Multiple Viewpoints: Technology and Librarians

We received this eloquent comment very recently: “Im terribly vexed by your untoward negative attention to the Library. The qualified and well-educated librarians are thoughtful and diligent. They harness the unwieldy world of information; insofar they help in its quest to accessible relevance for our young minds. You sound like middle-aged women on social security. Find a better way to express your frustration concerning LHS. Its not hard to not chew gum, moderate your voice, or place your flashy new Sigg at the door. Whalen and Anderson are human, and understand our struggle to adapt – we are all susceptible to a short temper, even folly . I think TSQ has a stellar forum to better the slanted image of the library. Please take advantage of this, and realize how fortunate we are to have such a wonderful and useful asset as the anchor of our school. Additionally, your slamming of LHS’ technology as a morass, festering problem is asinine. Our new machines that deployed across the school are now over three years old (Oct. 05 G5 PowerPC) and the server is burdened and quickly pushing obsolescence. Your cavalier disrespect for our students with visual impairment and learning disabilities stands out wonderfully when you deride and mock the SmartBoards, and related accessibility peripherals. Our school is behind the idealized, utopic alternative they boast, laminated on every wall. More-so, they hinder our collective advancement socially and professionally at the constrictive bounds of less than optimal technological outfitting. In an accelerated and advanced informational age, we ought to be equipped to the extent that our parents, teachers, taxes, and hopes would want.”

Let us respond:

-Our library is the crux of our school. The breadth of knowledge that the librarians possess is irreplaceable. Often times, this fact goes amiss.  We’d like to point out a recent poll we took on TSQ. Few students were pleased with the situation in the library. Others were nonchalant, but the majority, 65% of students who voted, believed the library to be a bit hectic. We attribute this chaos to the students. You bring up the point that we can adapt, and “Its not hard to not chew gum, moderate your voice, or place your flashy new Sigg at the door”. Certainly the students have a choice to make: either help make the library a better place by adapting to the rules, or resist these rules and make the library run less smoothly. While we believe we have the ability to adapt to the rules, there is a general consensus of discontentment with the library system. It is not the librarians, usually, that people are having problems with. It is the over-bearing sense of babysitting that has to go on in order for one to be in the library. Those that have been at LHS for multiple years have seen an evolution in the library. This year was drastically different with the new rule of signing in, to the bill passed by Senate for students to go directly to the library from study halls. For some people, the scrutiny of keeping track of where students are is a pain. In the end, we should be grateful for the incredible amount of freedom our school provides us, from open campus to the different courses offered. TSQ merely was making commentary about the library based upon general consensus. We, perhaps, should be appreciative a bit more about what we do have, and not what we don’t have. Which brings us to our next point….

-Technology: Often times at LHS, we do not stop to think about what we do have. We are fortunate to live in a community that supports its students whole-heartedly. We are fortunate to have computers in every classroom. We are fortunate for the access to databases, digital camcorders, projection screens, and what have you at school. The NEASC survey called our technology “inadequate”, and we were exemplifying that perhaps NEASC overlooked what we do have and focused more on what we don’t have. The administration has identified this technology gap and has in the works many projects to mediate such a gap. A new Internet server is being worked on for faster connection speeds. In the next coming year, an electronic system will be installed in the cafeteria to eliminate lunch tickets. Our tax dollars are hard at work paying teachers, paying for school maintenance, as well as for updated technology, albeit a worsening world economy. Not once did we “mock the SmartBoards” . For every subject taught at LHS, there is one classroom for the hearing impaired, each with sound-proofing and other acoustic-enhancing products. This may not be the most advanced solution to aid those who are impaired, but we should be grateful that we do have at least something. The administration is clearly showing us that they are attempting to fill this “technology gap”, and if they are attempting this, our technology should not be deemed “inadequate”. If you would like to read the NEASC report, click here: Lexington Public Schools. One thing this report does point out is that we have a mission statement but that it is not necessarily being fulfilled. You mention, “Our school is behind the idealized, utopic alternative they boast, laminated on every wall”. You are not alone in these sentiments, just as the NEASC Report showed.

To sum up: TSQ is your voice. We are glad to be generating thoughts as shown above.

On this note: remember, we are merely making commentary on life at our school based upon general student consensus. The articles written may not correlate to the writer’s opinion, so please remain respectful and refrain from attacking TSQ writers directly.

NEASC: New Revelations?

One day, last year, most students walked into school noticing newly placed laminated, shiny mission statements in every single classroom. Why, you might ask, was there suddenly an onslaught of mission statements gracing the walls of our school. The answer is: NEASC, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; the signs were hung up in preparation for the NEASC Accreditation of our school.

The Facts:

After four years of preparation, NEASC members evaluated our school and recently published a final report of their findings. The evaluation included 51 hours of shadowing 17 students, 55 hours of classroom observations, and individual meetings with 34 teachers.

NEASC pointed out two targets of education:

1.Teaching and Learning Standards, which includes, mission and expectations for student learning, curriculum, instruction, assessment of student learning

2. Support of Teaching and Learning Standards, which includes, leadership and organization, and school and community resources for learning.

