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DrippingYellowMadnes111 karma

A lot of them don't have computers, but luckily, we have a computer lab at the school. They have a lot of access to that, but more than that, I accept most assignments hand-written when necessary. It's a shame, though, because many of them are computer illiterate. I recently took them to the computer lab, asked them to type something with right alignment, and got blank stares. I can't expect them to use computers at home when they don't have them, but if they don't use computers, they're not going to be ready for life after high school.

DrippingYellowMadnes90 karma

It's not an ignorant question. It's a great one.

The school is 97.7% black and Hispanic. I always used to worry about my race being a barrier. So far, I haven't encountered that. Possibly that's because I incorporate race issues into my teaching. I teach Othello and always incorporate non-fiction texts, like articles, dealing with relevant contemporary race issues. These kids are very aware of race.

I also think kids may be used to being taught by white teachers. I suspect they've had white teachers all the way since kindergarten. They're probably not shocked when they walk into my classroom.

DrippingYellowMadnes69 karma

Oh my God oh my God yes. The corporate reform movement is a complete disaster. At the end of the day, this is all about profit at the expense of the kids. I could go on about this for hours, but I'm not going to spend too much time on this post, because EVERYTHING is wrong with this reform movement, and I can't cover everything in a few paragraphs.

DrippingYellowMadnes46 karma

From a quick Google search, in 2012, 25.2% of American households didn't have the internet. (Didn't find any states on computer ownership.)

It is a tremendous disadvantage and challenge. Luckily, we have a computer lab and a computer class.

DrippingYellowMadnes46 karma

The first one I didn't like. It's loyal to the book, in plot. But the director seemed to view it as a love story. He didn't have any sense of the fact that it's Fitzgerald's tale of a society crumbling before his eyes.

On the other hand, I loved the recent one. I went in expecting nothing, because it's a story about the emptiness of a life full of flash without substance, and Baz Luhrmann's films are all flash without substance. But I think he really captured it. I read a review that said something like, "DiCaprio's Gatsby is like an empty champagne glass: Glitzy and shiny but nothing inside." Well ... that's the freaking point. He nailed it.