Excuse me while I vent for a minute UPDATED: NOW THE INTERNET IS DOWN!

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher) 08/18/2020 at 12:35 • Filed to: Rantlopnik

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I reported to school today for the first time in almost exactly five months (other than coming in on my own to 3D print masks).

My school is starting remotely, but teachers must report to their buildings. I have to come into the building to literally sit in my room by myself, doing zoom meetings all day. At least I have a room though. We have more teachers than we do rooms. And then there are the aids. It’s so stupid. Students start next week, so I’m in the midst of an entire week of BS meetings.

Also, my school laptop won’t boot up. Thankfully I possess the only lab with desktop computers in the building, so I can attend the meetings on that. They of course don’t have a camera or microphone, but I have a headset I can use for audio at least. Oh yeah, the desktops are new, but they installed the old version of AutoCAD with an expired license, so I can’t use them for that work. I have to use my laptop with the new version ... but again, that won’t boot up.

I put in a ticket with our help desk over three hours ago. They haven’t even bothered to assign the ticket to a tech yet, let alone have they done anything about it. I finally tried calling their desk, but they didn’t answer the phone either.

Speaking of phones, my phone decided not to take a charge. My Pixel3a is still under warranty, so there is a replacement being over-nighted to me. Hopefully my 40% battery can last me until that shows up.

FUBAR’d I tells ya!

Update:

The internet just went down district wide. It did that yesterday too. I was actually working from home yesterday, because my building didn’t have power for a week. Suddenly myself and the few of us district wide working from home, found us by ourselves in the zoom meetings.

I’m updating from my phone. I will reply to any additional comments after the internet comes back, or I get a new phone ... Oye.

You can't make this shit up.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:40

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I think you forgot to cross yesterday off of the calendar, because this sounds like the stuff of Mondays.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:41

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That’s just a big oof. Sorry to hear that. Doesn’t make any sense at all that you have to be in your office. They should have some sort of rotating schedule if they don’t have enough rooms.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:41

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Sounds like Murphy’s law has struck again. I hope you can get these issues worked out!

Taylor Martin > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:43

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I mean, you do have the best case scenario of the worst case scenario. Good luck this week pal.

shop-teacher > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: 08/18/2020 at 12:47

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Yesterday I was able to work from home, because my school was without power from last Monday night until Sunday night.  Otherwise I’m sure this all would have happened yesterday.

Tripper > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:47

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Rough day. Getting to a splash screen on your laptop at least, or is it totally dead ? If you’re getting to the manufacturers logo there should be some sort of on board diagnostics you can run.

shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 12:48

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That would be logical, so we can’t have that.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:50

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Sounds like a good time to develop a dry cough.

404 - User No Longer Available > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:51

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This sounds like the exact same problem with every single company where there are always some finger twiddling middle-management that feels useless when there are no employees to boss around.  Those are the ones who push the hardest to get people to go into work.

shop-teacher > Tripper 08/18/2020 at 12:51

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The fan kicks on for a second, and the battery light does some blinky stuff.  That’s it.

Brickman > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:53

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One of those things where you turn off the lights, sit under the desk and drink til you dont know where you at :)

shop-teacher > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: 08/18/2020 at 12:53

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I am congested ...

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:53

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We start Thursday, first three weeks virtual. Not sure where teachers will be working from. All I can say is,

shop-teacher > 404 - User No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 12:54

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In this case it’s the mandate of the school board, who fou ght very hard against starting remotely, and only very begrudgingly accepted it at the last minute.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:55

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2 weeks off. Minimum. Shame about that laptop, can’t even remote office. Good luck folks. Holla!

*coughs*

Tripper > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:55

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ope that’s not good. The blinky stuff will prob give you a broad error code if you google the brand of laptop and something like “Xyz laptop POST light key”. e.g., if it blinks 3 times fast it’s the battery...etc

A quick fan and immediate shut off is indicative of a PSU problem if not the entire motherboard. Hope it’s not that but if you can find a key for the blinky lights, it should tell ya.

shop-teacher > Brickman 08/18/2020 at 12:55

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I don’t drink ... but maybe I should start.

Boxer_4 > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:56

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So, where’s the power shutoff?  Just wondering...

shop-teacher > Tripper 08/18/2020 at 12:57

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Thankfully I just backed up my files on Friday.

While they’re in there hopefully they can fix the broken microphone and blown speakers.

