Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Game Day


"Is Mr. G out again today? I'm so glad to see you..."

Wilbur then proceeded to call me a "good teacher" and his "favorite sub". Which is code for he didn't do any work, and he enjoyed that immensely. Sigh.

The continuation high school. Computer aided drafting. Second period.

Monday had been a difficult day for me. The spy software wasn't working...

I know I've talked about the spy software before. (I was going to link to it, but I can't seem to find the post.) It's a program that runs on the teacher's computer that shows what each student computer is doing. It's very useful, because many times when I get up to look over their shoulders, they quickly minimize the thing they shouldn't be doing and pull up the thing they should be working on.

So on Monday, while it was clear they weren't on task, when I got up to verify this, they were suddenly "on task".

But Tuesday the spy software miraculously worked. (I almost rebooted the computer on Monday. Silly me. That probably would have fixed the problem.) This meant I could easily watch what they were doing.

In second period, Wilbur played Krunker. Which is what he did on Monday. (They're loud when they play, so it's rather obvious.)

At the end of second period, Wilbur informed the class he'd return to "hang out" in sixth period. (He announced. He didn't ask. He probably should have asked...)

Sixth period Wilbur walked in. Other students asked him why he was there. To me, he tried to play off like he belonged. Failing that, he tried the "Mr. G lets me wait here" card.

So, I told him if he wanted to work, he could stay. But he couldn't just play games. He promised he was planning to do work.

I had the spy software up, and I watched.

The minute it switched from a plain Google background to Krunker, I was on him.

"I'm not on Krunker..."

Because there's a lag, it took a few seconds before it switched back to the plain Google background.

I didn't get up. So, he switched back to Krunker.

And that's when I kicked him out. It was clear he wasn't going to do work, and I didn't need another gamer in the room. I had plenty of those actually enrolled in the class.

(If they don't do their work, they lose out on earning their credits, so they're really only hurting themselves.)

25 comments:

  1. I had no idea about that spy software. Wow.

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  2. That spy software is clever! You'd think they'd realize it was the same as you standing over their shoulder.

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  3. I wonder if they knew that you could see their screens if it'd keep them on their toes and make them more inclined to do what they should be doing?

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    1. I've told classes about it. No, it doesn't help. Some try to be clever, but those that are inclined not to work still don't. Those that would be working anyway still are.

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  4. They really think that somehow they'll get away with it, even when they know that you know what they're doing. Insert an eye roll emoji here.

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  5. Never knew of this spyware, or this game Krunker. I better not look into it. Took me forever to get away from Slither.io. :)

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    1. Krunker is a shooter game. If you like that sort of thing. I take it you have also tried Agar.io, too.

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  6. I'm glad educators these days have access to something like the spy software. The worst my kids could do was play Minesweeper.

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  7. Spyware to watch what they do online. And here when I was a kid, it was just copying someone else's paper. Or listening to a Walkman in class. (Which I was really good at getting away with!)

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  8. That is cool about the spyware! A very good invention with whoever thought of it!!

    betty

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  9. There is no passion to be found playing small and settling for a life for less capable than your living - well thats what these guys are doing by dossing at school.

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  10. I never knew of the spy software. That's quite an invention! I am just wondering how it works.
    It's true that children when they do something mischievous, they don't realise most of the time, they are hurting themselves.

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  11. I don't recall when, but I distinctly remember one class - where the teacher kept their desk at the back of the room. They'd be in the front for lectures or anything that required use of the board, but when that was over and it was time to work on our own, they were in the back and we never knew if (he? I think?) was watching or not!

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    1. And that was his intention. Personally, I find it easier to see what the kiddos are doing from the front, but the uncertainty at the back has its advantages.

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  12. 'Hang out', huh? Spyware, if they can't be trusted, seems the only recourse.

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  13. I didn't know teachers had Spyware. Pretty clever!

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  14. This mentality is a mystery to me. ~sigh~ What a shameful waste.

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    1. Oh yea, there are plenty of kiddos who tune out the minute they see a sub.

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  15. I wonder if Wilbur got ribbed a lot for his name.

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  16. IF you can get the link I'd be keen to see it, Liz. Be good to try and use at home now that school is home-based ;)

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