A new phone application called Class 120 focuses on the problem of class attendance by letting parents or administrators know when students are skipping class.
This application is developed by a new startup company Core Principle.
“Our purpose is to promote and support student success in college,” CEO and Founder of Core Principle Jeff Whorley said.
Studies show class attendance is the number one contributor to good grades in college courses, but is also a problem nationwide.
http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php/2015/01/25/new-app-developed-identifying-when-students-skip-class/
This application is developed by a new startup company Core Principle.
“Our purpose is to promote and support student success in college,” CEO and Founder of Core Principle Jeff Whorley said.
Studies show class attendance is the number one contributor to good grades in college courses, but is also a problem nationwide.
http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php/2015/01/25/new-app-developed-identifying-when-students-skip-class/
I'm ALL FOR IT! HELL, YEAH! And if some snowflake wants me to take its phone to class with me, I will uphold my longstanding policy that I WILL NOT TOUCH a student's phone, because it's COVERED in DOG GERMS!!!!!
ReplyDelete(For a few years there, when mobile phones were relatively new and people often yakked on them during movies because the novelty hadn't worn off [or they hadn't yet been beaten for it], it became fairly common for a snowflake to try to hand me their phone, because a parent was on the other side of it and wanted to talk to me. I always declined, because: [1] EEWWW, DOG GERMS! [2] I had no way of knowing whether the person on the other end was who they claimed to be, and [3] Without a FERPA release form filled out and signed in my physical presence by both the snowflake and the parent, all I have to give you is my name, rank, and service number. And yes, I always check government-issued picture IDs!)
Would this constitute a FERPA violation, or does the student's use of it imply consent? I can't tell parents if their kids (my students) are attending class or not right now.
DeleteSure, a student could give his phone to a friend who is going to class but then the student is without a phone. They would sooner be separated from their right arm than be without a phone for an hour.
ReplyDeleteThis is, of course, the saving grace. On the other hand, students might be able to buy a "burner" phone just for this purpose and switch the sim card (which seems like a lot of trouble, but given the trouble some of them go to to plagiarize. . .)
DeleteIf we give parents the chance to report on their kids, we will have to start dealing with parents on other things too. Keep the parents out.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. In fact, this one ought to come with a warning to parents: "may result in increased chances of your student returning home for an extended residence in your basement after graduation."
DeleteNot that plenty of perfectly good students don't end up un- or under-employed after graduation (and/or that student loans may make living at home a sensible choice), but I have the feeling that parents employing this app would somehow feel they were fostering "success," and might not get quite what they expected.
I don't see why students can't just be held accountable themselves. Why now make it even MORE someone else's responsibility for them to act like responsible human beings?
DeleteWhy? In short: money.
DeleteThis company has recognized that the fleet of helicopter parents is a huge market for stuff like this. These parents will buy this because they think it's in their best interest to have it, never mind what's best for the kid. If helicopter parents had a good record of letting go and letting their kids practice age-appropriate autonomy, we wouldn't need the term 'helicopter parents'.