Comments on: High School Hustle: Facebook: Minor annoyance or homework hindrance? http://insideschools.org/blog/2009/10/20/high-school-hustle-facebook-minor-annoyance-or-homework-hindrance/ Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:27:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: shari dalconzo http://insideschools.org/blog/2009/10/20/high-school-hustle-facebook-minor-annoyance-or-homework-hindrance/#comment-9599 shari dalconzo Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:06:54 +0000 http://insideschools.org/blog/2009/10/20/high-school-hustle-facebook-minor-annoyance-or-homework-hindrance/#comment-9599 Well done, cousin. Here's the rule in our house, homework first. And homework in our schools is not relayed through website. I haven't had to time-limit or yell (at least about this)...yet. Re the sign-off, a general 'gtg' (got to go) to all is sufficient. Leave the individual goodbyes for one on one. Here's the other corny thing. We have dinner together. Even if its as short as 20 minutes, we are generally away from phones, bb's, games, work, tv's. We eat, complain, laugh and argue in a traditional way...face to face. Shari Well done, cousin. Here’s the rule in our house, homework first. And homework in our schools is not relayed through website. I haven’t had to time-limit or yell (at least about this)…yet.
Re the sign-off, a general ‘gtg’ (got to go) to all is sufficient. Leave the individual goodbyes for one on one. Here’s the other corny thing. We have dinner together. Even if its as short as 20 minutes, we are generally away from phones, bb’s, games, work, tv’s. We eat, complain, laugh and argue in a traditional way…face to face.

Shari

]]> By: Jean Laupus http://insideschools.org/blog/2009/10/20/high-school-hustle-facebook-minor-annoyance-or-homework-hindrance/#comment-9562 Jean Laupus Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:09:30 +0000 http://insideschools.org/blog/2009/10/20/high-school-hustle-facebook-minor-annoyance-or-homework-hindrance/#comment-9562 Nice piece, Liz. Wondered if you have been sitting in our living room as you perfectly described the excrutiating long Facebook sign-off. Seems there are usually 3-4 direct chats going on too. And each needs a good-bye, acknowledgement of the good-bye, etc. Definitely keeping the computer in the living room and working to see that homework is done before FB - altho with teachers posting on the school website and computer research for homework, it can be challenging to know what is open when. Pushing for a 9pm computer off - hard to keep to that as we get busy with this or that and it doesn't go off without insisting on our side. Can't tell yet how it is affecting studies - she definitely has more homework and at a much more challenging level so I am concerned about the distraction. Always helpful to hear what others are doing with their kids. Like others I am hoping for less interest as time goes by. Seems large number of adults join FB but then withdraw when they how it eats time - and the banality of many posts. Nice piece, Liz. Wondered if you have been sitting in our living room as you perfectly described the excrutiating long Facebook sign-off. Seems there are usually 3-4 direct chats going on too. And each needs a good-bye, acknowledgement of the good-bye, etc. Definitely keeping the computer in the living room and working to see that homework is done before FB - altho with teachers posting on the school website and computer research for homework, it can be challenging to know what is open when. Pushing for a 9pm computer off - hard to keep to that as we get busy with this or that and it doesn’t go off without insisting on our side. Can’t tell yet how it is affecting studies - she definitely has more homework and at a much more challenging level so I am concerned about the distraction. Always helpful to hear what others are doing with their kids. Like others I am hoping for less interest as time goes by. Seems large number of adults join FB but then withdraw when they how it eats time - and the banality of many posts.

