Yet another reason not to read this blog: If you do so on a CPS computer, an embarrassing alarm sound might go off and all your co-workers will think you’re surfing porn or buying things on eBay again instead of tracking the latest education news.
That’s what I hear from a reader — not the first time. But apparently the problem has gotten worse lately. No surprise since CPS has tried to ban social networking and unofficial email and texting. A ban on D299 doesn’t seem all that surprising. Not that anyone should be checking this site out when they should be working, of course.
Filed under: 125 S. Clark Street, Site News
I dont think that CPS is blocking the blog. The alarms go off when accessing the blog due to the facebook ad on the page. Same thing happens with the tribune site.
Facebook Connect set it off. As more sites add such widgets/code to their sites, we can see more alarms will go off. Too bad there is no alarm for each lie pushed by CPS Top administration.
so much for my delusions of importance... a crushing blow.
amazing that they can't figure out how to not have ads and facebook code set the alarm of, though.
or are the alarms like car alarms used to be -- no one really notices they're so common?
the $64,000 question is, is CPS ITS monitoring those of us who read 299 from a CPS computer, even if you do it after school?
Just use your common sense. If you don't hit sites that Alexander posts such as the longshavedcock one attacking Huberman's sexuality in a profoundly pornographic way (thanks for the headsup two days later on that one!), I don't think CPS has any reason to question our web choices regarding this blog when we are on school computers. Except for these occasional
Tone
I am on the internet all day long helping students
With research. Lately that annoying tone and message
Have been going off for no reason at all.It even blocked
The weather channel, and Harold Washington
I got to a CPS school and the computers basically ban anything that the administrators think might distract students. Facebook, myspace, youtube, basically any social networking site. I understand their reasoning but it sometimes seems to go overboard. Some of us are 17 and 18 years old. Don't we deserve some freedom? If we are on lunch break, it would be nice if we could relax. Of course, there are always going to be students that try to violate their rights, but maybe we can find a way around this.
My experience is that the CPS network bans basically anything that might be remotely educational. This includes cultural study sites and of course any sites that would help teachers build a professional learning community.
I have twice led students on full units exploring Japanese culture and had the site the students were presenting off of get banned the week of the presentations. When I called downtown, I was told that nothing could be done.
Meanwhile, the sites they do get to are often wildly inappropriate.
Sometimes I think it's the jealous abusive spouse situation--where central office is so inept at technology, that we aren't allowed to look at anyone else's or we might notice exactly how bad they are.
I know that sounds harsh. It's just that when the ineptness destroys students' educational opportunities, it hits a sore spot for me.
God forbid teaching staff actually want to know about what's going on in their district.
facebook is forbidden?
Yes. My school uses a math computer program called Cognitive Tutor. The Cognitive Tutor people added Twitter so you could follow them. We couldn't get on the whole day because that blocked it. We had to makea request to downtown which I believe was very formal (involved paperwork) in order to get iunblocked,
good news -- the facebook version of the blog is up and running again -- i think -- for all you FB lovers:
http://bit.ly/5XE6I2
just another way to get the blog posts -- might be easier for some of you
What kind of sound? A whoopie cushion? Nothing like shame as a teaching tool. Except guilt. That works too.
A cow bell, perhaps?
Dear MFM: CPS does NOT want us to have this information. That's the harm: knowledge.
I'm confused. I thought we got past the headline on this blog (no, it's not being banned) and were discussing the poor technology/judgment CPS uses for our computers when we try to access educational sites, etc. Anybody know another large urban district experiencing these same problems? Is this just local to Chicago?
Retired Principal said: Monique Bonds said the new slogan for CPS is "No News First"!
Mythbuster! I get bells and whistles when I try to check on photos of my classroom I sent to Walgreens.com. You are not a legend in your own time yet.
so the bells go off all the time?
facebook, walgreens, what else?
Sites like calculator.com set it off, so that the students can't cheat on a computer-based test.
It's not this blog in particular. An "alarm" buzzer sound goes off when accessing any tribune site. You can't access facebook, period. A screen comes up that says that you will be reported for typing the web address.
The alarm sounds like a ambulance alarm. I had no clue what it was and thought it was a pop up ad at first. I had no reason to believe that an alarm would go off by trying to print a news article from The Chicago Tribune for my class. BTW, I still got to the Tribune all the time and have never received any feedback regarding my usage.
what about twittering pornography like ronnie wants kids to do....
'Birthday Sex' singer encourages CPS attendance
August 4, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Chicago Public Schools raised some eyebrows by asking R&B singer Jeremih Felton to use Twitter to encourage students to return to school.
Every year at this time, Chicago public school officials pull out all the stops trying to get kids back in class for the fall term. This year, they put aside any prudish notions and called on the "Birthday Sex" man to get the job done.
Felton, 21, is a Morgan Park High School alumnus. The singer, whose best known for his hit song "Birthday Sex," has 75,000 followers on Twitter.
"He's agreeing to help twitter many of our students back to school," said Ron Huberman, Chicago Public Schools CEO.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6948346
hey did the IG investigate this? a school district administrator telling students to violate AUP and access social networking sites where they are exposed to pornography, drug use and alcohol use?
I SEE NOTHING!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ag4nkSh7Q