I’m totally cut off from the internet at work, not just me but all my fellow ALTs. We also aren’t allowed to have teacher’s editions of the textbooks.
Is being cut off from the internet at work and not being given teacher’s editions of the books normal? Has ALTing always been this way?
My company holds all these trainings about all these activities I can make and use in class but I’m not even allowed to use a computer at work.
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It’s normal to not be given a teacher’s version of the textbooks. They are enormously expensive compared to the student editions and they just aren’t required by ALTs.
As for no internet access, that’s not unusual. The schools are furiously afraid of data compromise, and they tend to just blanket ban everything they don’t absolutely need.
Consider asking if there’s a shared PC you can have access to, or bringing your own device (and keeping it off the school network, relying on your data plan.) I’ve known a number of ALTs get by this way.
I just connect with my phone.
I use my own computer off the school network. I also have a ton of clip art that could be related to school so if I have time I create my worksheets without the need of internet. If I find something interesting on my phone I just transfer it to my laptop.
As for the teachers edition books, my school has an ALT set but it’s not really needed.
Happened to me at multiple schools. Would even argue it’s quite common. There should be a shared pc connected to the internet you can just hop on. There’s one in my JHS connected to the time clock and I can often be found there printing worksheets or ripping images from Google.
Part of the deals the dispatch companies make with the client schools is that the dispatch ALTs or teachers have access to school resources to plan, prepare, and implement activities and lessons. If your school doesn’t feel it’s necessary for you to have internet access to do so, then that should also apply to using your own devices and personal internet access.
If there’s no shared computer with internet access that you’re allowed to use, simply plan your activities and lessons without resourcing the materials available online. If your school or dispatch company complains about the quality of your activities, you can point out that without being able to access the plethora of engaging and educational lesson ideas available online, you’re limited as to what you can conjure up on your own. If you worked in a supermarket, you wouldn’t be expected to bring your own battery-powered cash register to ring up purchases.
A lot of schools find the internet to be scary. What if students data is leaked on to the dark web?
When I worked for Nagoya BoE, no computers for non full time staff (inc ALT), couldn’t bring in our own pc either, and they only provided the student text book to ALTs. A certain ALT company kept trying to force its ALTs to work at home after school to produce materials even though we would spend lots of time at school with little to do.
Most English Textbook companies produce a ‘activities with the ALT book’ but teachers rarely have it, or don’t want to use it.
I wouldn’t say no teacher’s edition is normal, but it’s common.
As for internet, if you are a dispatch employee at a public school with an inept IT ~~department~~ *sensei*, it wouldn’t surprise me if you aren’t on the network, but if you’re a direct hire or at a private school and still aren’t on the network, that starts to look more like a warning sign of deeper problems to come.
Yes, no WiFi access given because of “security” so I hotspot from my phone. One school however is in a location where my phone doesn’t even receive coverage so it’s completely offline for me there.
Also, don’t have teacher textbook. Wish I did though.
No wifi at all. So I advance all my work so I can be more prepared. I craft the template of my materials at home and finish it at home or download all resources that I need and finish it at school.
My recommendation is get really good with word and transferring pictures from your phone to PC. My phone doesn’t allow tethering because softbank is a crap company
I know the ALTs at my school have their own separate data network from the actual school servers, which can lead to some confusion when they’d go “I put today’s PowerPoint up on the network, can’t you just grab it?” Actually no, I can’t, and even if I could access it on the main school server, I’d need the vice-principal to sign off on transferring the data stored there to a separate device to use in the classroom. (We use Dropbox now)
At least for English textbooks, generally we only get 3 copies of the teacher’s edition at a time, and that would be for the entire length of time the textbook is used by the school, not just that class year. If only 2 teachers are teaching that class, the ALT can use the extra (but of course they have to give it back). Regular student copies usually have a decent number of spares, which get added to annually.
I hope they at least let you use the fax machine.
My school provides me a tablet which is connected to the school’s internet, but my own personal devices can’t be connected. It’s the same for all of the teachers at the school – work devices that are strictly for work only can access the internet, personal devices can’t.
It’s a weird thing that is not entirely uncommon in Japan in general – people seem to think that allowing someone to use the wi-fi will let them steal all your data and sensitive information and whatnot. You get used to it.
Within the teacher’s room, I have no internet access so I tether. WIthin the classroom if I need to use any tech I will prepare ahead of time to make sure the internet is not necessary. If there are videos, I will download ahead of time.
The school network is strict about access but I still have access to printers, so for the most part it is no problem.
I do have access to a tablet that is shared between teachers who rotate throughout the week (ALT, Art teacher, Home Ec. teacher). Rarely use it though.
Never had internet since moving to dispatch. The change did my head in until I stopped caring. The photocopier is my friend, and really I’m not paid enough to do much more.
I made a lot of my materials by hand, using the textbooks, the photocopier, and a pair of scissors. I made some pretty janky materials in the beginning, but they worked.
Edited
Kumamoto city BOE doesn’t give teachers editions of the books unless we request it, same with the digital. But we do get tablets with hotspot wifi.
Wow really? My private school gives us a laptop, an ipad mini and there is a seperate wifi for students and teachers. They are very pro technology. They are probably spying on me but I just use it freely 😀
I’m a firm believer that for every stupid rule, there’s a stupid person who did a stupid thing somewhere at the beginning.
If your BoE is extremely adverse to internet access for ALTS, I can almost guarantee you that at some point, an ALT did something stupid on a school computer.
Can I be *that guy* and say if you can see what the students are learning (via the student book) you should probably be able to teach it. In case that wasn’t clear, if you’re a decent teacher you shouldn’t need a manual or a teachers book (not saying it isn’t helpful though).
I was always of the belief that schools don’t want you applying for other jobs at their expense. lol
Some schools give alts their own work laptop with internet. Some have an open pc anybody can use. Some schools have no computers for alts to use, prevent ALTs from bringing their own in, and don’t allow you to connect a USB thumb drive to their computers. Some don’t allow that, but for some reason allow a microsd to be put in the computer.
Some schools, the teachers are on their phones during downtime, some schools have no cell service in their building.
Every school has their own thing. But many schools don’t have teachers editions for the alt.
The schools know you will just sit around on Reddit all day if you get Internet access.