't like it.

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^ According to you, so it seems, enforcing standards = oppression. I'm glad you had a 3.7 GPA (my own high school one was 3.4), but as Scott said, aside from perhaps an emergency, there is no reason to be using a cell phone for any reason during class time.

 

For most people, it's a distraction. It's no different than sitting at your desk in an office and surfing the Internet instead of doing your work. Many people have gotten fired for that. And many offices enforce a dress and/or behavior code. It's about maintaining some kind of discipline. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

Eric

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I don't think enforcing reasonable rules (I would include cell phones in that) is oppression, but I do think ridiculous rules as well as dress codes is. I don't see why they would take the time to make up rules about facial hair (or something else equally unimportant) in schools when there are much bigger issues to deal with. More people end up in an administrator's office because of silly rules like that than they do for serious offenses that go unnoticed because of the focus lying elsewhere. Do I think cell phones should be allowed out in class? No. Do I think there are bigger issues that the teacher should be worried about, which they aren't? Yes.

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I wish that you would look at the bigger picture here. I would think that your wish of spending tax dollars on enforcing dumb, pointless rules would take a back seat to the more important issue of graduation rates and test scores. Students would likely learn more if they weren't forced to obey pointless rules.

Yes, but the bigger picture usually stems from a much smaller issue which has gotten out of hand. Distractions are what create reduced graduation rates and test scores. By that, I mean things such as cell phones (which are actually just hand held computers these days anyway) wardrobe, etc. Students would likely learn more if they weren't so hung up on distractions....which lead to faculty needing to enforce "pointless" rules intended to reduce...wait for it....the distractions. See where I'm coming from?

 

It's really a simple formula. But in essence, the real problem probably isn't the cell phones etc., but moreso the parents who have allowed them to become more prevalent in today's youth culture. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against high schoolers owning phones, blah blah blah. But unless parameters are set, understood, and adhered to, stricter rules will need to be set by someone if any work is to get done by the majority of today's students.

 

High school is only as "oppressive" as students want it to be. Follow rules, show some respect, and things won't be as bad as you're making them out to be. Besides, you've got the rest of your life to act as rebellious as you'd like, and "stick it to the man." Well, unless, of course you don't fall into the majority of us who need to be a part of the real world and work for a living. You'll never escape "pointless" rules, my friend.

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^AMEN.

 

I never got into any major trouble in school and I graduated with a 3.7 GPA, but I've seen oppression in schools, seen what it can do, and I don't like it.

 

I graduated with a 3.833... guess what? I had no cellphone and didn't get into trouble either.

 

I agree with the others, there is no reason to have a cellphone in class. You are there to learn. Turn the phone off. You don't need it. Really. People have gotten along fine without them around. I think it's more an addiction to being "connected" than anything else. Besides judging by the text-oriented typing so many people that use now, they need to put the phone down and pay attention in class. It's really getting ridiculous.

 

If someone needs to reach you in an emergency, they should have the number of the school's office on speed dial. There's absolutely no reason for you to have it in class. Leave it in your locker and learn something.

 

Cell phones are really a distraction and some people use them in the rudest of situations. The guy I'm dating took twice as long to finish cutting the yard because he kept stopping to pick up the phone or text his friends. I finally started yelling at him and threatening to leave if he didn't put the phone down and hurry the heck up. I've also seen when people are having a conversation and someone will just pick up the phone while someone is talking to them to text someone. I yelled "Excuse me. I'm talking to you. Put the phone away!"

 

Terry

 

EDIT: I think the biggest problem in the school is the lack of parental guidance so many of these kids have and the teachers have to spend time trying to get order in the class. I've heard so many stories from ex-teacher on how bad these kids are now and their hands are tied because they can't discipline them like they used to when I was in school.