Nom De Plume > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 12:57

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Clean the connectors and reseat the battery?  

shop-teacher > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: 08/18/2020 at 12:59

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I love the idea, but frankly that would be a huge PITA for me.

shop-teacher > Nom De Plume 08/18/2020 at 13:00

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It’s sealed.  And I don’t own it, so I ain’t opening it up.

fintail > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:00

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If these pushes to go into work when not really needed lead to COVID cases and casualties, I hope these school boards are held responsible by the deputy justices of the internet, and not allowed to forget or distract from their actions.  Make it so it follows them forever, as they are usually good at skirting accountability.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn 08/18/2020 at 13:01

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Our districts goal is to switch to a hybrid model after three weeks.  We’ll see.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:01

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Textured Soy Protein > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:03

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I remember in 4th grade, in 1991, in my public elementary school in a very nice neighborhood of a very wealthy county of a blue state, with one of the biggest, best-funded school districts in the country, that we couldn’t do certain things any more or certain things were changing, “because of budget cuts.” I can only imagine what 30 years of further erosion to public education at the hands of a certain party that shall remain nameless have done to make things that much worse.

And that’s before all the bullshit pushing to reopen in the middle of an out-of-control pandemic that’s being driven by idiots who refuse to follow very simple public health guidelines. It’s as if, after killing public education with a death by a thousand cuts, these idiots are now doing this:

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:04

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I’ve got a post coming Thursday morning with details about what our district is doing. We did learn today, though, that students taking part in sports can start practicing this week, voluntarily. It will be at least three weeks before the band can meet outdoors. Please tell me how 150 football players huffing and puffing and tackl ing each other is safer than 150 band members spaced 10 feet apart on the practice pad.

shop-teacher > fintail 08/18/2020 at 13:13

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I hope so as well.

WRXforScience > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:18

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Could be worse, we’ve got just over a thousand kids showing up Monday. At least they put up cones with string in the hallway to keep kids on just one side of the hall going each direction.

Day 7 of 10 for in service and they just showed us a demo for our hybrid model where we teach in person and remotely at the same time. It didn’t go well.

benn454 > ttyymmnn 08/18/2020 at 13:19

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 BeCaUsE mUh SpOrTs 

TheRealBicycleBuck > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:28

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I just stopped by my son’s room to see how his day is going and found him lounging in the bed, watching TV. I thought he was supposed to be online today! Turns out that the school is doing a hybrid two group model where one group is in-person while the other is online, then they switch on the next day. The schedule rolls over to the next week, so one week you are in-person three days a week (MWF) , the next, two days a week (TTH). My son is doing online-only.

For some reason he is off Tuesday and Thursday of this week, but will be required to be online all of next week. It’s confusing.

facw > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:30

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Good sounds like if the district internet can just stay down for a few weeks, that will be a good start.

someassemblyrequired > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:32

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Fusion 360 is free for academic institutions. Can be a good stopgap for the realities of right now.

Shift24 > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:33

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shop-teacher walking into School today

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:35

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Colo r me not surprised. While I do not work with your district, I can definitely confirm this state of “everything is on fire” is widespread around the country.

On a recent job I overheard some school administrators learning in an amusing way that not every computer in their school has a camera. And uh, that was including their own, and they were the ones hosting the meeting. xD

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:35

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Sounds about right. Did y’all ship out hand saws to all the kids along with their Chromebooks? 

DipodomysDeserti > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:38

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They let you on campus? We have to get a doctor’s note if we have allergies before we can come on camp us with any symptoms.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:40

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Hybrid: 50% of teachers have covid, 50% don’t

shop-teacher > DipodomysDeserti 08/18/2020 at 13:50

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Yep.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn 08/18/2020 at 13:51

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Most sports are canceled here.  I think they’re letting cross country, golf, and tennis run.

shop-teacher > TheRealBicycleBuck 08/18/2020 at 13:53

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When we go to hybrid, we are supposed to simultaneously teach the group at home and the group that is in person ... we don’t know how that’s supposed to work yet, but we’ll build the ship as we fly it or something something.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter 08/18/2020 at 13:54

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That figures.

shop-teacher > WRXforScience 08/18/2020 at 13:56

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Yeah, it could definitely be worse, and it is worse for you. We are supposed to go hybrid in three weeks, and will also be expected to simultaneously teach the kids in person as well as the kids who are at home, despite having none of the technology that could theoretically make it possible, and apparently an internet service provider that does not have the capability to go one entire day with all of the teachers online at the same time.

shop-teacher > Shift24 08/18/2020 at 13:56

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Pretty much, yeah.

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 13:56

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As we are fond of saying in the orchestra, when things are particularly  awful:  “It’s going well!”

shop-teacher > someassemblyrequired 08/18/2020 at 13:57

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Can it run on a Chromebook?

shop-teacher > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/18/2020 at 13:57

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If we end up staying remote for the entire quarter, it is entirely possible that I will be making and delivering kits of parts to build ... something ... along with a cheap screwdriver.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn 08/18/2020 at 13:58

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That about sums it up.

TheRealBicycleBuck > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 14:08

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My son’s school has webcams so the kids can listen to the lectures. I think they are using slides projected in the classroom and the teacher is sharing the desktop so the kids attending online can see it. Either way, the kids are attending, either in person or virtually, every day of the week.

