Swapping Needles in Middle School
Nov. 21st, 2006 12:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lwoodhttp://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/11/20/BAGEHMGMN618.DTL&type=printable
The exercise for five seventh-gradebiology life sciences class: look at your cells under a microscope.
Originally, this was to be done by taking a swab from the inside of your cheek. The real biology teacher being out on maternity leave, the substitute made two changes--one I approve of, the other being profoundly stupid:
The sub, of course, is fired like bricks. As many as thirty of the kidlets are off for Hep B/C and HIV testing.
Not only do you have all that cross-contamination, but lancets aren't exactly intended for multiple stickpokes on even one person, so person two (ogods I HOPE it wasn't more than that; the article is unclear) is in for a rather bigger ow than person one, and similar diminishing returns.
It could have been an educational exercise in reasonable biohazard precautions--not a bad habit to start, and start early. But no, it had to be a total ballsup instead, with predictable parental screeching, I'm sure, to follow.
*facepalm*
On the gripping hand, though, I wonder if any of those lab partners were using it as an excuse to reeeeeally be best friends forever by pressing their stuck fingers together and doing some good old, OLD-fashioned blood oathing in the back of the room. That, I could conceivably approve of--you know, when not ranting about biohazardous evil. 8-P
-- Lorrie
The exercise for five seventh-grade
Originally, this was to be done by taking a swab from the inside of your cheek. The real biology teacher being out on maternity leave, the substitute made two changes--one I approve of, the other being profoundly stupid:
- The sub changed the swab to a blood draw. I actually like that: you get more cells from, oh, you, not "you and some wandering microbes and, uh, there goes some unswallowed lunch". Plus, really, I find flipping out over blood to be one of those Victorian notions we could stand to get over. Sane biohazard precautions, yes. Fainting, not so much. Speaking of "sane biohazard precautions", though:
- OMGWTFBBQ! The teacher permitted the students to share lancets!
The sub, of course, is fired like bricks. As many as thirty of the kidlets are off for Hep B/C and HIV testing.
Not only do you have all that cross-contamination, but lancets aren't exactly intended for multiple stickpokes on even one person, so person two (ogods I HOPE it wasn't more than that; the article is unclear) is in for a rather bigger ow than person one, and similar diminishing returns.
It could have been an educational exercise in reasonable biohazard precautions--not a bad habit to start, and start early. But no, it had to be a total ballsup instead, with predictable parental screeching, I'm sure, to follow.
*facepalm*
On the gripping hand, though, I wonder if any of those lab partners were using it as an excuse to reeeeeally be best friends forever by pressing their stuck fingers together and doing some good old, OLD-fashioned blood oathing in the back of the room. That, I could conceivably approve of--you know, when not ranting about biohazardous evil. 8-P
-- Lorrie
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no subject
Date: 2006-11-21 09:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-21 11:18 pm (UTC)-- Lorrie
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Date: 2006-11-22 12:08 am (UTC)Bad sub! No cookie!
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Date: 2006-11-22 05:45 pm (UTC)-- L
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Date: 2006-11-22 01:55 am (UTC)O________O
Dear gods.... Do people intentionally turn off their brains when they enter a school building?
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Date: 2006-11-22 05:44 pm (UTC)-- Lorrie
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Date: 2006-11-23 02:35 am (UTC)I do wonder about the substitute's educational background. I wouldn't be as surprised if the sub's degree is in, say, English or Art.* A scan of Google News didn't find anything about the teacher's background.
* Why yes, I do have a few people in mind to choose those majors.
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Date: 2006-11-26 11:04 pm (UTC)*cradles face in hands* There's always the willfully ignorant, of course.
* Why yes, I do have a few people in mind to choose those majors.
And yet, I know English and Art majors with a better damn grasp of biohazards...I can't complain, I dropped out when I found I was spending more time online than in class. 8-P
-- Lorrie
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Date: 2006-11-28 11:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-28 05:21 pm (UTC)-- Lorrie