This is what I do in my classroom.

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura) 01/21/2020 at 09:47 • Filed to: None

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From Axios AM, today.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 10:04

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Do the kids provide their own cables?

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 10:06

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Definitely thought this was 10. “1 phone thing”

Phone separation anxiety is a thing unfortunately. I'd like to say it's just some silly Gen Z thing but I just recently was on a 2 hour flight without WiFi and was pretty lost. I spent time listening to previously downloaded music, none of my games would work without a connection, and watching Google maps update my GPS location. 

Sovande > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 01/21/2020 at 10:11

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Christ, two hours without being bothered with some inan e observations from friends and family sounds like a godsend.

My bird IS the word > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 10:16

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Device separation anxiety. Seriously. Imagine if there was a global catastrophe. I mean, we are overdue for one. What would these people even do?

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > My bird IS the word 01/21/2020 at 10:20

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Same thing we do every night, try to rule the world 

Azrek > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 10:21

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My job doesn’t even allow phones within 50 feet of the building. These kids would lose their minds....glad they aren’t my future underlings! 

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 10:28

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Have you tried having some heavyset eastern European men in suits come around with pillowcases and demand the students put their phones in the bag?

I kid, I think that is a good solution along the harm reduction side of things. I can’t imagine how hard it is to ban them from classroom use. When I was in high school and a slider phone with a full keyboard was WILD students would still have a backup phone to surrender if caught, and some parents would berate the staff for any attempt they made to limit a student’s phone access.

One of my profs in first year had an interesting tactic of stopping his lecture and simply staring (not angrily) at the person texting until they noticed and stopped, then he would resume. Everyone in the class would start looking around to see who was in the hot seat. If they made him stop three times he would politely but ominously  ask to speak to them after class. Fantastic class on modern European history as well, just another one of my profs who had real life experience in the subject they were teaching.

smobgirl > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 10:30

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When I taught percussion I made them put the phones on the floor between the instruments and me. I didn’t want to be accused of damage by actually having anything in my possession but I needed them to be unreachable for the kids.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 01/21/2020 at 10:34

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Phones in the bag!

facw > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 10:35

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Honestly, when I was in school people’s graphing calculators got stolen with some frequency. I’m sure it is an even bigger concern for more desirable devices. Having them out in the open where students can see them no doubt mitigates that stress a bit. Of course, having them in a locker for the school day seems like a better solution.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Azrek 01/21/2020 at 10:36

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High security!

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Sovande 01/21/2020 at 10:40

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It did scare the crap out of me when we touched down and I turned off airplane mode and my phone damn near threw a rod bearing when the notifications came through all at once .

So you may  be on to something.

My bird IS the word > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 01/21/2020 at 11:00

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That does sound like the plot of a pinky and the brain episode. 

Snuze: Needs another Swede > My bird IS the word 01/21/2020 at 11:09

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Maybe this is the boomer’s long play... Turn off all the power, radio towers, set off an EMP, or something, and watch the younger echelons of society collapse because they can’t do anything without phones and apps.

That’ll show those upstart millennials !

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 01/21/2020 at 11:09

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Required. And the phone is sequestered for the period, but it sits there merrily blinking away on the whiteboard tray in plain view. It’s a good system. I don’t have much problem with the phones. After all, I’m on mine quite a lot.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Azrek 01/21/2020 at 11:10

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Same. We can’t bring them into our building, but we have a lobby vestibule that has lockers for them. Some of the youngest employees run out there once an hour to check their phones.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 01/21/2020 at 11:11

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Apps that don’t work offline annoy me, especially ones that don’t actually need the connectivity.  

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 01/21/2020 at 11:12

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I didn’t know you could “throw” a bearing... ;o)

My game of choice is Sudoku, and it runs without a connection. I’ve played over 1,400 games...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > My bird IS the word 01/21/2020 at 11:15

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I have a solar-powered USB charger; two ports, 2.0A per port.

benn454 > My bird IS the word 01/21/2020 at 11:15

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 Take out their phones and film their last moments. In portrait mode. 

WRXforScience > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 11:16

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I had a student literally get the shakes after I took his phone from him in class. It was disappointing when schools gave up on keeping phones out of the classroom. It was a losing battle but the kids would be so much better off without them.

I’ve had a number of students over the years who were fired from their part-time jobs because they were using their phones during work and most of them complained that they thought that was completely unfair. We’ve got hanging, numbered pouches on the wall that some teachers use as phone repositories (they were originally for calculators). The numbers correspond to the student ’s seat but that doesn’t prevent the use of dummy phones.

benn454 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 01/21/2020 at 11:16

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 You don't have any ebooks? 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 01/21/2020 at 11:19

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Honestly, phones are not a battle I choose much. If the kid is being at all discreet, then we’re good. If I’m teaching a lesson and their phone is out, then they put it in the file cabinet drawer and I lock the drawer. I rarely even touch their phones. I want them to learn to be discreet and considerate about their phone use. I do not want to go to war with them, which some teachers do, and which I think is moronic, stressful, and a waste of time and emotional energy.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > smobgirl 01/21/2020 at 11:21

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Are you an educator? As I’ve written elsewhere in this thread, I want the kiddos to learn to be discreet and considerate with their phones. I don’t want to go to war with them as other teachers will. I have my own emotional health to consider!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > facw 01/21/2020 at 11:22

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Yeah. Remember the Sidekick? The first feature phone with features? I had a student get one stolen like two days in a row. Her mom must have been apoplectic. 

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 11:29

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I can’t agree more, that’s what really made me decide to stop using my phone in class: it’s a matter of respect for the person who’s time is being given. It feels really shitty to be presenting something only to see people are blatantly not paying attention. Being considerate is an excellent principle with regard to phone use (and in general).

