Comments on: The FSD Laptop Program: Breaking it Down

By: Travis

Travis — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:20:45 +0000

Thank you, Freydel. I’m glad that parents are starting to understand the severity of this problem.

By: The Fullerton Shadow

The Fullerton Shadow — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:53:16 +0000

We expose prevaricating, incompetent, arrogant, and self serving government bureaucracies. And we’re vile?

#15, get your head examined – but not by the School District psychiatrist – that may be what went wrong in the first place!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:22:22 +0000

I think we need to abolish this program so that the kids will not be allowed to view this vile blogsite and others of a similar nature. We don’t need our children being brainwashed by the wacky of Fullerton, by being able to have access to a website that is based solely around propaganda!

By: Rain

Rain — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:55:55 +0000

Fundamentally, the challenge for a school, for a teacher, for a student, in the endeavor which we call learning, is to concentrate or focus the mind on specific (new) information in a way that brings the knowledge into the student’s ability to use it in his life.

The hard part is focus and concentration, especially when (perhaps) the preparatory knowledge is not as firmly established or understood as it might need to be.

A computer – like a free range chicken – is easily distracted with “pop ups” or EASY links, etc. which almost cannot help but be more “attractive” than the (difficult) assigned lesson at hand.

Especially, for elementary and middle school students, (and high school and all the way through life), the difficult jobs, like learning our school work, are NOT made “easier” with distractions.

Games and prizes are not appropriate rewards, for learning.

The reward for Learning, is to become more of a good and valuable person, in the family and community. School is about growth and strength of mind and spirit, not a bunch of flashy tricks and gadgets.

Any proper and excellent tool or technique which actually advances the objective of learning is to be obtained or encouraged (and regularly evaluated), but distractions and time wasting activities are the enemy of scholarship.

Our schools and our teachers should be superb. I am disappointed when major initiatives are ill thought out or poorly managed.

By: Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:28:43 +0000

You’re right. I retract the recommendation. The district is very good at handpicking their favorites for their unbiased committees. Not to speak of the absurd way in which they hire consultants to act as mouthpieces for their goals. Although, I have no experience with the current Super on this.

By: Eric Lee

Eric Lee — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:07:48 +0000

The impression that’s left on a 4rd graders mind created by an image seen on the internet of a seductive woman (porn star) is not the kind of impression we want our public schools to have the ability to leave on our children. Books don’t have pop ups, remember regardless of how much oversight we have with our children, most kids have curious minds, much more than most adults.

By: Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:02:25 +0000

Nice job Freydel! No apology for me for your bitterness comment?

By: Freydel Bushala

Freydel Bushala — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:24:18 +0000

I would like to apologize to Travis. After reading the article yesterday on the front page of the OC Register, I was compelled by the parent that had the problems with her child. We don’t need to add more distractions to our children. It is so easy to type the words “sex or porn” and have our children look at the filth. Our children have enough to deal with when it comes to making choices. We don’t need any more “Mike Duvall’s” in our life. We need to raise our children with good morals and values.

The way the economy is currently, we don’t need to add more financial strains to the parents that have lost their jobs.

This does NOT excuse the parents for a “Free Pass” they need to monitor their children and have communication to let them know that there are going to have to make choices in life, and know the difference between good and bad.

By: The Fullerton Harpoon

The Fullerton Harpoon — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:14:01 +0000

Chris, I like the idea of an independent assessment of the whole thing – soup to nuts. The District will never go for that kind of outside intrusion. The best you’ll get is an interal whitewash or a group hand-picked for their reliability to back of the District.

Another question I would ask is what (if any) were the objective goals and success criteria put in place when this program was adopted. If there weren’t any, then it’s high time to adopt some. Without any way of judging success (or failure) of a program it can just lumber along forever with the support of politicians and bureuacrats who want it to (think DARE).

By: Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:32:27 +0000

I think the major component that is being marginalized here Harpoon is the fact that the District launched this campaign with the intention of either forcing parents to pay, or forcing them to subject themselves to an arbitrary judgment of financial need created and administered by the District itself. This is why the plaintiffs in the lawsuit substantively prevailed and prevented the district from demanding payment. This program was born of a plan to extort parents by Cameron McCune. Quite simply, they violated the California Constitution. At this point it is difficult to quantify the degree to which security is lax and performance is poor. However, I lean toward believing that this is the beginning of finally illuminating the true performance of this program. If…this board chooses transparency. I’m going to call upon Minard Duncan to join Beverly Berryman in demanding openness. I believe Minard’s heart to be in the right place and we shall see if he finally stands firm for what is right. Allow an unbiased task force of community members to RANDOMLY call upon teachers, staff, parents and students to evaluate this program from the standpoint of determining whether it is viable. Not another handpicked group of parents and teachers which the district know will say the right thing.