Where in the World Isn't Bob Saget?

[PUSH]

Google Chrome for the past year when I go to my print options to save a PDF to my Google Drive: "This feature will not be available after December."

Google Chrome today: Lets me save a PDF to my Google Drive from the print options.

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

Google Chrome for the past year when I go to my print options to save a PDF to my Google Drive: "This feature will not be available after December."

Google Chrome today: Lets me save a PDF to my Google Drive from the print options.

Well that's good news. I have a somewhat related story. In this house we have a family Samsung laptop that still runs on Windows 7! For the longest time Microsoft said it would stop supporting Windows 7 ...no updates. There was a date about a year ago that I held my breath when that date arrived. Yet nothing has changed. I can still use that laptop and once in a blue moon I have to wait while Microsoft runs updates.

 

[PUSH]

Well that's good news. I have a somewhat related story. In this house we have a family Samsung laptop that still runs on Windows 7! For the longest time Microsoft said it would stop supporting Windows 7 ...no updates. There was a date about a year ago that I held my breath when that date arrived. Yet nothing has changed. I can still use that laptop and once in a blue moon I have to wait while Microsoft runs updates.

We had Windows 7 at our school until the middle of last year. The desktops were incredibly old. It took me 15 minutes to boot it up and pull up all of my tabs each morning. It took about 3 minutes to load the Smart Notebook software I use every day. The only reason we updated them is because they weren't going to be able to run MAP tests anymore. Otherwise we'd still have them.

Now we have Windows 10 with the new desktops, and I can pull everything up in a few minutes. I don't have to pull all of my programs up in the morning anymore to have them ready. I can actually open a program right before I'm about to use it and not have 3 minutes of dead time.

Of course they didn't replace the monitors. Those are ancient still.

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

We had Windows 7 at our school until the middle of last year. The desktops were incredibly old. It took me 15 minutes to boot it up and pull up all of my tabs each morning. It took about 3 minutes to load the Smart Notebook software I use every day. The only reason we updated them is because they weren't going to be able to run MAP tests anymore. Otherwise we'd still have them.

Now we have Windows 10 with the new desktops, and I can pull everything up in a few minutes. I don't have to pull all of my programs up in the morning anymore to have them ready. I can actually open a program right before I'm about to use it and not have 3 minutes of dead time.

Of course they didn't replace the monitors. Those are ancient still.

We use these in my school....

 

[PUSH]

We use these in my school....View attachment 521864

Staff has those, too, at my school. Not sure how yours work, but our are the slowest piece of garbage. You can't do a Google Meet or Zoom on them. Students have Chromebooks with touch screens that work much better than the ones staff have. At least through 2nd grade. I think 3rd and up have ones without touch screens.

 

[Wrangler-Rick]

We had Windows 7 at our school until the middle of last year. The desktops were incredibly old. It took me 15 minutes to boot it up and pull up all of my tabs each morning. It took about 3 minutes to load the Smart Notebook software I use every day. The only reason we updated them is because they weren't going to be able to run MAP tests anymore. Otherwise we'd still have them.

Now we have Windows 10 with the new desktops, and I can pull everything up in a few minutes. I don't have to pull all of my programs up in the morning anymore to have them ready. I can actually open a program right before I'm about to use it and not have 3 minutes of dead time.

Of course they didn't replace the monitors. Those are ancient still.

You had it good. We had to use these...

 

[trr1]

seems as if it was just new years day

 

[MinnieM123]

seems as it was just new years day

View attachment 521883

Better that, than them putting out Easter candy displays!

 

[JenniferS]

Better that, than them putting out Easter candy displays!

We had to go to Lowe’s before lockdown ... they’ve got patio furniture and barbecues out.

In Florida ... sure. In Ontario ... nope.

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

We had Windows 7 at our school until the middle of last year. The desktops were incredibly old. It took me 15 minutes to boot it up and pull up all of my tabs each morning. It took about 3 minutes to load the Smart Notebook software I use every day. The only reason we updated them is because they weren't going to be able to run MAP tests anymore. Otherwise we'd still have them.

