12th grade English. We were in the computer lab so they could type up their essays.
I did my usual walk around. Students quickly got off basketball games, music videos, and email accounts. Diego, however, stubbornly remained on a local community college's website.
"You could at least make a pretense of doing the assignment."
After defining pretense for him, I waited for him to get on task. But it wasn't happening. Diego explained he wasn't going to do it. He didn't care about his grade. Didn't care if he graduated.
Rather than argue all period, I walked away. (And wrote down his name.)
Halfway through the period I did another walk around. (Well, it wasn't the only other one I did...) Diego was on his phone now.
I looked over his shoulder.
He was typing his essay. On his phone.
He spent all that time and energy arguing with me about doing his assignment only to turn around and surreptitiously do his assignment? Someone please explain this to me.
So, I asked him. Typing his essay on his phone? He admitted to it.
And I walked away. Because he was on task. And I had no idea what else to say.
Now I would think typing on a keyboard in computer lab would be a lot easier than on a phone, but what do I know? He doesn't care if he graduates, but he's checking out the community college website........
ReplyDeletebetty
I know, right?! I'd much rather use a full keyboard.
DeleteThe community college website--he was looking up the baseball team because his cousin is on it. Although, that may not be the truth either.
This really made me laugh!! That's so weird, but maybe he was trying to be really stubborn and look "cool" by not following directions? I have no idea, that's the strangest thing!
ReplyDeleteTyping it on his phone? Crap, that would take me forever! Kids are just weird.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. Like Betty, I would think that using a physical keyboard would make writing/typing an essay so much easier than typing on a phone screen. When I'm typing on my phone (very short emails or text messages), I'm probably down to one word a minute.
ReplyDeleteWhat was he looking at on the community college's website?
It's all about the battle. Teens need to feel like they're in control of their lives, and they may require a little bit of rebellion, even if they aren't really rebelling.
ReplyDeleteSounds like another kid that has to be right!!
ReplyDeleteAh well, there are many of them.
Deletemethinks phones should be totally banned in schools.
ReplyDeleteHaven't we heard about Diego before? And I'm with Dez, no cell phones in school!
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't like to be told and likes to be that rebel without a cause. How does he print it out from the phone??
ReplyDeleteSounds like he just had to show you that he didn't care if he got in trouble. Some people are just like that, especially teenagers.
ReplyDeleteI'm another one with Dez. My classroom experience tells me that it usually is a big distraction.
ReplyDeleteIt is (today was a doozy...), but there's no way you'll get kids to leave them at home now. Some have real addiction problems, and others just have that FOMO. It's been a matter of trying to teach kids when and where the phones are appropriate.
DeleteAnd he was allowed to do it on his phone? I'm wondering the same thing as Birgit. How would he print it and turn it in?
ReplyDeleteAllowed? Not really. But at that point, I was just grateful that he was doing anything.
DeleteHe can't print it from his phone. However, he was doing it on Google Docs, so it was accessible from a computer later. Or, he could just email it to the teacher. Or share it with her. In those cases he wouldn't need to print it.
You never know with teenagers. They want control of their lives and don't like to be told what to do, hence the typing on the phone. Why was he looking at colleges if he doesn't care if he graduates?
ReplyDeleteHis cousin is on the baseball team. He was only looking at the baseball team.
DeleteIf he was looking at colleges online, that's a good sign!
ReplyDeleteIf only... He was looking up the baseball team because his cousin is on it.
DeleteWho can guess the ways of the teen? I didn’t understand teenagers when I was one. Maybe being argumentative to no purpose is a way of testing the waters and establishing independence.
ReplyDeleteVR Barkowski