]]> By: Kathleen Patane http://insideschools.org/blog/2009/10/20/high-school-hustle-facebook-minor-annoyance-or-homework-hindrance/#comment-9554 Kathleen Patane Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:53:03 +0000 http://insideschools.org/blog/2009/10/20/high-school-hustle-facebook-minor-annoyance-or-homework-hindrance/#comment-9554 Hey Liz~! Very well researched and written ~ I agree with Sarah's post above. It's invaluable to strike a balance between time spent online and time (perhaps designated if necessary)spent with family. That all-too-precious family time is becoming less and less, so it's only with an active rule of some sort that we can begin to rein things in a bit, ie: Facebook. Terence just turned 17, so I've loosened things up a bit. As long as he hits the honor roll, that tells me he is doing his homework and balancing his time spent on the computer. I pay close attention to his progress reports, and if he hasn't earned the time, than it shows me he is not responsible enough to juggle between the two. For now, he's been excelling in school and already getting a bit bored with the whole social networking scene, so yes, according to one of your sources, over time the kids do place less importance on the computer scene. I agree with you on a number of points, in particular I can't say enough about keeping the computer in the living room! Once again, well done Liz. Sincerely, Kathleen ;-) Hey Liz~! Very well researched and written ~
I agree with Sarah’s post above. It’s invaluable to strike a balance between time spent online and time (perhaps designated if necessary)spent with family. That all-too-precious family time is becoming less and less, so it’s only with an active rule of some sort that we can begin to rein things in a bit, ie: Facebook. Terence just turned 17, so I’ve loosened things up a bit. As long as he hits the honor roll, that tells me he is doing his homework and balancing his time spent on the computer. I pay close attention to his progress reports, and if he hasn’t earned the time, than it shows me he is not responsible enough to juggle between the two. For now, he’s been excelling in school and already getting a bit bored with the whole social networking scene, so yes, according to one of your sources, over time the kids do place less importance on the computer scene. I agree with you on a number of points, in particular I can’t say enough about keeping the computer in the living room!
Once again, well done Liz.
Sincerely,
Kathleen ;-)

]]> By: Sarah Durkee http://insideschools.org/blog/2009/10/20/high-school-hustle-facebook-minor-annoyance-or-homework-hindrance/#comment-9553 Sarah Durkee Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:29:13 +0000 http://insideschools.org/blog/2009/10/20/high-school-hustle-facebook-minor-annoyance-or-homework-hindrance/#comment-9553 Many years ago, my husband told me about a friend who came back from Japan and reported something bizarre. "The kids stand around with their phones, RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, and write little messages to each other." I needed him to explain it twice, it sounded so patently absurd. Fast forward to now, with this multigenerational communication explosion. I'm an admitted Facebook addict myself, so I have tons of sympathy for kids who don't have the adult self-discipline of jobs and bills to pay. It's such an irresistible combo of nonstop information and goofy fun I don't know how any of them sleep, let alone do homework. Unless Facebook starts turning itself off late at night, with nothing to watch but a U.S. flag waving limply like it did on TV when we were kids :), there's no way to put the genie back in the bottle. They'll hopefully just outgrow it, when greater responsibility kicks in, as it always does! Meanwhile, as their parent and fellow internet addict, I try to strike a balance between nagging and understanding. Getting hw out of the way first is the smartest rule to try to enforce. But I also think whole families might try allotting a couple of hours every evening as non-internet time for everyone. Many years ago, my husband told me about a friend who came back from Japan and reported something bizarre. “The kids stand around with their phones, RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, and write little messages to each other.” I needed him to explain it twice, it sounded so patently absurd.
Fast forward to now, with this multigenerational communication explosion. I’m an admitted Facebook addict myself, so I have tons of sympathy for kids who don’t have the adult self-discipline of jobs and bills to pay. It’s such an irresistible combo of nonstop information and goofy fun I don’t know how any of them sleep, let alone do homework. Unless Facebook starts turning itself off late at night, with nothing to watch but a U.S. flag waving limply like it did on TV when we were kids :), there’s no way to put the genie back in the bottle. They’ll hopefully just outgrow it, when greater responsibility kicks in, as it always does! Meanwhile, as their parent and fellow internet addict, I try to strike a balance between nagging and understanding. Getting hw out of the way first is the smartest rule to try to enforce. But I also think whole families might try allotting a couple of hours every evening as non-internet time for everyone.

]]>