I can not believe that it is already the end of the fourth week of the MAC program! In not even four weeks I have learned so much and have already been in front of middle school class teaching. Guess what, kids, Taxonomy! It's real. I have to admit I'm a little stressed out. Six to seven hours of class a day plus the occasional brown-bag is tough, but we all know it's worth it. Some of us have already experienced writing our own lesson plan and teaching (can I call it performing?) in front of a class of middle schoolers. I thought those hours of trying to memorize all that teaching jargon (don't tell Deanna I called it that) couldn't be nearly as useful as everyone told us it would be, but I found myself thinking about metacognition and scaffolding while planning our lesson for the sixth graders.
I have gotten to directly witness some examples of teaching with technology lately. My mentor teacher, Mrs Ransome, showed her class of incoming sixth graders videos from Big History. While these videos were interesting I think they were over the heads of most of the kids. A lot of them tuned out after the first couple of minutes because they couldn't understand it. This is of no fault of the technology, but I think it relates. The videos were not selected by the teacher, but simply come along with the Big History curriculum. If there is going to be technology in the classroom it needs to be chosen by the teacher. Some of the videos wouldn't even play. That is an example of problems with using technology in the classroom. There always needs to be a plan B.
Overall, I think the article about banning soda and other high sugar drinks is about rules for the betterment of the people. Maybe more of guidelines. We've learned in our Psychology of Teaching course that it is very important to set up classroom rules. Even if students don't like it, some rules are for their own good. I can think of one very specific way I could apply this article to my content area. I am going to be a Latin teacher. In my classroom students will have to look up a lot of vocabulary words. On their tests, they will want to be able to use the dictionary, but I won't allow it. Just like the mayor of New York wouldn't allow unhealthy drinks. Looking up words in the dictionary is not healthy for their acquisition of the language.
I'm having a little trouble applying that article any further... "That's all I have to say about that."
Dylan, I love that your blog post for this week included some personal reflection on the MAC program thus far and our experiences in the classroom. I wasn't sure if that was something I should express on my blog, but now that I have seen a couple people do it, I think it'd be a good practice for me to start up so that I too can vent my feelings, frustrations, and good experiences. I too think it would be difficult to teach something about the soda ban in a Latin classroom, so I don't blame you for not having much to say. Maybe you could look at latin-based language speaking countries (Spanish, French, Portuguese, etc.) and do a comparative analysis with your kids about similar bans in those countries? It's rather lame, but it's all I can think of at the moment!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Love the Forrest Gump reference. One of my favorite movies ever.
In Latin classes, don't students read a lot of old documents? I mean, I had a friend who took it in college and he said it was almost like a history or political science course. Maybe you could help make the text feel more relevant to students by finding a thematic connection, like self-determination or freedom versus protection.
ReplyDeleteHey Magister,
ReplyDeleteI'm just curious, is your opinion of those brown bag lunches is stil the same as it was when you wrote this? The technology snafu isn't just limited to Mrs. Ransome's class. We've experienced it in our class as well. I think a plan b is vital but, more than that, adequate training and testing before the lesson is more important. If teachers expect technology to just work as if by mystical powers, they will be sorely disappointed. You know The New Orator is a teko-g33k but I do appreciate varying levels ability when it comes to gadgets and gizmos. It's not for everyone but it can be an incredibly powerful tool. Let your natural scholarship and curiosity lead you down the path of greater understanding of technology and its educational applications.
My opinion of brown bag lunches is still exactly the same. I need that hour off from classes to regain my sanity and be prepared for the next three-hour chunk of class. Besides I don't find most of our brown bag lunches worth it. How many times did they talk to us about scheduling for the fall and cognates and all that? Too many times. You know how much I took away from it? Nothing. You know who helped? Individual counselors who I saw on my own time.
DeleteI agree that technology has its place. But I feel like I would spend too much (for the most part) teaching myself and my students how to use the technology that it wouldn't be worth the mildly more interesting lesson I could teach.