A summary of our school profile included:
-Ethnicity: 75% white, 17% Asian, 3.2% Hispanic White and 3% African American
-In 2005-2006, 345 failing grades were distributed. No one was expelled. There were 74 out-of-school suspensions.
-Our school has 88 Clubs.
-88% of students attend 4 year colleges. 5% attend 2 year colleges. 7% other

After reading the 71 page report in its entirety, the Shrinking Quad has a few comments.

“…the mission [statement] also emphasizes the development of healthy students in a supportive environment, and the faculty members and students struggle to promote a balance between this value and the community’s expectations that LHS will prepare students for entrance to the most highly selective colleges and universities…”

The NEASC report, in overtly jargonated language, highlights one of the problems that our school has: stress. A major cause of anxiety at school is the atmosphere of cutthroat competition and the desire to do better than our peers. The school has said that it is aware of the stress levels, yet little has been done to mediate this problem. Then again, there is not much any school can do about stress, as it is student created, and thus to some degree, is inevitable. For stress levels to really change in our high school, it must come from the students. And pigs will most definitely fly before that happens here.

“Academically able and motivated students thrive in this rich and challenging atmosphere, a few students; a few students may remove themselves physically or emotionally by repeatedly coming late, unchallenged to class, sleeping in class, or remaining passive while their peers are actively engaged in learning”

Certainly there are some students who are simply not motivated and are “remaining passive”, but there are also those who are academically driven who have days when they simply just don’t want to be at school. Doesn’t everyone have days like that? Was it fair for NEASC to judge students based on if they were asleep in class? What if those select few were just having an “off” day? Honestly, most of us never get an adequate amount of sleep, so excuse us for dozing off in class? The students here are pressed for time, always busy with extracurriculars and challenging curriculums– its pretty easy for us to become apathetic and tired. However, TSQ does recognize that sometimes the academic competition at our school is not always healthy, and thus, some people choose to not participate in school.

“…the use of technology to support teaching and learning is inadequate, especially given the community’s expectations that students will be prepared for the 21st century”

Our internet server may be slow, but we’d hesitate to say that the amount of technology is inadequate. In fact, sometimes too much technology interferes with learning. We have access to Smart Boards, projectors, new computers and other technological devices. We could use a bit updating here or there, but I think NEASC went a bit overboard about how awful our technology is at our school. I mean, the only thing we really need to know how to do is use a computer, and we think most of us have got that down pat. Smartboards are not absolutely necessary to prepare us for the 21st century. And even if we did have shiny new technological devices, it would in no way reflect the extent of the ability of the school has in imparting education to us. Learning is learning with or without all the contraptions of the 21st century.

“Faculty members feel many students take on too many activities and demanding classes. Counselors say that it is not uncommon for students to feel that their worth is connected to how well they perform in school and as demonstrated through college acceptances.”

Truth. I think many students can attest to this sentiment. Once again, its a deadly cycle perpetuated by us, the students.

“Librarians also collect and make available textbooks to students so that they can complete homework assignments…”

That is, if they actually let you in the library.

“Sewage seeping up through floor in workout room…inadequate ventilation of science labs…limited cafeteria space that means the cafeterias cannot accommodate all students for lunch, requiring students go off campus to eat or eat in hallways…general dissatisfaction with the 2002 renovation…visible signs of wear and lack of attention…At present, the custodians are limited in their ability to address more than the daily needs of the building.”

‘Nuff said.

Four years ago, Lexington High School was listed among the Top 300 schools in the nation. It’s appalling to see how far (down the list) we’ve come.

-Reader Requested Article

What We’re Listening To…

Here are The Shrinking Quad’s Music Recommendations for the Weekend. Hope you enjoy!
Note: We’ll be using Imeem to post our playlists.  However, it’s tricky for you all to listen because WordPress does not allow us to embed it into the post. If you want to listen to all these tracks in one place, follow the link, http://www.imeem.com/people/nNH-Ycn/playlist/W5Eka97A/weekend_beat_124126_music_playlist/ There’s a catch, Imeem requires their users to create a login to listen. If you happen to like our music taste, it’d be a good investment to create a log-in. Sorry for the hassle!

The Tracks
Warchild- Emmanuel Jal
Trick for Treat- Neon Neon Ft. Spank Rock
Around the Bend- The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
My Old Kentucky Home- KD Ft. Nappy Roots, Villebillies, and Goodfella
Parachute- Shugo Tokamaru
Make You Feel My Love- ADELE
Electric Feel- MGMT
Liquid Dance- A.R Rahman
The Anthem- Pitbull ft. LilJon
D.A.N.C.E- JUSTICE Ft. Spank Rock & Mos Def
Killing Me Softly with His Song- The Fugees
Love Lockdown ( T- 321 Remix)- Kanye West
Sunrise- Yeasayer
Passing the Hat- Cold War Kids
You Spin Me Right Round- Dead or Alive
The World Should Revolve Around Me- Little Jackie