Modern technology helps improve student behaviour
Anan Wichitpracha
The Sunday Nation

PATHUM THANI: -- Electronic identification scanners installed at Samkhok School have proven effective in combating truancy.

The system requires students to swipe their student ID card when they arrive and leave school, with parents able to monitor this via SMS messages.

An electronic behavioural system has also been installed, allowing teachers to record the behaviour of each student.

Under the system, each student is initially given 100 points and points are deducted for bad behaviour.

Conversely, students are rewarded for good behaviour by receiving points.

Students who amass over 200 points in a year are given a merit certificate, while those with less than 100 points are not allowed to advance to the next grade.

Parents can follow the points progress of their child online.

The school's director, Samnao Saengkaew, said the facility had a strict policy of taking care of students and previously students kept track of their behavioural points by carrying a pocketbook.

But he said that after the number of students increased from 500 to 3,500 in five years, the school needed to get hi-tech in its approach to improving student behaviour.

"We learned from other schools that use this system [the scanner], but we added the SMS system to notify parents," he said.

"[Our] students have become much more responsible, both in their schoolwork and in their punctuality.

"This not only encourages students to improve academically but parents are also more involved in taking care of children and feel more confident that the kids are definitely in school."

Commenting the scanner, Mathayom 5 student Chanchanok Kankaew said: "When coming to school, we would stand in line to check in and out of school. This makes the students more punctual and it is much more convenient."

A parent, Pathum Supantho, backed the school's implementation of the scanners, saying they were a more convenient way to monitor truancy and made the students seem more enthusiastic about learning and being punctual.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Modern-technology-helps-improve-student-behaviour-30238971.html

-- The Nation 2014-07-20

Ask a friend to swipe in for you when you bunk off.

"Modern technology helps improve student behaviour."

I've always found the old fashioned electric cattle prod to be quite effective in reducing recidivism.

'But Sir.... I left my card on the bus, my dog ate it, I spilled coffee on it.'

It's not technology that improves behaviour but education. Getting electronic points may be a target for the students. Empathy and the will to improve life through education are better motivation for them.

How convenient to delegate the responsibilities of educating children to a machine.

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Edited July 20, 201411 yr by hanuman2543

Never a word in Thailand about the failure of parenting.

Students with less than 100 points will not be allowed to advance to the next grade, yeah when pigs fly

Students with less than 100 points will not be allowed to advance to the next grade, yeah when pigs fly

Dead right! A little word with the school administrator, holding an envelope, assures advancement to the next grade 100% of the time. How can one give a student an F for behaviour? Fs are dished out by teachers who fail their students, of course!

8 posts deriding this schools initiative. The same school that Thai parents obviously think is good on the fact that 3,000 extra students in 5 years. It looks like a good deterrent to me.

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What technology? An android app'ed electric rod?

What technology? An android app'ed electric rod?

Probably more like a 4' long 3" diam piece of bamboo, with 2 wires coming out of the wall. Hold this you little <deleted>.

That's Thai government educational technology.

8 posts deriding this schools initiative. The same school that Thai parents obviously think is good on the fact that 3,000 extra students in 5 years. It looks like a good deterrent to me.

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Did it not cross your mind that the school expanded too quickly, and thus ended up with such discipline problems needing to be sorted quickly?

Rapid expansion doesn't necessarily mean success, especially in Thai schools.

8 posts deriding this schools initiative. The same school that Thai parents obviously think is good on the fact that 3,000 extra students in 5 years. It looks like a good deterrent to me.

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Did it not cross your mind that the school expanded too quickly, and thus ended up with such discipline problems needing to be sorted quickly?

Rapid expansion doesn't necessarily mean success, especially in Thai schools.

Nope it crossed my mind that parents in the area decided the school had a good disciplinary level and good academic grades hence they sent their kids there. Then the administration rather than sit on their hands and lose that initiative expanded and employed modern technology.

Here is the schools website for a provincial municipal school it looks great.

http://www.samkouk.com/index/school/002.html

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Edited July 20, 201411 yr by casualbiker

Schools in Australia use similar systems where sms messages are sent to parents within an hour or so of a student's absence. Internally other systems such as student records and teacher's notes will be linked to this ID too.

I'm an engineer, I'm generally pro technology but technology is very seldom the answer to a social problem.

Where I work there is a electronic gadget that reads your finger print when you arrive and when you leave work.

People show up at 8 am and stick their finger in it.

Then some f them just disappear.

They reappear at 4:30 pm and stick their finger in again.

No work at all, but they get paid for the full day.

The system is very modern, and very worthless!

Kids are too smart.

They will find ways to abuse the system.

I'm an engineer, I'm generally pro technology but technology is very seldom the answer to a social problem.

The Op is no different to many companies around the world ie clocking in. But with the addition of SMS confirmation to parents which I think is good considering that many students travel by bus/van to school. As for the points, a transparent way to administer discipline. The students know their own records and can adjust accordingly (if they desire)

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Where I work there is a electronic gadget that reads your finger print when you arrive and when you leave work.

People show up at 8 am and stick their finger in it.

Then some f them just disappear.

They reappear at 4:30 pm and stick their finger in again.

No work at all, but they get paid for the full day.

The system is very modern, and very worthless!

Kids are too smart.

They will find ways to abuse the system.

I presume it's not on a secure gate then. I think these possibly are. And maybe backed up with class register .. but don't know for sure!

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Wow.

A merit system for good behaviour. Truly truly ground breaking.

Can they buy points with 7/11 stamps?

I'm an engineer, I'm generally pro technology but technology is very seldom the answer to a social problem.

The Op is no different to many companies around the world ie clocking in. But with the addition of SMS confirmation to parents which I think is good considering that many students travel by bus/van to school. As for the points, a transparent way to administer discipline. The students know their own records and can adjust accordingly (if they desire)

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Constant surveillance without even questioning if there are downsides.

However did mankind survive without it?

Why not implant an RFID tag then? Within a few years it will be necessary to get on an international flight anyway.

8 posts deriding this schools initiative. The same school that Thai parents obviously think is good on the fact that 3,000 extra students in 5 years. It looks like a good deterrent to me.

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What. deterent? the kids will find a way around the check in/out system very quickly. And as far as not passing a child that doesn't have enough credits, like I already said when pigs fly.

Now I for one would rather see my child come home with a genuine F instead of a report card full of feel good A's and B's. At least I would really know what my child was learning or not learning

yes and off course it is waterproof so no student will go login / out his friends that are taking a day off, loooooooooool

One nation under cctv...

Rather low bar wouldn't you say? Getting them in class is not improving behavior. How about this low tech method been around a long time: Make education challenging, interesting, engaging, worthwhile and teach them how to think? Oh, but no kickbacks. Never mind.

shock collars might be a better choice.

Never a word in Thailand about the failure of parenting.

It's true. Thai students can't be placed in classes appropriate to their knowledge and skills because unless everyone is placed in the top class there is loss of face. That's why even in high school, individual classes are all mixed together between top students and the ones with severe disabilities. Back to the thrust of the OP, this also means the students' cadre of droobs are in every one of their classes.