Now we have Windows 10 with the new desktops, and I can pull everything up in a few minutes. I don't have to pull all of my programs up in the morning anymore to have them ready. I can actually open a program right before I'm about to use it and not have 3 minutes of dead time.

Of course they didn't replace the monitors. Those are ancient still.

Staff has those, too, at my school. Not sure how yours work, but our are the slowest piece of garbage. You can't do a Google Meet or Zoom on them. Students have Chromebooks with touch screens that work much better than the ones staff have. At least through 2nd grade. I think 3rd and up have ones without touch screens.

You are probably thinking of the smaller Chromebooks.
This is a Windows 10 laptop. I bring it home and have been using it to post with you today.
Open it up and you are instantly on the internet and it moves from site to site super fast.
This IS what I use for Google Meet (and last year for Zoom)

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

We use these in my school....View attachment 521864

I looked on the underneath and then found this video....

 

[Songbird76]

We had Windows 7 at our school until the middle of last year. The desktops were incredibly old. It took me 15 minutes to boot it up and pull up all of my tabs each morning. It took about 3 minutes to load the Smart Notebook software I use every day. The only reason we updated them is because they weren't going to be able to run MAP tests anymore. Otherwise we'd still have them.

Now we have Windows 10 with the new desktops, and I can pull everything up in a few minutes. I don't have to pull all of my programs up in the morning anymore to have them ready. I can actually open a program right before I'm about to use it and not have 3 minutes of dead time.

Of course they didn't replace the monitors. Those are ancient still.

Map....those are standardized tests, right? What does MAP stand for? We used to take 2 different standardized tests each year....Iowa Basics and I want to say Map 7, but maybe it was Mat7. I don't know.

edit: now that I think about it, I think it was Mat 6 and Iowa Basic. I don't know where I got 7.

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

Map....those are standardized tests, right? What does MAP stand for? We used to take 2 different standardized tests each year....Iowa Basics and I want to say Map 7, but maybe it was Mat7. I don't know.

MAP = Measure of Academic Progress (according to Google)

 

[Songbird76]

MAP = Measure of Academic Progress (according to Google)

That makes sense. So it's not a test. Sounds like our Cito....don't know what that stands for, but twice a year, elementary school kids are tested to see where they are in their education and it's measured against the average. So they take one around November, and one around March to see if they've progressed, and you see where they compare to other kids in their grade level. Are they at grade level, above grade level, or below grade level, and which percentage of students score in that range. It's made to be pretty difficult so the top 10 percent or so score in the "outstanding" range, then 20% in the "above average", 20-30% "satisfactory", 20% "unsatisfactory", and 10-20% "Poor". It has spelling, vocabulary, math, grammar, and reading. Then in 6th grade, they take the final test, which is the same kind of set up, but fewer sections I think? And it's harder and you get an actual number score, kind of like an ACT or SAT to tell you what level of high school you are allowed to do, and your teacher gives advice about which level they think fits you best, based on those 2 annual tests each year. If you consistently score in the "outstanding" range in Math and Reading, they predict you will also score in the top level of the final, and that will be their recommendation for you....then the final is just a confirmation of what your teacher predicted. If you score higher than your teacher thought, they have to look again and they can (but are not obligated to) change your recommendation. If you score lower than your teacher expected, they figure the teacher knows you better, and you maybe had test anxiety or a bad week, etc and give you the benefit of the doubt.

Is the MAP system used for anything in particular? Or just to catch it if a student is struggling in a particular area, has a learning disability, etc? That's what ours is primarily used for...who needs extra resources because they are either gifted or they may have a learning disability, or something other extenuating circumstances that require attention. It's a pretty good system for the most part. They changed the final just a few years before my kids got to that age. It used to be that the test was the determining factor, and the teacher recommendation was based on how you scored on that final. They reversed it because there are kids who don't test well, but can actually handle more, and others who were really good at guessing, but then bombed when they got to high school. Teachers spend every day with the kids and know which kids are consistently getting good grades and which ones have more problems. A test only measures that moment, and if you're sick, or have test anxiety, or you didn't sleep well, or there's something going on in your life like your parents getting divorced, that can affect your scores a lot. It's much more fair now that they rely on the teachers' opinions and just use the test to confirm that.

