I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Beth Day speak to us this past week. It is difficult to imagine that online schooling would provide so many opportunities to learn and to build relationships. I would have assumed that online charter schools weren't the best learning environments due to my own experience. Although it is great to be home with family and teach at the same time as Beth Day mentioned, I would be sad that my classroom online did not get to see each others' faces. There is something to be said about classroom bonding and the unity one feels when your whole class is joined together and acting like a family. My English class in high school was like a family. I could never picture an online classroom becoming like that, but perhaps I am wrong.
I was a bit overwhelmed by the video and audio presentation this week. I have two more years before I student teach so why do I need to know about this now? To be honest, I feel the only good thing that this lesson did was scare us enough for us to worry about it for the next two years. Although it was very helpful hearing the great tips for video taping ourselves, I know I am going to forget it in the next two years even before I begin to student teach. Again, it was great to be aware of what we are going to need to do, but I am not going to remember the details of what to do with the video and audio stuff.
An article I found was called "20 Ways to Wake Up Your Classroom," and in this article the author explained how to motivate your classroom (grades 3-5) with technology and other resources. One great idea was she said to cover each student's desk with plastic wrap and then let them practice math computation right there on their desk with dry erase markers. The only downfall I saw in this was if the students messed up their clothes, but if you let the parents know ahead of time so that they wore something they didn't care as much about, I think that would be fine. Another great idea was to display a picture on an overhead projector and have the students write a poem or passage about it as soon as they come into class. I thought if you did this every day, you could give students journals so that you aren't having all these loose papers around everywhere. One last great idea was called 'Mistaken Identity.' In this idea you would take a picture of your student ahead of time (receiving parental consent beforehand). Then, if you have a mobile lab cart, let your students use a laptop to insert their pictures into a program like Pixie. Teach kids how to edit their pictures by adding crazy hair, and weird colors and designs to their faces. Then, print them out for the next day and have your students write a biography or story with this new "character."
One thing I have been thinking about in terms of technology in the classroom is music. Last semester one of my college professors would play a different song every day 5 min before class. I loved coming into his classroom and hearing the song that he played. It not only woke me up for class, but it put a smile in my heart. Depending on the music you play, it would also help students to see that you as a teacher keep up with the trends of current music. I loved when my prof would play songs that I was hearing on the radio. I would think to myself, "Wow! He is really cool. I can't believe he knows this song and listens to it!" This is not to mean he played anything inappropriate because he certainly did not. But you never know how much you can relate to your students just by playing Toby Mac's newest hit or Train's "Hey, Soul Sister."
I was a bit overwhelmed by the video and audio presentation this week. I have two more years before I student teach so why do I need to know about this now? To be honest, I feel the only good thing that this lesson did was scare us enough for us to worry about it for the next two years. Although it was very helpful hearing the great tips for video taping ourselves, I know I am going to forget it in the next two years even before I begin to student teach. Again, it was great to be aware of what we are going to need to do, but I am not going to remember the details of what to do with the video and audio stuff.
An article I found was called "20 Ways to Wake Up Your Classroom," and in this article the author explained how to motivate your classroom (grades 3-5) with technology and other resources. One great idea was she said to cover each student's desk with plastic wrap and then let them practice math computation right there on their desk with dry erase markers. The only downfall I saw in this was if the students messed up their clothes, but if you let the parents know ahead of time so that they wore something they didn't care as much about, I think that would be fine. Another great idea was to display a picture on an overhead projector and have the students write a poem or passage about it as soon as they come into class. I thought if you did this every day, you could give students journals so that you aren't having all these loose papers around everywhere. One last great idea was called 'Mistaken Identity.' In this idea you would take a picture of your student ahead of time (receiving parental consent beforehand). Then, if you have a mobile lab cart, let your students use a laptop to insert their pictures into a program like Pixie. Teach kids how to edit their pictures by adding crazy hair, and weird colors and designs to their faces. Then, print them out for the next day and have your students write a biography or story with this new "character."
One thing I have been thinking about in terms of technology in the classroom is music. Last semester one of my college professors would play a different song every day 5 min before class. I loved coming into his classroom and hearing the song that he played. It not only woke me up for class, but it put a smile in my heart. Depending on the music you play, it would also help students to see that you as a teacher keep up with the trends of current music. I loved when my prof would play songs that I was hearing on the radio. I would think to myself, "Wow! He is really cool. I can't believe he knows this song and listens to it!" This is not to mean he played anything inappropriate because he certainly did not. But you never know how much you can relate to your students just by playing Toby Mac's newest hit or Train's "Hey, Soul Sister."
The discussion about online classrooms was indeed very interesting. I had never considered the idea that you could form relationships as strong online, but you can still have the relationships, just in a different manner.
ReplyDeleteAnd i definitely agree with you on the idea of music in the classroom. Music is a bond that is almost universal and forms connections deeper because the students are engaged as soon as they enter the classroom.