Melanie Kerridge

Recent Activity

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  Melanie signed the petition | 8 months ago

  Tell the FBI: Rape is Rape!
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  Melanie signed the petition | over 1 year ago

  Save Girls from Female Genital Cutting
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  Melanie signed the petition | over 1 year ago

  President Obama: Free the Hungry Billion
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  Melanie signed the petition | over 1 year ago

  Should the front row center seat in the White House press briefing room go to FOX News or NPR?
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  Melanie commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Dear Auntie Siobhan: My Students Won't Put Away Their Phones

  I agree, Marcelle. The word 'bully' came to my mind as well.

  
  

  Cheers.

  
  

  Melanie

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  Melanie commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Dear Auntie Siobhan: My Students Won't Put Away Their Phones

  Dan,

  
  

  My inner 8 year-old wants me to say, "Well, THEY started it." But I won't. Doh! I just did.

  
  

  Ira started with the condescending "Oh, wow. I had hoped we'd see better on a site like this" and Joe continued with his "poor Siobhan" crap and then went on to accuse her of "preferring to be a cop rather than inspire kids." These kinds of remarks naturally inspire defensiveness. I think Siobhan and I and others have done our best to try to remain diplomatic under these circumstances.

  
  

  By the way, I don't even know whether I should take your comment about farriers and calligraphers as a crack or a simple statement of fact.

  
  

  As for the number of cell phones in use in my school...I am lucky enough to teach very small classes, average size about 10 students so it is very easy for me to simply ask my students questions and get a straight answer. I will definitely be bringing this issue up with my students again this fall. Maybe I will post their comments here.

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  Melanie commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Dear Auntie Siobhan: My Students Won't Put Away Their Phones

  Joe,

  
  

  I have to make one last remark in my own defense to this: "I am surprised at the "phonophobia" exhibited - by you and by Melanie particularly..."

  
  

  For cripes' sake, I AM NOT NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN PHONOPHOBIC. I wish you would stop misinterpreting and misrepresenting what I've written to further your own agenda. Can I be more clear?

  
  

  On another point, I am a Canadian and I live in Canada and do not necessarily follow what Obama has been up to lately in terms of educational reform. And I had no idea this site had anything to do with the President of the United States. Are you going to criticize me for that too? Does that make me an Obamaphobe?

  
  

  You make a lot of assumptions which get in the way of us having any real discussion.

  
  

  In conclusion, I accept that cell phones can be very useful learning tools. But nobody should force a teacher to use a technology that he or she is unfamiliar or uncomfortable with. Training and so forth can be offered for teachers in this regard but it all takes time and money.

  
  

  I share my office with an older teacher who still has trouble, despite receiving hours of training, retrieving his phone messages and checking his email. Should he be forced into early retirement because of this? On the other hand, his passion for teaching and his knowledge of history and literature, both French and English, surpass that of almost any other person I know. But because he still writes out his exams by hand and has the secretary type them up, I suppose we should force him to give up a job he loves.

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  Melanie commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Dear Auntie Siobhan: My Students Won't Put Away Their Phones

  Hi Dan,

  
  

  You said "Determining the actual market penetration of cell phones by demographics is fairly simple.  Send me your postal code and I can give you a reasonably accurate number.  (I have doubts about the the accuracy of MK's assertion.)"

  
  

  Are you talking about me and the accuracy of my 'assertion' that "not all of my students own cell phones so using them as a teaching tool would only create a division in the classroom?"

  
  

  In fact, I have used a very simple technique to come to the conclusion that not all of my students possess a cell phone. Let me outline it for you: I stood in front of the class and asked my students to each raise their hand if they owned a cell phones. Some students did not raise their hands which indicated to me that they did not own a cell phone. Are you accusing my students of lying to me?

  
  

  Mel K

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  Melanie commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Dear Auntie Siobhan: My Students Won't Put Away Their Phones

  Hey Joe,

  
  

  I invite you to read my response to Ira above if it strikes your fancy as it may apply to you.

  
  

  Mel K

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  Melanie commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Dear Auntie Siobhan: My Students Won't Put Away Their Phones

  Ira,

  
  

  I would just like to make it clear that I was not expressing my 'feelings.'  I was stating my opinion. I would also like to state very clearly that my feelings have not been hurt in any way during this discussion. Nor am I afraid or angry.

  
  

  No one attacked my 'research.' One poster said he suspected I didn't encourage my students' learning autonomy or something to that effect. This was a judgement on my teaching methods about which he knows nothing. This irritated me as did other things that I  have already mentioned. I don't want to repeat previous posts although I would still appreciate a response to some of the questions I asked you, Ira, above. (Look up, look way up...)

  
  

  If I back away from this forum, it will not be out of fear. It is because I can't take some of you seriously for the reasons mentioned in my previous post.

  
  

  :-)

  
  

  TTFN

  
  

  Mel K