Monday, March 2, 2009

Not So Free Time

Last week I covered a science class (biology, anatomy/physiology, and environmental science) at the continuation high school.  Their assignment was to write a half page paper answering a specific question (different question for each group).  They were to use the Internet to complete their research.

Being the continuation high school, I expected a certain lack-of-work ethic. Those that did the assignment mostly copied the first website that had the right keywords in the google search.  Most weren't even close to answering the question.  Then they did what everyone else had been doing from the start of the period--they surfed the Internet.  

I watched this from the teacher's computer.  I figured it would be interesting to see what they got up to.  I thought I'd share.

First, they got onto myspace and the like.  These are actually blocked on the school's server, so they needed proxy sites like this.

Mostly, though, they played games: Crazy Taxi, this, this, and Hexa puzzle.  I was most proud to see them working on the Hexa puzzle.  It challenged them, so at least they were learning something.  Too bad they didn't devote that kind of energy to, say, doing the assignment.  

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