Signal The
What’s inside: See Page 3 if you’re looking to donate some facial hair.
Buzzing For More News?
Check out more of our stories and ‘like’ our Facebook page at signalnews.blogspot.com
October, 2013
Teachers have the authority to invade students privacy By Derrick Johnson Reporter
Teachers now have access to a computer program called Hepara Teacher Dashboard that allows teachers to see what you are doing with your Chromebook at all times. It is believed that students waste their time during class using social media or playing games when they should be working. The Hepara Teacher Dashboard allows teachers to see what each student is doing while they are in class, close or open unneeded tabs, and help students manage their Google Drive. Having to adapt to the Teacher Dashboard has been difficult for many of
Photo by Derrick Johnson; Erin Grachek checking Hepara Dashboard.
the TJ student body. Many believe that this program is an invasion of privacy and it is taking away from their freedom. Since not all students are the same, it’s affecting everyone differently. Sophomore Jeffery
Griffin doesn’t like the new program and prefers the way things were last year. He feels that it is unnecessary and the students should be trusted enough to use their own Chromebook without someone looking at them.
Opposed opinions about TJ Reads By Hannah-Grace Northam Reporter
Tj Reads is a certain amount of time put aside for students to read a book or two. The school started using this method roughly five or six years ago as a way to get students interested in reading and to help improve their reading skills. When TJ Reads first started, the teachers and staff were reading during this period to model for students. Recently, teachers and staff began to monitor students to keep them on task. Also, one of the new changes involves students only reading books, not digital readers or magazines and newspapers. Most students have said that they don’t like TJ Reads and they feel that it doesn’t improve their reading skills. While teachers are all for it because they want students to be inter-
Photo by Teah Gilmore; Martina Weaver reading in TJ Reads. ested in reading. “I wish I had a time during the school day when I could’ve sat down and read,” said culinary teacher Mrs. Kathy Straub. “I never had that opportunity.” Junior Eric Ringberg said he does not like to read, but he does think that it helps improve students’ vocabulary skills. Junior Lukas Exline said that he does like TJ Reads because it’s a free
time to think and it gives people time to organize. Although, Exline did go on to say that he is disappointed about how people cannot use any type of digital reading and that students mainly just mess around during the period. As you can see students and teachers have different opinions on the subject, but mainly TJ Reads is here as a way to help students.
Page 1
“It makes us feel like we have no personal space,” says Griffin. “If they can watch our screens, we should be able to watch theirs.” Language Arts teacher Erica Schnepel likes the program a lot and
Volume 89, Issue 1
uses it everyday. Schnepel disagrees with the negative remarks concerning the program and feels that some people are just overreacting. “I think students are here to do a certain job, any tools to help us with that are good,” says Schnepel. She also believes that the program can help students understand how to use the internet when they are at places like school or work in the future. At TJ, your privacy isn’t so private anymore because you give up your First Amendment rights. Its only been a little more than a month into the school year but it seems like the school administrators are making proper chromebook use a major priority.
Tardy observations by Tucker Center By Brooklyn Holder Copy Editer
Are you late? Then you better buzz in. Tucker Center now locks their doors during class time. “It was a decision made for us and I guess the catalyst was the Sandy Hook incident last year.” said TC Principal Cyle Forney, “It caused the entire district to have a renewed focus on school safety.” Although the purpose was for a different reason, the new doorbell also allows the Tucker Center staff to keep track of who is tardy and helps control the “late” situations. If a student who
travels in their own vehicle arrives late, they will have to buzz the main office of TC. There may be a freeby for you, but it depends on the circumstances. “Five or more tardies will result in a loss of driving privileges and those students will have to take the provided buses,” explained Forney. On occasion the buses run late. If this happens then students will need to buzz the office and let them know the bus was late. These students will not be held accountable for something they cannot control. When you are late, you are late. Take responsibility and, if necessary, take the bus.