WRXforScience > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 14:13

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The big hurdles we’ve uncovered so far are:

1) I f more than one person in class is on zoom with either their speakers or mic on, the feedback becomes untenable (headphones are a must).  

2) You have to have either two monitors or computers so that you can run whatever you are presenting and sharing while still seeing virtual students.

3) You cannot monitor chat effectively so you need to disable chat. The remote kids need to use the “raise hand” or other icons to get your attention.

4) Push to talk is a must.

5) In class students have no way to interact with each other or the virtual kids while maintaining social distance (like I said you put more than one zoom room at a time in a room and no one can hear anything).

6) Either the online or in person kids will be ignored at any given point. You’ll be choosing one group or the other and the rest of them will have to be patient or occupied.

7) 6ft of separation means you’re packing together 12ft diameter circles, good luck getting more than a dozen students in a normal sized classroom while maintaining 6ft separation.

8) You’ll still need to prerecord lessons and you will not be able to just record an active class (FERPA and other practical concerns).

9) No one will be happy with any decisions or policies (we knew that already).

10) You’ll have to figure it all out on your own. You probably won’t get any extra time, funds, or other resources and at best you’ll get platitudes from the same people who have nothing to offer you now.

shop-teacher > WRXforScience 08/18/2020 at 14:17

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That’s pretty much what I expected.  I am the only teacher in the building who possesses two screens, one laptop and one desktop.

shop-teacher > TheRealBicycleBuck 08/18/2020 at 14:19

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We don’t have webcams or any second device.  I am the only teacher in our building who even has a second screen (well, when they’re both working).  I have a desktop and a laptop.  Every other teacher has their school laptop and nothing else.

Textured Soy Protein > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 14:22

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I’m no expert but there’s apparently a web based part of it:

https://www.solidsmack.com/cad/fusion-team-access-fusion-360-browser/

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 14:22

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The thought of all those teachers trying to stream video at the same time, OMG has the school even thought of the band width it’s going to take to pull that off successfully ? My son is usually helping his teachers with IT, he even can hack their passwords and download supposedly non-district software on the school chrom books.

shop-teacher > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 14:23

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Honestly, to this point funding is one thing I have never complained about working in this district. I had one year where my budget was cut and things were tight, but every other year I have had the funding necessary to buy all the needed supplies and maintain and improve what in my opinion is an incredible program. I would guess our schools’ workshops are among the top 1% best equipp ed of middle schools that still have a shop. Frankly, my shop is better than a lot of high school shops too.

We simply aren’t equipped from a technology standpoint, to do what they’re asking us to do when we go hybrid.

shop-teacher > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 08/18/2020 at 14:25

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I’m guessing by the way things have gone the last couple of days, they have underestimated what they were going to need. I know they did increase the ban dwidth capacity over the summer, but it doesn’t seem like they went far enough.

XJDano > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 14:48

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Bring back LAN parties or meetings in your case. 

fintail > benn454 08/18/2020 at 14:53

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Never underestimate the power of entitled vicarious-living bulldozer parents.

hillrat > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 15:19

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I put in a ticket with our help desk over three hours ago. They haven’t even bothered to assign the ticket to a tech yet,

LOL!!! 3 hours, I usually have to wait 3 weeks to get the wrong answer at my job. The two help desk tickets I’ve put in were handled by dudes that were complete and total assholes.

Sorry to hear about your troubles man, much respect to you for the work you do and the conditions you do it under. Stay safe amigo!!

hillrat > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 08/18/2020 at 15:21

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What about kids who don’t have high speed internet at home? When all this jumped off and kids went to remote learning I saw someone point out what teachers were actually grading was privilege.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > hillrat 08/18/2020 at 15:40

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That is still an issue here too, they did and will make special accommodations to those who did not have internet access or devices at home, that includes printing out their homework at school into packets for pick up and some face to face meetings for instruction with teachers .

someassemblyrequired > shop-teacher 08/18/2020 at 15:43

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sadly no, only Mac and Windows, but might be good for some kids who have lots of interest and a Mac/Windows machine at home

shop-teacher > someassemblyrequired 08/18/2020 at 15:52

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Not gonna help then. We've got a couple web based options we're looking at.

shop-teacher > hillrat 08/18/2020 at 16:07

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Well, then every jag- off who says schools should behave more like businesses, can go eat a buffet of schwances.

shop-teacher > hillrat 08/18/2020 at 16:09

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We worked with our local cable company to give those who didn’t have access free internet service. In some cases kids who were homeless and moving around were given mobile hotspots.

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > WRXforScience 08/18/2020 at 17:54

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I had socially distance in person back to school meetings the last two days, we are almost done with those (thankfully). We have a small portion of our population who will be learning synchronously virtually much like what you described.  Thank you for the heads up with those sound related issues, I’ll try and replicate those for admin tomorrow, that should be fun....