This past Wednesday was the first week at a new school observing. I have intentions of becoming a high school math teacher so have little experience working with younger children. However, the new school and the new students made me feel comfortable teaching. I spoke with all of the students and asked them questions. I treated them with respect (which is sometimes hard to do with children) and they treated me the same way. I even had some children specifically approaching me for help. I even felt bad a few times that the actual session leaders started talking to a student who had asked me for help. Sometimes it seems as if the other leaders do not treat the students like adults. I understand that elementary-school-aged people are not adults but there should be some sort of respect present nonetheless. I found myself getting involved and sometimes a little frustrated but I was that age at one time too and I'm sure I made plenty of adults frustrated at the time.
The new school has nice facilities. Although their computers lack numerous software programs, every student had a functioning computer and the school in general was in good condition. I am not sure what makes that school so much different than the past one but everything was more friendly.
Most importantly, I learned an important lesson. I experienced a split second of panic as I was having a student find his picture off of the memory card of my personal digital camera. I had students previous to him safely pull up their own picture (by following my verbal instructions) so was not worried until he clicked open a picture before I could say which one to open. It was a picture of my roommate and her friend in a bar drinking. I suppose I was lucky it was only that picture open because the cups were just some blue drinks (an AMF for those of you who go out in Bloomington) and the picture did not include things like the underwear hanging from the ceiling or actually ANY alcoholic signs except the bottom half of "Upstairs Pub" which was not noticable. However, if he had clicked the "next" button a few times he quickly would have seen pictures of people taking shots, the walls lined with liquor bottles, and some extremely drunk people (fortunately I was the DD that evening so the drunk pictures were at least not of myself). Well, I quickly closed the folder and then did not allow the students to pull their own pictures off my card anymore. Oops! I guess although I can modify my language and dress to be appropriate for young children I often forget all of the other things that must be considered in the classroom.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Case Study Blog Reflection
Directions:
Watch the case study video about Mrs. Lahooti - see week 6 for the link.
Form a response based on the questions posed below:
What are some of the primary issues being described by Mrs. Lahooti?
Why would these be problematic?
What are some solutions using hardware or software?
What are some classroom management strategies that you could suggest to Mrs. Lahooti? (List at least 2 solutions for 2 problems)
Response:
Although her discussion with Anne was short, Mrs. Lahooti had many problems with technology integration. In general her school lacked adequate technology. It was difficult for her to gain access to the technology and surprising if the technology functioned correctly. When the technology was obtained her class spent the majority of the time setting up and then wrapping up the lessons which left little time to actually work on the lesson. These issues are obviously problematic because the technology must function correctly for a teacher to rely on it for a lesson. If the majority of the class time is spent trying to fix a computer, signing the students on, or signing the students off then little learning can be accomplished. Also, planning the computer use weeks in advance may be difficult because the teacher will have no flexibility in the lesson plan and will have to be adament about the speed of the lesson.
Solutions involving hardware or software are difficult to explain. Having more hardware and functioning hardware would solve many of Lahooti's problems. However, she does not have the financial ability nor knowledge to fix the hardware problems herself. There did not seem to be many software problems except for the students not knowing how to run the software. It seems that preparing the students for the software prior to using it would make things run smoother. Perhpas Lahooti could give the students step-by-step directions explaining how the software runs.
Lahooti could lessen the problem of time by changing her classroom management strategies. She could first designate a few students for each lesson as the "computer people" and have all students approach those people with questions first. If Lahooti can lessen the amount of time she spends answering "silly" questions then she can actually do more teaching. She could also spend time prior to the lab or computer time preparing the students. Perhaps the students need to write down (before going into lab) the password to get into the computer so less time is wasted signing in. She could also rotate the students to the computers in her classroom while teaching other lessons. Although it would pull students out of her daily lessons it would drastically increase the amount of time each student was able to spend at the computer. Lahooti's problem of only a few computers in the classroom could be fixed by having students work in groups with computer literate (and illiterate) at each computer so the groups work at similar speeds. Then she could have each person in the group take a different role, including typer, mouse operater, and director. This would involve all people in the group and also require the students to work together.
**note** I apologize for the tardiness of this entry. The link to Lahooti's interview did not function at first and then I had to leave the state for a funeral. Within a day or two I will hopefully be able to catch up with my school work.
Watch the case study video about Mrs. Lahooti - see week 6 for the link.
Form a response based on the questions posed below:
What are some of the primary issues being described by Mrs. Lahooti?
Why would these be problematic?
What are some solutions using hardware or software?
What are some classroom management strategies that you could suggest to Mrs. Lahooti? (List at least 2 solutions for 2 problems)
Response:
Although her discussion with Anne was short, Mrs. Lahooti had many problems with technology integration. In general her school lacked adequate technology. It was difficult for her to gain access to the technology and surprising if the technology functioned correctly. When the technology was obtained her class spent the majority of the time setting up and then wrapping up the lessons which left little time to actually work on the lesson. These issues are obviously problematic because the technology must function correctly for a teacher to rely on it for a lesson. If the majority of the class time is spent trying to fix a computer, signing the students on, or signing the students off then little learning can be accomplished. Also, planning the computer use weeks in advance may be difficult because the teacher will have no flexibility in the lesson plan and will have to be adament about the speed of the lesson.