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

That makes sense. So it's not a test. Sounds like our Cito....don't know what that stands for, but twice a year, elementary school kids are tested to see where they are in their education and it's measured against the average. So they take one around November, and one around March to see if they've progressed, and you see where they compare to other kids in their grade level. Are they at grade level, above grade level, or below grade level, and which percentage of students score in that range. It's made to be pretty difficult so the top 10 percent or so score in the "outstanding" range, then 20% in the "above average", 20-30% "satisfactory", 20% "unsatisfactory", and 10-20% "Poor". It has spelling, vocabulary, math, grammar, and reading. Then in 6th grade, they take the final test, which is the same kind of set up, but fewer sections I think? And it's harder and you get an actual number score, kind of like an ACT or SAT to tell you what level of high school you are allowed to do, and your teacher gives advice about which level they think fits you best, based on those 2 annual tests each year. If you consistently score in the "outstanding" range in Math and Reading, they predict you will also score in the top level of the final, and that will be their recommendation for you....then the final is just a confirmation of what your teacher predicted. If you score higher than your teacher thought, they have to look again and they can (but are not obligated to) change your recommendation. If you score lower than your teacher expected, they figure the teacher knows you better, and you maybe had test anxiety or a bad week, etc and give you the benefit of the doubt.

Is the MAP system used for anything in particular? Or just to catch it if a student is struggling in a particular area, has a learning disability, etc? That's what ours is primarily used for...who needs extra resources because they are either gifted or they may have a learning disability, or something other extenuating circumstances that require attention. It's a pretty good system for the most part. They changed the final just a few years before my kids got to that age. It used to be that the test was the determining factor, and the teacher recommendation was based on how you scored on that final. They reversed it because there are kids who don't test well, but can actually handle more, and others who were really good at guessing, but then bombed when they got to high school. Teachers spend every day with the kids and know which kids are consistently getting good grades and which ones have more problems. A test only measures that moment, and if you're sick, or have test anxiety, or you didn't sleep well, or there's something going on in your life like your parents getting divorced, that can affect your scores a lot. It's much more fair now that they rely on the teachers' opinions and just use the test to confirm that.

Remember I am a school band director. @PUSH will surely be in a stronger position to respond to you @Songbird76

 

[Songbird76]

Remember I am a school band director. @PUSH will surely be in a stronger position to respond to you @Songbird76

Yeah, I thought you might know, as a parent. But your system might be different, too. I'm sure different schools use different systems and resources.

 

[PUSH]

You are probably thinking of the smaller Chromebooks.
This is a Windows 10 laptop. I bring it home and have been using it to post with you today.
Open it up and you are instantly on the internet and it moves from site to site super fast.
This IS what I use for Google Meet (and last year for Zoom)

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking of. It looks 100% identical, though. Just didn't have a size reference!

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

That makes sense. So it's not a test. Sounds like our Cito....don't know what that stands for, but twice a year, elementary school kids are tested to see where they are in their education and it's measured against the average. So they take one around November, and one around March to see if they've progressed, and you see where they compare to other kids in their grade level. Are they at grade level, above grade level, or below grade level, and which percentage of students score in that range. It's made to be pretty difficult so the top 10 percent or so score in the "outstanding" range, then 20% in the "above average", 20-30% "satisfactory", 20% "unsatisfactory", and 10-20% "Poor". It has spelling, vocabulary, math, grammar, and reading. Then in 6th grade, they take the final test, which is the same kind of set up, but fewer sections I think? And it's harder and you get an actual number score, kind of like an ACT or SAT to tell you what level of high school you are allowed to do, and your teacher gives advice about which level they think fits you best, based on those 2 annual tests each year. If you consistently score in the "outstanding" range in Math and Reading, they predict you will also score in the top level of the final, and that will be their recommendation for you....then the final is just a confirmation of what your teacher predicted. If you score higher than your teacher thought, they have to look again and they can (but are not obligated to) change your recommendation. If you score lower than your teacher expected, they figure the teacher knows you better, and you maybe had test anxiety or a bad week, etc and give you the benefit of the doubt.

