Teaching in the Navajo Nation (Part III)

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rhondabrwn
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Location: Snowflake, Arizona

Teaching in the Navajo Nation (Part III)

Post by rhondabrwn »

Got fired today...

<dramatic pause>

Actually routine action because my emergency certification expires next month and I have to get my Arizona Certification for next year (exams taken, waiting for results). My principal quickly reassured me that I was indispensable and will be rehired as soon as I get the certification details taken care of. [:)][:)][:)]

On to serious matters...

Our school was broken into last night and the office and several classrooms ransacked as he looked for drugs or valuables. Broke into the nurse's office and stole the Ritalin. Then he found some car keys to a school vehicle that had been carelessly left parked out in the parking lot and not secured in the bus barn. Loaded up his loot and took off for Chinle to buy some Crystal Meth... scored his hit... somehow blew all the tires and then drove the vehicle on the rim for 20 miles until the suspension collapsed and the car wrecked out on the road that is under construction.

Of course, the idiot didn't realize that school security cameras tracked his every move and there is now a reservation wide warrant out for his arrest. I'm told he is a former student who never presented any problems until he dropped out of high school and got hooked on drugs. A sad story to keep in mind when I look at all my kids... can I make a difference? Can I keep these kids from going that route?

Funny stuff... the school tracks every website visited and today virtually every teacher in the district got this detailed warning of every "adult web site" they had visited (including the very evil "Disney Channel" and "Cartoon Network" [:D] This was accompanied with a stern notice that this is our "LAST WARNING" and we face DISMISSAL and PROSECUTION for misuse of school computers. It was laughable... but people were furious! We had a special staff meeting to tell everyone to ignore the letters unless they had been personally contacted by Tech Admin. I have to let my 1st graders in Computer Club use my login since they won't give them their own... so I got nailed with three pages of "Miniclip.com" (the kids play "David" and "Monster Truck"), the Disney Channel (they play Scooby Doo Adventures), and Cartoonnetwork.com (a variety of silly cartoon games). The computer teacher got nailed the same way for the regular Kindergarten and 1st grade classes that she teaches! Anyway, every one of mine was during the afterschool computer club time and definitely not mine (I have witnesses). It really pissed everyone off though... and now teachers are going to stop using the computers at all because they are afraid they will accidentally trigger a sex ad popup or hit a porn site when searching for hygiene information or opening an email link or God knows what... I know they mean well, but this is insane. Personally, I never use the school computers for anything except grades and attendance. They are too crappy and slow for anything that I want to do.

Oh yea... "Matrixgames.com" is a banned site.

Positive news... attended my first meeting of the district wide Technology Committee and finally got to meet the head guy himself. He was quite open to my installing war games and simulations and helped me get connected with another school who will give me a couple of their Adobe Photoshop licenses!!!! Hurrah... Sanity at last! The information received from our local tech guy was *&^&^*(**(*&^. We also got clearance to develop our own website for the school (it's been in this "under construction" mode for over four years now). A productive meeting. We came back and are now setting about establishing a school Tech Committee to write our own Technology Plan.

Spring is here... weather is clear and sunny and hovering just below 70 degrees (80 down below in Chinle). Grass is greening up (what there is of it) and I'm looking forward to providing many new pictures. One of my Navajo co-teachers has asked me to come up into the mountains to her ranch this weekend for some horseback riding and some instruction in sheep herding. I've been hoping to be taken into her friendship this way as she is an older lady and more traditional and reserved in opening up to friendships like this. I must say though that I've found the Navajo here in Tsaile to be far more friendly than I was led to believe and I've made many very strong friendships.

And that is my latest report from the Navajo Nation. I am really looking forward to getting game simulations into my curriculum next year.

Oh yea... still waiting on news of our Hewlett Packard Grant request... should know within another 10 days whether we get the computers, projectors, printers, scanners, and digital cameras included. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
Love & Peace,

Far Dareis Mai

My old Piczo site seems to be gone, so no more Navajo Nation pics :(
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Sarge
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RE: Teaching in the Navajo Nation (Part III)

Post by Sarge »

can I make a difference? Can I keep these kids from going that route?

I am certain you have already made a positive difference in their lives.

This thread along with part I,II have been more then a enjoyable read , I for one thank you for the effort you have put into your posts.

