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I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

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Re: I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

#51
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is hardly new. My high school did this over fifteen years ago. This app just shows hour+subject+teacher+room number. Quite useful on days the hours/rooms get switched around because a teacher is on leave. Your paper planner won't inform you that your first hour is in another building tomorrow or that the teacher is ill (and yes, the schedules would change less than 12 hours in advance). It's hardly comparable. A…

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And programmers back in the day managed just fine with punch cards...

Re: I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

#52
Is this a common thing? When I was in school the timetable was printed on paper and applied for the whole term. What are these substitutions and changes and why do they happen frequently enough to need daily updates?

Does the kid have to memorise this in the morning so he knows why rooms to go to?

I don't even think my parents were aware of my school timetable. Why would they be? That was my business. It seems a bit weird to me that parents get involved to such an extent.

Re: I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

#53

Is this a common thing? When I was in school the timetable was printed on paper and applied for the whole term. What are these substitutions and changes and why do they happen frequently enough to need daily updates? Does the kid have to memorise this in the morning so he knows why rooms to go to? I don't even think my parents were aware of my school timetable. Why would they be? That was my business. It seems a bit…

At least in The Netherlands, about 15 years ago when I was in high school, timetables where set for a whole semester, but absent teachers where quite normal meaning some lessons where canceled. Replacements where not always available and where usually only deployed when it was known a teacher was absent for extended time.

As a teen this was great because sometimes you could stay in bed longer, be out earlier and not having to carry the extra books (not sure if that still is a problem now).

edit: I just remember we even had call trees to call your classmates in the morning if classes got canceled. This was before the internet, making it not 15 years ago but at least 20, probably more. I'm getting old...

Re: I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

#54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it good they don't know these differences? The fact we know is mostly due to poorly designed UX, not some high level concept that needs to be known. Modern phones are a much better UX for most people.

No, I think it's debilitating, disempowering, wholly unnecessary, and that it would be easily solvable if there existed a will to solve it. It's a cultural issue, not a technical one, I mean. I didn't mean in the first message simply knowing the difference between tabs and windows and a few other GUI bits and bobs, those were meant to be an example of a larger point. The larger point being the notion that it's fun an…

Everything is an 'app'.

No need to understand where the data goes, where it is stored, who owns it, what they know about you and what is shared with third parties, what is costs to provide such a service (even though none of its users seem to pay anything), how it is monetized, how dark UI patterns nudge you, how algorithms manipulate you, why you can get addicted to them.

Just click on the friendly little coloured rectangle with the rounded corners. That's the app. That's all you need to know.

Re: I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

#55

Is this a common thing? When I was in school the timetable was printed on paper and applied for the whole term. What are these substitutions and changes and why do they happen frequently enough to need daily updates? Does the kid have to memorise this in the morning so he knows why rooms to go to? I don't even think my parents were aware of my school timetable. Why would they be? That was my business. It seems a bit…

When I was at school, about 15 years ago, our school had screens hanging in the hallways, showing the timetables in a slideshow manner. And changes to your timetable were a daily occurrence. A teacher would get sick, a room got swapped. The school eventually got their own app for students.

Re: I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

#56

Is this a common thing? When I was in school the timetable was printed on paper and applied for the whole term. What are these substitutions and changes and why do they happen frequently enough to need daily updates? Does the kid have to memorise this in the morning so he knows why rooms to go to? I don't even think my parents were aware of my school timetable. Why would they be? That was my business. It seems a bit…

yes, definitely. if you don't check the schedule multiple times per day, you're bound to end up in an empty classroom or missing class. at least once a week, in my high school experience, a class gets moved in time and/or place, or gets cancelled entirely.

it's like train timetables, you know. yes, they're meant to be the same every day, but you'd be a fool not to check the updates before you go. that's just how it is in a large chaotic system.

Re: I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

#58

Kids are getting scheduling via apps now? The best thing my school ever did for me was give me a paper planner and teach me how to use it. I've finally reached that "back in my day" age. It's a neat project though. I wasn't aware Soldered existed so this is a nice find.

> the best thing my school ever did for me was give me a paper planner and teach me how to use it

A sentiment I’ve heard a lot is “how will kids learn the value of money in a cashless society”. The answer, like with the paper planner is “unfortunately the world has changed”. Using a paper calendar or cash isn’t obsolete, but the real trick is learning to schedule/work with money. And in the modern day, you _must_ be able to do this digitally. All my biggest incomes and expenses are digital transactions - my salary, mortgage, insurance, energy bills. Learning to manage cash flow means understanding it in that context.

Scheduling is the same now. If you operate solely on a paper planner in thr modern world you’re going to miss out. My workplace is entirely digital, my golf course, gym, even my barber use digital calendars. I’m not saying a proprietary app is the right move, but a paper scheduler is unfortunately bordering on obsolete.

Re: I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

#59
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is hardly new. My high school did this over fifteen years ago. This app just shows hour+subject+teacher+room number. Quite useful on days the hours/rooms get switched around because a teacher is on leave. Your paper planner won't inform you that your first hour is in another building tomorrow or that the teacher is ill (and yes, the schedules would change less than 12 hours in advance). It's hardly comparable. A…

I can’t recall even one time my high school schedule changed except between semesters, not any time a class met in another room. Not once. If a teacher was out sick, there was a sub but the room didn’t change.

What can I say, my school worked differently and this was a common occurrence. I do believe they tried to minimise room changes or hour changes as much as possible, but you have to do something if the only relevant substitutes would already be teaching another class at the same time.

Re: I replaced my son's school timetable app with an e-paper

#60
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is hardly new. My high school did this over fifteen years ago. This app just shows hour+subject+teacher+room number. Quite useful on days the hours/rooms get switched around because a teacher is on leave. Your paper planner won't inform you that your first hour is in another building tomorrow or that the teacher is ill (and yes, the schedules would change less than 12 hours in advance). It's hardly comparable. A…

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You also managed to get by without a bank account. Just take your paycheck down to the post office, cash it, and pay your mortgage this month.

Try doing that today and see how you get on. Like it or not, the world is changing

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