Is the MAP system used for anything in particular? Or just to catch it if a student is struggling in a particular area, has a learning disability, etc? That's what ours is primarily used for...who needs extra resources because they are either gifted or they may have a learning disability, or something other extenuating circumstances that require attention. It's a pretty good system for the most part. They changed the final just a few years before my kids got to that age. It used to be that the test was the determining factor, and the teacher recommendation was based on how you scored on that final. They reversed it because there are kids who don't test well, but can actually handle more, and others who were really good at guessing, but then bombed when they got to high school. Teachers spend every day with the kids and know which kids are consistently getting good grades and which ones have more problems. A test only measures that moment, and if you're sick, or have test anxiety, or you didn't sleep well, or there's something going on in your life like your parents getting divorced, that can affect your scores a lot. It's much more fair now that they rely on the teachers' opinions and just use the test to confirm that.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking of. It looks 100% identical, though. Just didn't have a size reference!

Absolutely agree. When I was told we were getting these I was thinking of what you described. Luckily it was something better

 

[PUSH]

That makes sense. So it's not a test. Sounds like our Cito....don't know what that stands for, but twice a year, elementary school kids are tested to see where they are in their education and it's measured against the average. So they take one around November, and one around March to see if they've progressed, and you see where they compare to other kids in their grade level. Are they at grade level, above grade level, or below grade level, and which percentage of students score in that range. It's made to be pretty difficult so the top 10 percent or so score in the "outstanding" range, then 20% in the "above average", 20-30% "satisfactory", 20% "unsatisfactory", and 10-20% "Poor". It has spelling, vocabulary, math, grammar, and reading. Then in 6th grade, they take the final test, which is the same kind of set up, but fewer sections I think? And it's harder and you get an actual number score, kind of like an ACT or SAT to tell you what level of high school you are allowed to do, and your teacher gives advice about which level they think fits you best, based on those 2 annual tests each year. If you consistently score in the "outstanding" range in Math and Reading, they predict you will also score in the top level of the final, and that will be their recommendation for you....then the final is just a confirmation of what your teacher predicted. If you score higher than your teacher thought, they have to look again and they can (but are not obligated to) change your recommendation. If you score lower than your teacher expected, they figure the teacher knows you better, and you maybe had test anxiety or a bad week, etc and give you the benefit of the doubt.

Is the MAP system used for anything in particular? Or just to catch it if a student is struggling in a particular area, has a learning disability, etc? That's what ours is primarily used for...who needs extra resources because they are either gifted or they may have a learning disability, or something other extenuating circumstances that require attention. It's a pretty good system for the most part. They changed the final just a few years before my kids got to that age. It used to be that the test was the determining factor, and the teacher recommendation was based on how you scored on that final. They reversed it because there are kids who don't test well, but can actually handle more, and others who were really good at guessing, but then bombed when they got to high school. Teachers spend every day with the kids and know which kids are consistently getting good grades and which ones have more problems. A test only measures that moment, and if you're sick, or have test anxiety, or you didn't sleep well, or there's something going on in your life like your parents getting divorced, that can affect your scores a lot. It's much more fair now that they rely on the teachers' opinions and just use the test to confirm that.

A MAP test is a standardized test. The two big ones around here are MAP and STAR. They are totally BS, and have no meaning to teachers, but are used to make practically all big decisions. We use them to get funding and to rank our school on the state report cards. Our district uses them to form intervention groups (don't get me started on that... so many flaws). When I have to tell parents the scores, I flat out tell them that they are one test, and often don't accurately show where their child's level is at. But parents get so worked up by them. That's the culture we've built over decades of non-educators making decisions in education. But that's a whole separate conversation.

 

[PUSH]

So the Packers win, finish their regular season 13-3 and lock up the #1 seed in the playoffs! That's super important this year because only the #1 seed gets a first round bye. Previously, the 1st and 2nd seeds got a bye, but the rules changed. That also means that the Packers get home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

On top of that, today likely locked up an MVP award for Aaron Rodgers, making it his 3rd and joining just 3 other players to win 3. WR Davante Adams also broke the franchise record for receptions in a season, and tied for 3rd place all-time in most TD receptions in a season. All while missing 2.5 games due to injury.

Absolutely magical season for our offense, but we have three more games to win!