Google Contest Requires Teachers To Praise Google's CS Curriculum For Children (google.com) 31
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes:
Code.org's tech sponsors haven't been shy when it comes to using the annual Hour of Code as an infomercial of sorts, and it seems unlikely 2019 will be any different. For this year's event, Google is not only offering Code Your Hero, a one-hour coding activity for kids from Google CS First, it's also asking educators to sing the praises of Google CS First in the already-underway Code Your Hero Social Media Teacher Contest. From the Code Your Hero Official Rules:
"The Code Your Hero Social Media Teacher Contest (the "Contest") is a skill contest where entrants must submit an essay that describes what teachers like best about using CS First for Hour of Code. [...] To enter the Contest, visit the Contest website located at TBD ('Contest Site') during the Contest Period and follow the instructions for submitting an entry that consists of screenshots or photos of students' saved work in Scratch (requires CS First account registration for teachers and students) and brief description of why CS First was helpful in the classroom. Entries are posted to social media using both of these hashtags: '#csfirsthourofcode' and '#codeyourhero' to qualify."
"The Code Your Hero Social Media Teacher Contest (the "Contest") is a skill contest where entrants must submit an essay that describes what teachers like best about using CS First for Hour of Code. [...] To enter the Contest, visit the Contest website located at TBD ('Contest Site') during the Contest Period and follow the instructions for submitting an entry that consists of screenshots or photos of students' saved work in Scratch (requires CS First account registration for teachers and students) and brief description of why CS First was helpful in the classroom. Entries are posted to social media using both of these hashtags: '#csfirsthourofcode' and '#codeyourhero' to qualify."
theodp (Score:2)
Man, that guy really hates CS education. He keeps submitting this crap. What is his deal? Is he afraid some kids are going to take his jerb?
Re: theodp (Score:3, Informative)
Teachers submitting photos of students? You'd better have the parents written permission first.
Re: (Score:2)
Please explain your assertion. And first of all the title itself is false - it doesn't REQUIRE teachers to do anything. It is describing the rules of some contest. You don't need to enter the contest. I hate Google as much as anyone, but I fail to see why theodp keeps pushing his anti-code.org whatever drivel. We get it: you are insecure about your jerb.
You are being tedious (Score:2)
This is a nonsense argument. Stop being so brittle and tender. I'd say "snowflake" but unfortunate that word was hijacked by the right wing nut balls and became a trigger word for left wing nut balls. But if it were 6 years ago I'd say you are being like a snowflake
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I'd say "snowflake" but unfortunate that word was hijacked by the right wing nut balls and became a trigger word for left wing nut balls.
Yeah, that's so ridiculous. Snowflakes are white, and fragile. It's obviously a better name for conservacucks who shout "no participation trophy" and then get all butt-hurt about statues of losers of the civil war.
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Only "Insightful" comment of the discussion? I wish I had noticed the story before it was about to fall of the front page and effectively expire...
Anyway, I'm filing it as additional evidence of the motto change from "Don't be evil" to "All your attention are belong to us".
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Read the summary. It says photos of their work, not photos of them.
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The major companies like Google, Facebook, Oracle and a number of other unnamed but "you probably know who they are" companies are asserting behavior similar to totalitarian states.
Maybe it's time to look at legislations like "Freedom of speech" and not constrain them to governmental abuse. Many of the major companies today are more powerful than many governments and are effectively virtual governments.
Giving away prizes == totalitarian state (Score:2)
Google is giving away prizes to teachers as a tool for promoting an educational program and you think that's "behavior similar to totalitarian states". I can see you've haven't been keen on education since at least sixth grade od that's what you think totalitarian states do.
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Time to make a deeper study then for you - totalitarian states uses both carrot and stick. Start with a small carrot and then take it away when you are almost there. Then use the stick.
Shame on the editors (Score:2)
Amen that the first post is spot on. Mod it up. Now it's time to shame the editors.
Re: (Score:2)
Ads not Ada...
Re: (Score:1)
Not CS education in general, I think. But he seems to hate that contest, and I agree. The contest is a rather obvious try to get free advertisement.
An essay about what teachers like best about using CS First for Hour of Code? And limited to 200 characters? That only leaves room for an advertisement slogan. Not for an evaluation of pros and cons. I think that does not qualify as an essay.
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No he hates code.org and all that crap. Just another insecure guy who is afraid of losing his jerb to....educated kids.
Google has marketing!?!?! Promoting education? (Score:2)
Yeah it's pretty awful that they are promoting an educational program.
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Coding is peripheral to CS, and an "hour of code" is really, really nothing resembling effective CS education. Or effective coding education, for that matter. It's feel-good PR bullshit.
As if coding is the only worthwhile future (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
How to better block any new versions of an ad blocker?
Do you often randomly insert ONLY into sentences? (Score:2)
Do you often randomly insert "only" into other people's sentences for no apparent reason?
If somebody you know says "I'm going to the store", do you reply "you're the only one going to a store today?"
Just violate your personal integrity, teachers... (Score:2)
...so Google can drive down Engineer salaries.
I'll believe any of this has the slightest intent of social benefit when Google sponsors education for doctors and nurses, and hospital chains sponsor education for software developers.
Until then it's just a self-serving corporate profit maximization strategy, co-opting the taxpayers who provide the infrastructure, and selling the children, for nothing but the standard banal money motives.
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Anddd this what is all about: your "salaries". Lets not educate ANYONE. That was our salaries are safe!!! YAY for theodp!
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Lets not educate ANYONE
After reading your "sentences" above, I 'm wondering if we're already there. ;)
Growing more despicable every day (Score:2)
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They can't hear you over the rustling from their big bed full of money.
Education (Score:1)