Solutions involving hardware or software are difficult to explain. Having more hardware and functioning hardware would solve many of Lahooti's problems. However, she does not have the financial ability nor knowledge to fix the hardware problems herself. There did not seem to be many software problems except for the students not knowing how to run the software. It seems that preparing the students for the software prior to using it would make things run smoother. Perhpas Lahooti could give the students step-by-step directions explaining how the software runs.
Lahooti could lessen the problem of time by changing her classroom management strategies. She could first designate a few students for each lesson as the "computer people" and have all students approach those people with questions first. If Lahooti can lessen the amount of time she spends answering "silly" questions then she can actually do more teaching. She could also spend time prior to the lab or computer time preparing the students. Perhaps the students need to write down (before going into lab) the password to get into the computer so less time is wasted signing in. She could also rotate the students to the computers in her classroom while teaching other lessons. Although it would pull students out of her daily lessons it would drastically increase the amount of time each student was able to spend at the computer. Lahooti's problem of only a few computers in the classroom could be fixed by having students work in groups with computer literate (and illiterate) at each computer so the groups work at similar speeds. Then she could have each person in the group take a different role, including typer, mouse operater, and director. This would involve all people in the group and also require the students to work together.
**note** I apologize for the tardiness of this entry. The link to Lahooti's interview did not function at first and then I had to leave the state for a funeral. Within a day or two I will hopefully be able to catch up with my school work.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Podcast Blog Reflection
Directions:
Present basic information on your podcast.
Present the link and title of the podcast you listened to.
List and describe the ideas presented in the podcast you listened to.
Form a response based on the following questions:
Discuss why or why not these ideas were a good example of meaningful technology integration.
Discuss why or why not these ideas shaped or changed your ideas about meaningful technology integration.
Discuss how you might use these ideas in your own classroom, even if the ideas presented are not in your content area - find a way to apply them to your future classroom (be creative).
Response:
Title: Episode 8 - Teaching Area, Perimeter, and Scale Drawing with Microsoft Word
Artist: Danny Maas
Album: TILT - Teachers Improving Learning with Technology
Ideas Present:
Present basic information on your podcast.
Present the link and title of the podcast you listened to.
List and describe the ideas presented in the podcast you listened to.
Form a response based on the following questions:
Discuss why or why not these ideas were a good example of meaningful technology integration.
Discuss why or why not these ideas shaped or changed your ideas about meaningful technology integration.
Discuss how you might use these ideas in your own classroom, even if the ideas presented are not in your content area - find a way to apply them to your future classroom (be creative).
Response:
Title: Episode 8 - Teaching Area, Perimeter, and Scale Drawing with Microsoft Word
Artist: Danny Maas
Album: TILT - Teachers Improving Learning with Technology
Ideas Present:
- How to create grids in Microsoft Word and draw pictures on them - Maas provides complete steps in setting up an appropriate grid paper using Microsoft Word and then shows techniques at creating rectangular shapes to demonstrate area and perimeter.
- How to compare area and perimeter - Maas demonstrates different worksheets that would guide students through analysing the connection between area and perimeter. This idea is guided toward the beginning of a lesson to provide the students with the information to make a conjecture.
- How to use perimeter and area in real life situations - Maas presents some lesson plan ideas on how to allow students to apply the project to real-life situations including building a dog pen and building a porch.
- How to use the program to model - Maas shows a lesson idea involving using the Word grid to represent a room and the objects in the room using a scale. The students then have the ability to move the objects around in the room and decide how to organize the room.
These ideas were an acceptable form of technology integration but the technology was not necessary. The first 2 lesson ideas could have been done just as easily using small math tiles that are present in most schools. Actually, using the tiles may alleviate the prep time needed in teaching the students how to create and use the grid. The tiles would also allow the student to manipulate a tangible object with his or her hand which might better facilitate certain learning preferences. It would also be possible and perhaps faster to use graph paper and scissors to make the model of a bedroom. Using graph paper and cutting out the shapes of the furniture would allow the student to easily rotate the furniture around to the desired positions. Finally glue or tape could be used to hold the representations in the final locations. The activities might be more professional looking if done on the computer but I feel the lessons could be done faster and just as effective if done without technology. This lesson is proof that using technology may be fun and may look impressive but may not add anything constructive to the lesson. Just because technology can be used does not mean it should be used. Although the use of technology in this particular activity was not needed and I would prefer not to spend class time teaching the complicated computer usage for that activity, being able to draw the shapes in Microsoft Word is a good skill for the students to know. It is common in math classes where papers are required to need to be able to sufficiently draw shapes and diagrams. Perhaps if a report was needed to evaluate the students comprehension then having the students be able to draw their design or diagrams on the computer about be important in teaching how professional math can be. I will personally use the knowledge about pictures in Word to help myself create exams and quizzes for my students in the future where diagrams are needed. Another computer software program may be discovered to be more appropriate for the drawing for the lesson than Word. Word is not primarily a drawing software and therefore ClarisWorks Drawing (or Painting) program might be easier for this sort of project. The general idea of the lesson though is one I intend to use if teaching geometry.
