The End of a Journey

As I come to the end of my half day teaching in the middle school, I leave with sadness. I have built relationships that I will miss immensely. Relationships that took time to build. Some students are that way; you have to earn them. I am a very patient person. I watch and listen because I care. When the opportunity presents itself, I slowly but persistently build repore, until I have bridged the gap and built a relationship. Some student just want someone who cares, someone who will listen. Others need that continued daily support and encouragement to complete their assignments or to participate in class. Other just want you to prove yourself, that you truly have their best interest at heart. I will miss those students. I anxiously await my own classroom so that I will have more time to deepen the relationships. My students have taught me a lot this semester. I have learned there is more power in influence than there is in authority. I have learned I need to come along side my students and help them succeed. I cannot "make" them succeed. I have learned that each student is an individual. One thing does not work for everyone. Unfortunately I have learned that for some students, school is the only safe place they have to go, for some, they attend school only because it is better than being in their home environment. I have learned that I can set the tone for the classroom and my students will feed off of my reactions or lack of reactions. I have learned I love teaching and building the relationships that come with spending time with my students.

Reading D

I found this article, Public School Teachers Using Machines in the Next Decade, a little confusing to follow. I think the author, Larry Cuban, made multiple assumptions, and when observing today’s classrooms, we can see many were wrong assumptions. I am not sure when this article was written, but most of his references are from 1992 or before. It is my opinion that in the last ten years we have made substantial progress, in the area of technology in the classroom. I have witnessed this not only in the elementary schools but also in the high schools. As a contracted test proctor for No Child Left Behind and the Reading First Impact Study, I visited numerous classrooms, at numerous schools. All of the schools I visited had 1 or 2 computer labs with multiple computers for the students. Each classroom also had at least 2 computers, usually more, for student use in the classroom. Most high schools require some type of multimedia presentation for their senior projects, which is a requirement for graduation. The most common media format for their presentation involves power point and or video production.
I also think the Universities that are preparing the teachers of the future, are providing technology training. Thus the teachers are coming into the classroom much better equipped and with a working knowledge of technology that they are able to pass on to the students. I also believe the Universities are training future teachers to be more aware of learning styles, therefore accentuating the need to use multiple formats to teach a single subject. I think the field of education is moving away from the “traditional” way of teaching and moving to a more active teaching style that involves a more diverse composition.
So while I believe Larry Cuban made some valid points regarding the past and the history of education, I disagree with his vision into the future. I guess by Larry Cubans standards, that would make me more of an optimist, rather than a preservationist.

Reading C Teachers View of Computers

Many studies have been conducted on the use of technology in the classroom. In the article, Teachers’ View of Computers as a Catalysts for Change in Their Teaching Practice, 47 teachers were interviewed and placed in one of three categories, depending upon their instruction styles. The first instructional style being Non-constructivist in which the teachers believed that the “primary objects of learning are the mastery of a set of skills, “ with a importance being placed on grades and recognition. This style is the more “traditional” teaching style, that assumes every student learns in the same way. The second instructional style that was introduced was the Weak-constructivists. These teachers placed a “greater than average focus on understanding concepts”. They also incorporated some interesting classroom activities, but “grades and recognition were a strong undercurrent”. The third and final instructional style that was categorized, was the Substantially constructivist. This instructional style “frequently incorporated creative instructional practices” and these teachers “regard there role as facilitators of student learning”. These teachers encouraged interactions students, teachers and even people outside the classrooms. Thankfully out of the 47 teachers they interviewed for this study, 32 fell into the constructivist categories. All of the 32 teachers in this category said they had made changes in their classroom over the years, into a more student-centered practice. Only three out of the 32 teachers in this group specified that the computer helped them make the changes, and another 2 indicated that the computer changed the way they taught. I think just as we have seen a movement away from the traditional teaching, such as the Non-constructivist teacher, and toward a more progressive teaching style, we will start to see more technology used in the classroom. I believe this is a result of education in the universities, better equipping the soon to be teachers. Teachers need to be educated and continue learning as new technology arises. This technology brings a whole new element into the classroom, that can be a huge asset for both the student and the teacher.

A New Inequality in the Classroom

In the article, Ensuring Equality of Educational Opportunity in the Digital Age, author Timothy E. Morse exams a new inequality in schools, called digital divide. The term digital divide refers to the inequalities between various social groups with respect to availability to computers and access to the Internet. If our nation is to uphold its promise to ensure equality of education opportunity for all students, then every student must develop technology literacy skills. Recent data indicated that throughout our society, certain social groups ranked well below the national average for both owning a computer, and those reporting having internet access. Furthermore, these inequalities reach into our schools, revealed by the discrepancies of classrooms having internet access.
Morse offers several solutions to addressing these inequities. First and foremost, if a student is to learn computer technology, he must have access to a computer. Morse offers several suggestions to help bring this access about. Schools could use computers labs that have been set up to maximize students access, they could offer alternative computer classes on non school days or evenings, or they could create student computer technology clubs.
Morse stresses the importance of adequate teacher training. Teachers need to stay up with the advances in an ever changing technology, so that they can make sure that every student use the technology that is available to them. Teachers need to be able to demonstrate how to effectively use the technology, but they also need to incorporate it into their classroom teaching. Teachers need to accept this challenge and help their students develop computer technology skills, to ensure equality of educational opportunities for all their students.