 

See if they have the proper discipline then these kids would know better than to bring their phones in and text while the teacher is trying to teach them something, acting up when they should be sitting down and learning, etc. See more kids would behave because they knew that they would have to face their parents if they acted up in school.... and in some instances that teacher would have a paddle with their name on it if they didn't behave. Just knowing it was in the drawer was enough for the people to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. But back then, you didn't have everyone trying to do anything but learn.... but maybe they would doodle... (ok I'm guilty of that one... but then I was getting an A in the class anyway!).

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I really wish there was a legal way for teachers to confiscate students' phones during class. Imagine how much texting (and cheating on exams) takes place because of that. Of course, not every student does it, but enough do to warrant some kind of action.

 

I know some medical schools have this thing called an "honor code" where if your cell phone rings during an exam you get an automatic FAIL for the exam. No questions asked. You fail.

 

I can tell you that Law School is the same. If we get caught with a cell phone in the exam room (turned off doesn't matter, the mere presence of the phone is enough) we get a meeting with the dean, if the phone goes off you'll likely be going up in front of the honor council to find out if your education is going to continue.

 

What I do like about how law schools do grading is some of the effects of a forced curve. Our exams are generally done without a proctor (nobody in the room to watch us) but because of the forced curve (basic concept for those of you who never experienced this, before the exam is even given there are a set number of A's, B's, C's and so on. Which means if everybody scores 1 point out of 100 and you score 2 points, you automatically get the A despite doing terrible). It works the other way as well, you might score 99 out of 100 and fail the exam if enough people got a perfect score). In a system like that however we're all very quick to report any kind of cheating, because letting it slide hurts your grade. Personally I don't think system could ever work for a high school class (generally speaking this is a brutal system) but I would pity the person who tried to send a text message during an exam.

 

With that said I'm at school right now (not in class) and should be working. So to avoid being anymore hypocritical I'll conclude my mini-rant here.

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I can't say this anywhere else online because my uncle cyberstalks me on just about every social networking site I use - but he is DRIVING ME INSANE. I can't even make a simple status update/blog/note/etc. about the weather or an itch on my foot or...I dunno, a delicious pizza I had for dinner without my uncle commenting and making some snarky, nonsensical political statement in return.

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^ Sometimes I just leave mine in the car.

 

The way I see it, I have the phone for my convenience, not yours. I am available 24/7 in theory, but will only repsond when need be.

 

Personally, I think most young people are too connected these days. There was a time when you could go on vacation with your family and *GASP* have to wait till you got back to see your friends!

 

I think it's ridiculous that for whatever reason, constant communication is necessary. Personally, I enjoy the downtime when it's just me and...me.

 

^^ I don't know what to say, Natalie. You're old enough to look after yourself; you don't need an uncle following you around. My daughter is a friend of mine on both MySpace and Facebook, so, yeah, I read her surveys, look at her pictures, etc., but she's almost 19, so I don't hassle her about anything.

 

Eric

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Eric I really think that is more a sign of the times then anything else. I grew up in a world where everybody is always plugged in and on the go. I'll admit that I've got a Blackberry and am constantly sending emails and dealing with things of that nature. However while during the work week I'm always around, if I'm heading out with the wife on a date, or I'm going out of town, I will generally turn off the email functions of the phone, and put the phone on silent.

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I realize a thirteen-year-old saying that schools are screwed up won't convince anyone, but what SOB Sucks is saying is different than the argument you're countering. It's not about the phone, it's the fact that schools make rules with harsh punishments for no reason. Last year I got three detentions for taking the wrong hallway. The hallway I got in trouble for taking was the fastest and easiest way to get to my class from the lunchroom. And a kid in my class got threatened with a detention for taking the main-as in most accessible, right in your face-staircase.

 

also,

the Mario theme song emenating from inside my left pocket

 

You have that ringtone too? I have that and the underground theme for text . I need serious help.

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Why does No Child Left Behind even exist? All it does for schools with better Special Needs and/or ESL programs, like my school, is punish them for not making sure EVERYONE can pass a standardized test. We're on our 2nd/3rd year now of failing to meet these "requirements."

 

It's quite frankly ridiculous.

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