Exemplary Blog Reflection Two
Directions:
Present basic information on the video you watched.
Present the link and title of the video you watched.
Present a summary of the video you watched (brief).
Form a response based on the following questions:
Describe some strengths you saw with regards to the teacher using technology (e.g., strategies, uses of technology, etc...).
Do you consider these uses exemplary or meaningful? Why or why not?
Has the way this teacher used technology shaped or changed your ideas about meaningful technology integration or the way you might use technology?
Discuss how you might use these ideas in your own classroom, even if the ideas presented are not in your content area - find a way to apply them to your future classroom (be creative).
Response:
Video Title: Virtual CEO
Video Location: http://www.intime.uni.edu/video/036iahs/0/
Summary: Teacher Chris Hungerford at EXCEL Alternative High School teaches business classes to grades 9 through 12. Students use Capitalism Plus to first work through tutorials that will prepare them to build their own virtual business. The students then use the program to produce and sell their product along with investing money in the stock market. Finally, students display their knowledge by creating a company website displaying their business details including graphs of information such as their revenue.
The main strength of the teacher using this particular technology is that the students are students that have previously had problems in school. By allowing the students to create something of their own and track the success, the program helps indulge the students in the learning. The tutorials also provide a structured learning system that would allow students to move at their own pace. Finally, creating a website gives the teacher something to evaluate and allows the student to have a finished product of which he or she can be proud. These uses of technology are exemplary because they provide the students with motivation they otherwise may have lacked. It also allows the students to participate in pretend realistic situations that would normally be far too complicated to actually complete in read life. As a result of this video I may consider using more technology if presented with a "problem class." Also, by working with a program that provides each student with his or her own tutorial, the students may be able to spend more individualized time with the teacher. As a teacher, I would enjoy having a structured lesson that I would not necessarily have to lead. I particularly like the idea of the business software because the students were doing a lot of math analysis. This particular software would be an excellent curriculum wide project. The students could use their knowledge from the business class to determine how to create their corporation. Then the students could use the math skills (particularly relevant to the new integrated math programs in schools) to analyze the information and determine what the data means. Finally, the students could use their English skills to form business-like web pages with appropriate form and language. The students could even expand the project to a history class by studying famous corporations and the effects of corporations on a country or the world.
Present basic information on the video you watched.
Present the link and title of the video you watched.
Present a summary of the video you watched (brief).
Form a response based on the following questions:
Describe some strengths you saw with regards to the teacher using technology (e.g., strategies, uses of technology, etc...).
Do you consider these uses exemplary or meaningful? Why or why not?
Has the way this teacher used technology shaped or changed your ideas about meaningful technology integration or the way you might use technology?
Discuss how you might use these ideas in your own classroom, even if the ideas presented are not in your content area - find a way to apply them to your future classroom (be creative).
Response:
Video Title: Virtual CEO
Video Location: http://www.intime.uni.edu/video/036iahs/0/
Summary: Teacher Chris Hungerford at EXCEL Alternative High School teaches business classes to grades 9 through 12. Students use Capitalism Plus to first work through tutorials that will prepare them to build their own virtual business. The students then use the program to produce and sell their product along with investing money in the stock market. Finally, students display their knowledge by creating a company website displaying their business details including graphs of information such as their revenue.
The main strength of the teacher using this particular technology is that the students are students that have previously had problems in school. By allowing the students to create something of their own and track the success, the program helps indulge the students in the learning. The tutorials also provide a structured learning system that would allow students to move at their own pace. Finally, creating a website gives the teacher something to evaluate and allows the student to have a finished product of which he or she can be proud. These uses of technology are exemplary because they provide the students with motivation they otherwise may have lacked. It also allows the students to participate in pretend realistic situations that would normally be far too complicated to actually complete in read life. As a result of this video I may consider using more technology if presented with a "problem class." Also, by working with a program that provides each student with his or her own tutorial, the students may be able to spend more individualized time with the teacher. As a teacher, I would enjoy having a structured lesson that I would not necessarily have to lead. I particularly like the idea of the business software because the students were doing a lot of math analysis. This particular software would be an excellent curriculum wide project. The students could use their knowledge from the business class to determine how to create their corporation. Then the students could use the math skills (particularly relevant to the new integrated math programs in schools) to analyze the information and determine what the data means. Finally, the students could use their English skills to form business-like web pages with appropriate form and language. The students could even expand the project to a history class by studying famous corporations and the effects of corporations on a country or the world.
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