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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

websites - teacher substitutes?

22 replies

carocaro · 20/09/2010 19:16

AIBU to think that learning in school and at home should be more about just looking at websites, even those that are done by junior schools?

If I get another letter telling me to look at another blinkin website I made SCREAM.

I got my DS's termly targets today and it reccomends that I look at no less than 7 different websites to help DS! Too much!!!

I love the internet, it's great, but it is not THE key learning tool.

Does this happen at your school and if so how much?

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SaliMali1 · 20/09/2010 19:19

No its not the be all and end all but I supose most people have access to the internet so maybe that is their thinking?

ramonaquimby · 20/09/2010 19:22

i would say teacher supplements, if your kids are on the pc anyways, there is no harm in checking out websites that might actually be educational and tie in with school topics

Original poster

carocaro · 20/09/2010 19:29

I totally get that they may (gasp!) help. But it is the volume and frequency of being told about websites to look at that is my issue.

Does this mean that in the future teachers will be pointless and not needed as there will be a website for everything?

OP posts:

Algebra18MinusPiEquals16 · 20/09/2010 19:32

I am totally with you carocaro. internet great, yes, can really help learning but there is a definite limit! I'm actually reading 'the shallows' by nicholas carr, as I won a signed copy on MN! it's about how the abundance of internet use is affecting our brains.

my DSDs, in both primary and secondary, have had so much internet homework. my main bugbear, which I've posted about before, is that they do ALL their maths homework online. i.e. no practise at showing working out etc.

oh, and you'll love this. in primary school they got told to google research topics all the time, before doing them in class. the most notable of these topics was sex education!!!

you can imagine the sites that came up - it's just lucky their older brother was with them at the time!

Anenome · 20/09/2010 19:34

My DD is 6 and in year 2.... was surprised to be asked to look at a Youtube video with her as part of homework....but she did enjoy it...and it was a cool video. A rap about counting in 10s and 5s.

I think tis ok....most of their reseaarch is on the net as they progress... I see what you mean though about teachers eventually being pointless.

The net is taking over everything...my work is net based...I need never leave home if it weren't for taking DD to school!

The growth in net schooling is massive too...in the US there are a LOT of teens doing home education on the web.

As people get more pissed off with the system in the UK I would not be surprised to see a similar growth here.

ramonaquimby · 20/09/2010 19:59

teachers are already being phased out by cover supervisors and HLTAs dont' get me started on that one

dont look at the websites if you don't want. most of what is sent home doesn't apply to parents on the ball (which I'm assuming you are)

RoadArt · 20/09/2010 20:06

Our school uses You Tube ALL THE TIME which really really annoys me. Yes, there are some great videos on there, but then DS comes home and wants to search it, and comes up with all sorts of inappropriate videos because of the way the site links to other posters.

Our kids get advised to look at websites to aid their topics but we have so few computers in school that computer teaching is very low on the priority list.

Anenome · 20/09/2010 20:10

It is worrying...as ramonaqumby says teachers are being phased out...some schools are using tutors in India for extra lessons...online of course via Skype....it's like they're being taught in factories...

minimathsmouse · 20/09/2010 20:16

Algebra google sex education, that's just too much. We are constantly receiving letters that point us to the school moodle site for homework.

Last week we received a letter about term time holidays. We were advised that children could not make up interactive teaching time, it turns out this is pointing and clicking too! on the computerised white board.

RoadArt · 20/09/2010 20:46

I read about the Indian teaching network. This is shocking. It is so expensive, someone has made a great marketing idea and making a lot of money out of this - at the expense of our taxpayers. If they want to use online tutors there are much cheaper options

Anenome · 20/09/2010 20:56

RoadArt....but they say it is cheaper! They reckon it is £40 An hour for a tutor (who is actually there in person) in London whereas the Idian tutuors with the same qualifications are charging £11.00 an hour!

casawasa · 20/09/2010 21:01

I haven't been in this situation yet but I have had DVD's sent home from school to watch when I didn't have a DVD player or computer. I felt very embarassed to be put in that situation. Not all parents have access to the internet at home.

RoadArt · 20/09/2010 21:06

Hi Anenome, I thought I read it was more than that, but it is also per person, so 30 in a class, even at £11, is £330 per hour per class. You could pay a lot of teachers with that, and I dont really believe that every single child needs one to one tutoring. I would love to hear it is actually successful.

One of our local schools will not allow computer use at all, even at home. They believe it destroys the kids minds and doesnt encourage them to think or develop their learning skills properly.

Anenome · 20/09/2010 21:24

I think in the case I read about it was only for children who needed extra attention...but still...not sure about it's validity!

Galena · 20/09/2010 21:29

You know, teachers can't win. The number of parents who come in asking which websites they could use to help support their children's learning is increasing. The number of parents who tell teachers that they like 'researching' for homework because they can use the library, videos, computers, etc is increasing.

However, when provided with this, people complain!

ARGH!

Anenome · 20/09/2010 21:32

I'm not complaining...it's fine for us! DD loves youtube! She thinks it's something illicit for some reason.

RoadArt · 20/09/2010 22:53

I think the complaints come when the kids are told they HAVE TO look at a website and usually mention it when its bedtime.

Me personally, Im more than happy for DC to research online (but I do get annoyed when visiting youtube because she strays very quickly to unsuitable videos.)

I do find that the weblinks that teachers give are usually good ones and that most will have researched properly before passing on details to children.

Our teacher puts all the links on the school website and they are there for additional support for those kids that want it. Not all kids have have the opportunity to use school computers.

RoadArt · 20/09/2010 22:54

Hi Galena
What are your thoughts about the Indian tutoring programme?

cory · 20/09/2010 22:56

What I really don't like is when children are praised for writing which is clearly copying and pasting of words that they do not understand, and when such work is proudly displayed by the school. From screen to written page, totally bypassing the brain. And then they wonder why they get accused of plagiarism when they get to university.

RoadArt · 20/09/2010 22:59

agree with Cory

And also, when its obvious that the parents have done the homework - again because of words used that 7,8,9,10 year olds dont have a clue what they mean.

Galena · 21/09/2010 08:06

I don't know enough about the Indian tutoring programme to have any thoughts about it, I'm afraid, Roadart.

Algebra18MinusPiEquals16 · 21/09/2010 14:57

agree with cory too - kids often don't even know that what's written online is unmoderated and not necessarily accurate.

once my DSD had a HW to do on space and she just copied and pasted from various sites, it made no sense and was all in different fonts! and she is an honest girl and wasn't being lazy or cheating - she just thought that was ok to do. and why wouldn't she when she got the same response as anyone else - a tick

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