Have a good summer
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mlees
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RE: Teaching in the Navajo Nation (Part III)

Post by mlees »

A sad story to keep in mind when I look at all my kids... can I make a difference? Can I keep these kids from going that route?

I must ditto Sarge's sentiments.

It's hard to prove a negative: that is, it's hard to say which of the remaining kids that might have "gone down the bad road", but did not because of your influence. (Role model, friendship, disciplinarian, whatever it takes!)

I have had cooworkers tell me about some off the cuff remark I made (or casual action I did) that meant something to them a whole lot more than I realised.

Even the small things that you did not consider before can have unforseen benifits.

Even an Easter egg hunt, or a valentine's day cookie cooking project may leave them with a lifelong, positively motivating memory.
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Monadman
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RE: Teaching in the Navajo Nation (Part III)

Post by Monadman »

ORIGINAL: rhondabrwn
and now teachers are going to stop using the computers at all because they are afraid they will accidentally trigger a sex ad popup or hit a porn site when searching for hygiene information or opening an email link or God knows what...

Too funny . . .
When my youngest was 12 years of age, she wanted a wristwatch for Christmas so I decided to go looking online for what was available and plugged in “Teen watches” only to get every porn site imaginable that related to voyeurism (e.g. “teens that like to watch” or “watching teens”). Ummm whoops, cancel that order.

Richard
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mlees
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RE: Teaching in the Navajo Nation (Part III)

Post by mlees »

I decided to go looking online for what was available and plugged in “Teen watches” only to get every porn site imaginable that related to voyeurism

You know what's scary?

As I understand it, search engines use the entered word phrase, and show you the most "hit" websites related to those words. So, in other words, more folks were using "teen watches" for voyeurism than wrist watches. (Or were they? This could be a viscious circle. A sort of self fulfilling prophecy... Because now, your search and link click triggered another hit count on some voyeurism website.)

I think that there are ways to "bias" the most popular search engines. I remember hearing stories during the 2004 presidential campaigns that someone "biased" Google so that if you searched using the keywords "stupid" or "idiot" (I think), Bush bashing links would pop up first. [:'(]
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junk2drive
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RE: Teaching in the Navajo Nation (Part III)

Post by junk2drive »

Hope it goes well for getting your job back. Thanks for the update. I've had my share of chastising for surfing websites at work. Maybe that's why I got fired last month. (Arizona is a right to work state, they don't have to give you a reason.)

My teacher memory is the time I skipped Political Science in High School. My teacher was a retired US Army Colonel. He called my parents and told them it hurt his feelings that he wasn't interesting enough for me to want to show up for class. I felt horrible.
Conflict of Heroes "Most games are like checkers or chess and some have dice and cards involved too. This game plays like checkers but you think like chess and the dice and cards can change everything in real time."
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Capt. Harlock
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RE: Teaching in the Navajo Nation (Part III)

Post by Capt. Harlock »

Let me state first that the computer website restrictions are generally a lousy idea (and how could Matrix Games be a banned site??). But when it comes to Cartoon Network, the administrators may have a small point. The "Adult Swim" programming that CN carries late at night has "Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex" and other stuff which is definitely not suitable for children.
Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

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Shannon V. OKeets
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RE: Teaching in the Navajo Nation (Part III)

Post by Shannon V. OKeets »

ORIGINAL: mlees
A sad story to keep in mind when I look at all my kids... can I make a difference? Can I keep these kids from going that route?

I must ditto Sarge's sentiments.

It's hard to prove a negative: that is, it's hard to say which of the remaining kids that might have "gone down the bad road", but did not because of your influence. (Role model, friendship, disciplinarian, whatever it takes!)

I have had cooworkers tell me about some off the cuff remark I made (or casual action I did) that meant something to them a whole lot more than I realised.
Even the small things that you did not consider before can have unforseen benifits.

Even an Easter egg hunt, or a valentine's day cookie cooking project may leave them with a lifelong, positively motivating memory.

Having taught at the junior high school and college level I agree completely. My current take on this is that how you "carry yourself" (e.g., are open to questions, accept help and criticism, answer questions honestly, treat other people's ideas with respect and thoughtfulness, etc.) has an impact far beyond what you are aware of. Of course, that is also true for negative habits and behavior too. Simply interacting on a daily basis with students and "being yourself" casts a long shadow - long both in time and amount of influence. People most often learn by mimicking others.

Oh, and I too enjoy your posts enormously. Thanks.
Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.
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