What's bugging you? (2020)

[nate82]

Its because satire has become so believable. There have been plenty of headlines this year and even last year which I thought were satire but no they were real.

 

I have a hard time telling at times if I am reading the babylon-bee the onion or my local news. The lines have become blurred.

[MrTPlush]

Was it the Kwik Trip Gentlemen's Club article (aka KwikStrip)? Cause I has more than a few friends believing they were about to get lap dances while buying their Glazers.

[young guns]

Was it the Kwik Trip Gentlemen's Club article (aka KwikStrip)? Cause I has more than a few friends believing they were about to get lap dances while buying their Glazers.

It was not. This morning he replied again attacking me and I think he's just going to continue to believe it is true.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Was it the Kwik Trip Gentlemen's Club article (aka KwikStrip)? Cause I has more than a few friends believing they were about to get lap dances while buying their Glazers.

It was not. This morning he replied again attacking me and I think he's just going to continue to believe it is true.

 

He's likely upset that you so easily fact-checked something he found to be true. He's looking for validation and others to agree with him, and you putting the satire proof in your reply makes that tougher. Social media hasn't created more dumb people. It just gives those dumb people who already exist a larger platform.

[homer]

Was it the Kwik Trip Gentlemen's Club article (aka KwikStrip)? Cause I has more than a few friends believing they were about to get lap dances while buying their Glazers.

It was not. This morning he replied again attacking me and I think he's just going to continue to believe it is true.

 

Cognitive Dissonance is a thing.

 

Sometimes learning new information can lead to feelings of cognitive dissonance. For example, if you engage in a behavior that you later learn is harmful, it can lead to feelings of discomfort. People sometimes deal with this either by finding ways to justify their behaviors or finding ways to discredit or ignore new information.

[MrTPlush]

Exactly why I never comment on Facebook posts, it is a lost cause half the time to even try giving someone useful information. Even when wrong they double down looking like a total idiot.

[CheezWizHed]

I enjoy a good debate...especially with certain people that are intelligent and have different view points than I. Rarely do either of us change our stance, but knowing why the other person feels that way is a valuable thing to know and learn.

 

But I can't stand with a friend of a friend trolls on facebook to start an argument. If one of my friends does that to another friend that they don't know, I'll immediately end it. Even calling out one friend as a troll after three straight days of trying to pick a political fight with another friend of mine that he doesn't know (I really should just dump that friend...).

 

Several times on another friend's post (one I enjoy debating with), I'll get his friends chime in. I don't bother responding; pearls before swine. Just too many people trying to start arguments this time of year.

[wallus]

I have over 60 students from a new client school and not one of them is close to passing right now. I contact the school and they are quite apathetic about it. I have offered to help way above what is asked of me and they don't take me up on it.

 

A few years ago I taught some extremely high risk Illinois kids (some in prison) and at least some of them would pass.

 

This is an extreme waste of taxpayers money and it grinds my gears.

[CheezWizHed]

Not to mention that uneducated and unmotivated students become "expensive" adults later in life (i.e. less likely to contribute to the tax base and more likely to use the social services).

 

When you say "you have 60 students", is that all in one class? Do they break down the class sizes down more? Seems like when kids are in high risk situations like this, they need more one-on-one attention and not less. It would be very easy to feel unimportant as an individual in a classroom of 60.

[stoutdude04]

Not to mention that uneducated and unmotivated students become "expensive" adults later in life (i.e. less likely to contribute to the tax base and more likely to use the social services).

 

When you say "you have 60 students", is that all in one class? Do they break down the class sizes down more? Seems like when kids are in high risk situations like this, they need more one-on-one attention and not less. It would be very easy to feel unimportant as an individual in a classroom of 60.

 

I don't want to speak for Wallus, but I believe its an online school for at-risk kiddos as is, so they are supposed to do the work at their own pace and get that 1 on 1 when needed. I could be wrong though.

[wallus]

Not to mention that uneducated and unmotivated students become "expensive" adults later in life (i.e. less likely to contribute to the tax base and more likely to use the social services).

 

When you say "you have 60 students", is that all in one class? Do they break down the class sizes down more? Seems like when kids are in high risk situations like this, they need more one-on-one attention and not less. It would be very easy to feel unimportant as an individual in a classroom of 60.

 

It is in 2 classes. I should add a little context to all of this. I teach at a for profit online school based on the east coast. They give me the title of instructor but my main roles are grading, communication (usually email) and then I have 1 hour of office hours per week. Some of the courses have not changed at all in my 7+ years of working with the company and there are tons of cheating websites out there that I have to contend with. I am .25FTE which means I can have up to 150 students which always shocks anyone I talk to.

 

These kids probably not more 1 on 1 but I really do not have that opportunity. I have to work with the school leaders and hope that they give me some support. In most cases they will offer something. In this particular case, I was given absolutely nothing.

 

For the last couple of years I have thought about quitting this extra job as I don't really need the money. However, I have decided to try and make changes and speak up whenever possible to try and change things. Most of my colleagues are stay at home moms and they need the job so they won't say anything. I will just say this: profit comes before education majorly at this online school.

[wallus]

Not to mention that uneducated and unmotivated students become "expensive" adults later in life (i.e. less likely to contribute to the tax base and more likely to use the social services).

 

When you say "you have 60 students", is that all in one class? Do they break down the class sizes down more? Seems like when kids are in high risk situations like this, they need more one-on-one attention and not less. It would be very easy to feel unimportant as an individual in a classroom of 60.

 

I don't want to speak for Wallus, but I believe its an online school for at-risk kiddos as is, so they are supposed to do the work at their own pace and get that 1 on 1 when needed. I could be wrong though.

 

Not all are at risk. I seem to have four different types that I work with.

 

1. At risk kids

2. Olympic/high level athletes

3. Rural kids that have limited class offerings at their regular school

4. Socially awkward home schooled kids/kids that can't be in a school environment

[owbc]

In my experience adjunct instructors are some of the most mistreated employees in any field that I know of. I really appreciate that you're trying to make things better, wallus, and it's unfortunate that the students are not engaged. I knew some adjuncts who were responsible for many hundreds of students because they would split time between multiple employers, maxing out the number of classes they were allowed to teach at each.

 

Anyway, at the elementary school level what I've been hearing anecdotally is that approximately a third of online students are completely failing this year and the school's response has been to get rid of grades. We're going to be feeling the repercussions of this for the rest of our lives.

[jerichoholicninja]

I will just say this: profit comes before education majorly at this online school.

 

Hasn't the pandemic pretty much proven that's how all higher education is?

[nodakfan17]

My in-laws are going through a divorce. My FIL is a decent guy and all of the kids are behind him. Their split isn’t very amicable and, while witnessing it from a distance, I gotta say it’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever observed. I’m very sorry for those who have experienced it first hand.

[hawing]

Only 15 pages of what's-bugging-us posts for 2020? I guess we had enough bug-specific threads to spread things out some.

For 2021, check this out: http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=40163