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > WRXforScience 01/21/2020 at 11:40

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I could talk for an hour about phones. One thing that I particularly dislike is endless debates in teacher meetings and faculty meetings about school policies, classroom policies, zero tolerance, et cetera. Barf.

At one point, I explored getting a signal jammer, but having one is a serious federal offense.

Plus, I’m on my own phone quite a bit.

I’m about reducing stress in the classroom and if they’re discreet and I don’t notice, then there isn’t a problem. If they’re blatant and dumb, then the phone is mine.

smobgirl > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 11:43

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I taught extracurricular music programs for 15 years or so on the side. It’s easy for kids to THINK they’re hiding their texting behind a marimba, but no one looks down at their crotch and smiles in public.

But I have two real reasons for restricting phone use: 1) I want them to bond with each other, so I’d rather they find creative ways to distract themselves together without outside interference, and 2) when they put their phones in the mallet bags or on the instrument frames, any sort of sound or vibrating notification is picked up by the mics and it drives me bananas. They can do what they want on their phones during breaks.

(the worst example of “do as I say, not as I do” is when someone is running the metronome on my phone, hooked up to a speaker system, and I get a phone call or text that’s now set at nuclear volume in the middle of a rep. I fully deserve all of the shit I get from the kids)

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > smobgirl 01/21/2020 at 11:45

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I have an iPhone 6 that I use for all the useful things an iPhone does, but there’s no SIM...

What do you do now?

Brickman > My bird IS the word 01/21/2020 at 11:53

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If it wasnt for work and gps, I’d throw my phone into a lake, maybe even blow it up. Life is better without phones.

smobgirl > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 12:14

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Well, the school had a fancy high end metronome for us but someone stole it. I was only willing to invest in a  $4 app as a replacement! (I’ve traded in my old phones).

My real job is an environmental consultant. I’d be happy to continue teaching on the side but the school I was with for forever decided they no longer wanted to invest in after school music programs. They still owe me money.

WRXforScience > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 12:31

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That’s where I’ve landed too. I only take up phones during test days and only because we’ve had cheating issues in the past.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > smobgirl 01/21/2020 at 12:31

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Thanks for sharing that. Don’t wanna pry too much in this space. So are you a musician? Do you gig? My brother (Ttyymmnn) and my father are both musicians and I consider myself to be every bit as musical as they are, but I’ve not pursued that because my interests are too broad.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > WRXforScience 01/21/2020 at 12:34

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I’m 55 and this is like my 16th year of teaching. I’ve developed a sort of phone vibe  in my room where the kids have figured out that I am reasonable and if they are discreet, then there’s no tension regarding the phones. Sometimes the AP will come through and if he sees one, he very well may grab it and when they look at me, I just shrug.

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 12:44

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That’s a good solution, IMHO. So many parents think phones are a safety item anymore, preventing Lil’ Timmy from getting stranded without their leash to The [Parental] Man. That was the rationale for setting me loose with a flip phone in high school, anyway.

But yeah—kids mess with the stupid things too much. It’s worrisome. Frankly, schools need to have an outdoor camp week where the stupid things are banned. Figure out anything else to do, kiddos.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Stef Schrader 01/21/2020 at 14:19

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We run a pretty tight ship here at this site with the phones. We have a policy where we lock them up overnight, make Mommy come get the phone out of hock, and so on. Sometimes, Mommy says, “Y’all can keep it.” Usually, kids who get their phones confiscated are having wider disciplinary issues.

smobgirl > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 14:22

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I just focused in percussion in drum corps   with the exception of one year on mellophone at a corps that’s now nearish to ttyymmnn . I didn’t go to school for music and there’s hardly a market for marimba players who never really mastered the rest of the non-marching skill set. I don’t really gig now but I’d be glad to play mallets again if someone asked !

I started teaching in college and sort of stumbled into working with my previous school when I moved out here. W e created a pretty successful concert percussion group for a school whose equipment was so shabby it sometimes disintegrated during transit. They managed to medal 3/4 times we took them to nationals but then suddenly the money and support vanished.

To be fair, I also stumbled into my real job by chance and my favorite part of it is getting to ask questions about whatever industry I happen to be inspecting. Every day in the field is like Take Your Child to Work Day. Maybe someday I’ll get to check out the Yamaha or Innovative Percussion  factory or something 

Thisismydisplayname > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 14:48

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Sounds like learning life lessons for later in life. Have to learn to be discreet with use.  

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > smobgirl 01/21/2020 at 14:58

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Every day in the field is like Take Your Child to Work Day.

I totally get that. I’m the same and I like to think that being an educator licenses me to quiz everyone I meet. Plus, I am intensely curious by nature. So your location is geographically similar to Ttyymmnn’s?

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > benn454 01/21/2020 at 19:25

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All my ebooks are school oriented. Definitely wasn't something I wanted to do on vacation. Audiobooks on the other hand I need to invest in 

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 20:36

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Kids these days...

(From the 26 year old)

smobgirl > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/21/2020 at 21:04

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I’m actually in Colorado. I wasn’t sure if you were another Texan!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > smobgirl 01/22/2020 at 06:54

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Nope. San Francisco Bay Area.

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/24/2020 at 02:15

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That’s a good mom, haha. I wouldn’t feel right keeping something that pricey, but I like the sentiment.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Stef Schrader 01/24/2020 at 07:22

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I don't keep the phones. I either give them back after class or the office locks them in the school safe.

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/24/2020 at 10:11

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That makes sense. The school safe seems like a good location for that kind of thing.