A Student Publication of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School • 1609 Avenue J, Brooklyn, New York • Vol 55, Issue 2 • November 2020 / 5781
Teachers with young children struggle to find balance
Cheating easier and more common online, students say By Adelle Ayash Managing Editor
By Elie Esses Junior Editor
Ms. Marcus (arm) helps her son with school Ms. Marcus, who teaches English to sophomores and seniors and oversees student activities and the SGO, often has to teach over Zoom while at the same time helping her two children, ages 7 and 4 with their own Zoom classes. She described her current situation as “the hardest thing I’ve done—and that says a lot.” Ms. Marcus is one of several Flatbush teachers grappling with those competing responsibilities. While much of the focus of the negative aspects of distance learning has been on the effects it has on students, one group of overlooked victims seem to be the so-called parent-teachers. During the switch to remote learning, select teachers—particularly those raising young children at home—had an extremely difficult time managing the needs of their children while meeting the demands of their jobs. When the school building was originally shut down last March without even two days’ notice, teachers had to scramble to figure out new technology, reinvent their lessons, and approach their jobs in a whole new way. Reflecting on the time, some teachers find certain aspects of that first shift to remote learning more manageable than its current incarnation. Ms.
continued on page 4
In This Issue People: Page 2 D’var Torah: Page 4 Fun and Games: Page 6
As coronavirus precautions continue to keep some classes from being held in the building, Flatbush students say that cheating is easier virtually than it is on in-person assessments, and teachers are looking for new methods to minimize this lack of integrity. A schoolwide survey conducted by The Phoenix revealed that more than 80% of the 269 students responding believe cheating is easier online versus in the classroom, thanks to new possibilities like looking upon answers online, texting classmates, and having open notes. Students also responded that cheating is more attractive than ever before: 71.8% of students said they don’t feel the same weight of cheating when at home as they do in the school building, and this had led to a large uptick in students being dishonest on exams. This year’s uncertain nature of how long remote learning will last and when
it might be required again, coupled with teachers’ need to assess students’ understanding of the coursework, has led to much more frequent virtual testing than in the spring. Last year, the statewide lockdown began late in the school year and by the time there was permanence to virtual learning it was already late April. This left teachers with very minimal testing left to administer before the end of the school year. This fall, however, distance learning from the beginning of the school year has created a necessity for more virtual testing, providing more opportunities for students to take shortcuts. Many teachers have been working on new methods of testing that combat cheating’s new accessibility. Chemistry teacher Ms. Goldberg said that chemistry students need to be tested rigorously and often in order to succeed, so she has had to figure ways to ensure her students are not cheating. “In the classroom I can monitor student’s behavior,” she noted, but at home the students have more ac-
cess to more materials and “it’s next to impossible to be sure the usual tests I give are being taken honestly.” She said she has implemented new practices including making multiple versions of each assessment, giving more free-response quizzes and tests, and using the website Socrative, which randomizes the order of questions and choices, all “to ensure the students’ work is truly their own.” Additionally, Ms. Goldberg now requires the use of two Zooming devices so that she can see the assessment and the student simultaneously. Many other teachers, like Ms. Chabot, have used the same strategy and are pleased with the outcome. Ms. Chabot remarked that any dishonest movement is noticeable in the way she sets up her exams. Any lip movements or typing gestures are not necessary and indicate to her possible misconduct. Because this is known by the students, there is less cheating, she said. Several teachers, including Ms. Gold-
continued on page 4
Robinhood brings students into stock market, fueling craze By Natalie Ryba Fun and Games Editor
To many high school students, investing in the stock market sounds like a daunting concept that can only be managed by tycoons on Wall Street. But to a growing group of Flatbush students, investing real money in the market has become a popular activity. Some students are attracted to the dynamics of the market, but others are fixated on earning money while working smarter but not harder. “Instead of holding my money in a bank or in my pocket I invest it into stocks and let it grow for a long period of time,” senior Alan Frastai explained. “By doing this my money can double or maybe even triple in 10 years.”
Entertainment: Tehran: Israel’s latest spy thriller Page 5
Classmate David Shalam agreed: “The stock market has the potential for the highest return.” Shalam estimates that at least a quarter of the boys at Flatbush regularly trade in the stock market. Most students trade online through Robinhood Industries, a brokerage company that facilitates trades without charging commission. Legally, investors must be at least 18 years old, so students usually trade through accounts in a parent’s name. Any investment comes with risk, and there is no guarantee of gains rather than losses. Senior Morris Hanan, like most students, researches companies he’s interested in before spending any money. “I put in the amount of money that I feel reasonable [based on] how well I think the company would do,” Hanan ex-
Fashion: It’s time for Brunch ... slippers Page 7
plained. He suggested that any investor should “read many articles and look into the company’s earnings.” Research can be done online, or by watching finance-oriented TV networks like CNBC and Bloomberg TV. Investors typically look at a company’s revenue (total sales), earnings (profits), assets, liabilities, other financial metrics to help them determine if the company will be profitable in the future. At Flatbush, trading stocks seems to be most common among juniors and seniors, but boys in lower grades are investing as well. The trend also runs across honors and nonhonors classes. Student traders say there is no official commission or organized group, and nobody in charge, just a lot of people who happen to enjoy the same activity.
Sports: Girls’ football? Yes, with a pro QB as coach Page 8 phoenix@flatbush.org | 1