Friday was our first Teaching with Technology class. Here are my thoughts on that:
TeacherJ and TeacherK both seem really engaging, which is important for a Friday class. TeacherK obviously likes to laugh, and her PowerPoint about how teens use PowerPoint was hilarious. TeacherJ seems more serious, and he does this thing when someone is talking: he kneels or squats down so that his face is close to the speaker's. When I think about it his face isn't really that close, it's just a lot closer than teachers' faces usually are. I find the tactic to be both alarming and encouraging. On one hand, it makes me feel like what I'm saying is super important and everything is hanging on my words, so the pressure is on! On the other hand, it makes him seem really eager to hear what I have to say, and I like it when my thoughts are valued. We'll see which side wins as the course continues.
In TeacherJ's mini section, we talked about Dewey being modern even though the date of his text that we read for class was from the 1890s. Something that struck me about Dewey's ideas was that they seemed very similar to my elementary school. We had mixed-grade classrooms and most of the curriculum was set up like so: the teacher, class, or school picks a theme, and the students decide on projects that fit within that theme. The teachers found ways to turn the students' interests into something that would hit the curriculum points they needed. Some of my city's school board/concerned citizens would try to shut down that school periodically because it was so different. People referred to it as the "hippie school." I never thought that their philosophies came from the 1890s instead of the 1960s!
-B
Hey Beezy! I like your elementary's idea of the teachers, classes, and students deciding on a topic for projects, can you explain what type of topics/projects you did? And did each student work on more then one project at a time?
ReplyDeleteI, like you, was shocked to hear that Dewey's theory was so old! A lot of his points are still valid today, and can help guide new teachers (like us) in how to setup and run our class.
I also felt similar when it came to TeacherJ's approach. It came off as a feeling what I was saying was important, so I should make what I am saying adds value to the discussion. This is a new phenomenon for me. Every teacher I have had would never get this close to a student when they are speaking. Overall, I guess it is a double-edged sword. You want the students' contributions to seem important, but you don't want to intimidate students and give additional pressure for giving high quality responses.
ReplyDeleteI love the way your elementary school was run. I think it's really important that students learn about something that is interesting to them, and your school seems to have done a nice job about incorporating this idea. However, I think it is still important that the students' projects fit into an overall theme. That way there is still some structure.
ReplyDeleteI also felt similarly about TeacherJ's approach to teaching. I especially liked that he wrote down things students were saying so that he could refer back to them. I have never had a teacher do this before, but I think it is an excellent way to foster effective teacher-student relations.
This is kind of like what we were talking about in our other group (which one?!?!) about team teaching...I love that we get both Jeff and Kristen, that we get two teaching styles, two perspectives, and twice the attention. When one is talking, the other is there to see what can be done and to observe things and be an extra set of eyes... I wish, as we were talking about before, there were more room for this kind of collaboration in the teaching profession.
ReplyDeletePS-I also like snacks.
B, it's so interesting to hear what your elementary school was like, and how it had such vivid echoes of Dewey's ideas. I could well imagine that, for some people, such a way of approaching school could seem a little threatening or even wrong-minded. Does it make you curious to know how the teachers and administrators of your school approached advocating for their vision? Maybe there will be a good opportunity to look into this as part of a project for one or another of your MAC courses.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the reminder that my being in people's faces ;-) could be stressful for them. I hope that as we get to know one another better, this stress will dissipate, but it's good for me to hear. It's interesting, though, that on Friday (speaking of team teaching) I was aware of the fact that my style might have been making Kristin feel outside of the action. I need to check in with her about that...
I really like the idea of having mixed-grade classrooms and students being able to pick their own projects that fit within a theme. Students can learn so much by being allowed to take part in selecting their assignments (obviously, they already show an interest in it, and there is greater motivation to complete the project, and do it well). If we as teachers allowed our students to take active participation in selecting their projects, I think we'd see them leaning towards using technology in some way, shape, or form.
ReplyDeleteOkay, first of all your background is VERY distracting, and really making me want some fruit salad. Also, you keep talking about bringing in snacks and cupcakes, and I really like to eat, so i think we could be friends.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, on to your blog. I wish I hadn't missed the Dewey discussion, but your elementary school sounds really interesting. I'm a little confused though as to how the mixed-grade classrooms were arranged and determined. Either way, though, I really like the idea of giving students more control over their education. This was actually a topic that came up in one of our study circles for 649, and I think that doing so would go a long way in improving educational outcomes.
I agree with Mary about your background...I'm going to head to the fridge after I write this comment...
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Jeff's strategy of engaging people - it can be intimidating, but because he seems so interested in what I'm saying, it makes me feel like it's actually worth saying. I actually don't really like speaking in class a whole lot mostly because I'm worried I'll say something that no one will care about, but Jeff's style actually encourages me to speak.
I also noticed that Jeff uses people's names a lot, and I like that. I think names are cool and I think using them creates a connection between people.
I wholeheartedly agree with everyone's sentiments about your school Brianne, sounds super cool and inclusive, sort of like "Hey we're all in this together, let's make it fun and interesting for everyone," or in other words, the opposite of my middle and high school classroom experience. When you mentioned how your teacher would inquire and adapt the daily lesson plan to what the students found interesting yet still found creative ways to hit the called upon learning points, that to me represents the true art of teaching. That's the kind of educator I aspire to be. Your experience and story inspires.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I didn't feel left out. Because when Jeff's teaching, I get to watch all of you (and him) at work. And that's a luxury we rarely get when we're teaching. Take advantage of every opportunity you have to watch your colleagues at work. You will pick up a lot of tips!
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