In every aspect of our lives, technology is being used more and more often. This is especially evident in the use of this website as a portfolio. Obviously, technology is an inescapable part of human life, especially in America. As technology becomes more cost effective and simpler to use, it is used in increasingly varied ways.
As the school I observe in is rather small, they do not have all the technology the high school I attended did, but they do have more than enough to assist in their classes. The most common form of technology used every day is the projector and teacher’s computer. This may seem basic to most individuals but by using this system to project notes or view related video clips a teacher is able to ensure the entire class has access to the information and that attention remains focused on the lesson. Within the history class, the projector is used for perhaps half an hour on the note taking days. Through discussing with the teacher I learned that he prefers to avoid using the system too often as his lessons could then become too reliant on it which would result in chaos if the projector were to break down. Thus most of the lesson involves discussions of the material rather than straight forward observations. Another readily available technology is in the back of the room. This particular classroom has a small desk with two computers and a printer. I have never seen anyone use these during the classes I have been to most likely because this table is too small for more than a pair of student and in a class of almost twenty it would take too long for an assignment to be completed if only two could work at a time. I find this quit different from my high school where most class rooms had five or six computers for the student’s use and thus many more computer based assignments. I do however find it a good practice that the teacher I observe tries not to rely on technology and is cognoscente of the possibility of technology failure. I have had several teachers from elementary school through current classes that cannot run a lesson without using PowerPoint of similar programs. We have to remember that technology is only a tool, not a requirement in every lesson.
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Without some sense of order all actions are blurred between right and wrong. One of a teacher’s duties is to prepare students for their lives after they finish school. Thus knowing that actions have consequences and being about to follow directions are essential skills learned during a person’s schooling.
As I have written of before this teacher I observe has a basic structure he follows in every class regardless of whether it is a note day, exam day, or if he has an activity planned. The repetition of having a do now followed by reviewing the homework keeps the beginning of class calmer and there are very few behaviorally issues to be corrected. The class does become somewhat more chaotic after these activities are finished. For example there is a girl in this class named Irma. She tends to talk in-between direction just as most other students do, however, her voice tends to carry more and her comments are generally a little more off topic than most. During an activity where roles were randomly assigned to model the structure of Feudal Society in Europe she drew a place higher in the Hierarchy. While the students were being moved to their role’s corresponding locations she was not paying attention which resulted in the whole class having to wait. In response the teacher not only took away her role and gave it to another student, but had her sit in the hallway. I have heard him threaten to do this several times but this is the first time I witnessed it. Generally he sticks to verbal warnings and cutting down bonuses like extra credit or he assigns more work. These two methods are by far the most prevalent in his classes and seem to be throughout the school too. Since everyday as students are released for lunch an announcement is made to those that need the go to the office for lunch (for a detention although the announcement does not blatantly say so) I have noticed than even though there are a few hundred students in the school at most half a dozen may have a lunch detention on any given day. I rather like how this teacher does not lord over his class and act in a totalitarian manner. The easy banter he has makes it easier for the students to relate to him and respect him. I hope to achieve this balance between being friendly toward my students but still having the recognized authority to control the class’s behavior. However, I did find this teacher a bit dismissive of some things and he seemed to focus more on specific students. For instance I do not believe Irma had to be removed from the classroom for her off topic behavior. There have been times while I was observing the class that I was distracted by several boys in the class being off topic yet it seems that this teacher notices Irma’s disruptions much more. But when questioned about her behavior says she does not have behavioral issues or any assistance with her academics. By all accounts she is an average student, so I am left to question how a teacher can notice the ‘flightiness’ (as Irma describes it) of an average student while ignoring the full out conversation held by the male athletes in his class. No two individuals are completely alike. So even in relatively small groups there can be a wide range of backgrounds and skills. Within a classroom this can present many complications. Since the school I am observing at is quite small, they have a small special needs program. The teachers I have spoken with say that the school tries to keep as many students as possible in the main classrooms. An English teacher, who shares an office with the history teacher I observe, told me his special needs class has only four students: those unable to be in a mainstream class even with an aid. This means many special needs and low achieving students are mixed in with average and above average. This appears to be especially true in this school.
The history class I observe has students of several ability levels. None of them require an aid in class with them, but the teacher does make some adjustments. For example, longer time in tests and quizzes or more flexibility when it comes to thoroughness of homework questions. Another method he uses on exam is bonus questions. Some are simple, random trivia but others are obscure questions from class. This gives a chance for students that study more ineptly and those that do not to gain additional points. The math class I observed is a bit different. While there is also a heterogeneous grouping there, there is also an in-class aid as well. This aid is specifically for one student; however, she also helps any other students that may need assistance. Even with the various ability levels within the classes, all students have the same basic materials and responsibilities. Because of this it is difficult to pick out which students are receiving any special accommodations. I am not sure how I feel about this arrangement. While it may encourage some students to work harder to match the other student’s grades, it could also cause issues. I know several friends that were is both adjusted and mainstream classes during high school and it seems then benefited from having some classes separate from the main student body. That said, each person is different and it is impossible to predict if a different environment may have helped or hindered him or her. |