iPod Touch-Part 3

When I first received the iPod Touch, I was very excited to find ways in which I can implement its use in my classroom. As time started passing by, however, I realized this was a tough task. The more I got to know my school, the more I realized their standpoints on technology. It’s not to say that they are against technology because this is in no way true. Currently, the staff is going back and forth on the idea of allowing Netbooks or Kindles in the school. Only a few classrooms have allowed this, and most teachers are still contemplating the idea. For this reason, its usage was limited.

Still, I strongly believe students would benefit from this device. An entire classroom can enjoy classical music while they do their work, helping them in their concentration. ELL students who are working on vocabulary can use this tool during certain parts of the day, especially if they are not getting the extra help they need at home. I know a student who is new to the U.S. and is working on her vocabulary. Her parents provided her with the iPod Touch and purchased applications to help her with her vocabulary, writing, and math (learning the English words for mathematical terms).

Teachers can use it for a variety of reasons too. I used it numerous times to record the students during interviews. It can also be used to take role, or keep track of assignments and meetings. If a teacher has stations set up for literacy, and to target different ways for students to learn, one of the stations can have four iPods. When the kids get to this station, they can practice applications that cover a variety of areas, all chosen by the teacher.

Because students learn in so many ways, it’s great to have a tool like this in the classroom. Kids can’t learn everything on paper and pencil. They also need manipulatives, books, and technology. Having a class set or at least a few in the classroom can be very handy to the teacher and students. I hope to see this implementation in all schools very soon, but if that doesn’t occur, how will those students keep up with technology advances?

Math- Final Thoughts

Today was our last math class in the program and I can’t help doing some reflection on what I have learned.

While I could make a long list of all the things I have learned thus far, that would be too time consuming and difficult. It is true that we learned many ‘academic’ things, but we also learned about our teacher’s experiences as a teacher, and those (which I consider the most valuable) would be difficult to retell and wouldn’t protect her privacy. Therefore, rather than list everything I have learned, I’d like to talk about the main ideas that resonated with me the most.

As teachers, it’s important to make connections to our students’ prior knowledge. Students are not empty vessels. They come into our classrooms filled with valuable academic and cultural experiences that we should build on. We want to encourage students to use their long term memory. This way, they make connections to the knowledge that’s already in their heads. It’s not simply about teaching kids procedures, but about getting them to build on knowledge. We should encourage students to walk us (the teachers) through what they’re doing because this will allow them to evaluate their own procedures on their own.

With this in mine, it’s important to remember that our classrooms are systems. The students in our room bring many things along with them. They, along with the teacher, bring their personal lives and everything that’s going on into the classroom. This is what makes it challenging for teachers. She has to be able to work with the students, show them that she cares, and still get through the curriculum.

Finally, through one of our teacher’s personal experiences, I learned the true value of taking the time to ‘research’ your classroom. She talked about a situation where she documented data on her class for a certain amount of weeks, keeping track of who she asked questions to and what she asked them. This allowed her to get raw data as to why her students’ test scores were so low. This story blew my mind. Despite all the things teachers have to do while they teach, she took the time (she cared enough) to gather this information because she was determined to find out what she was doing wrong, as well as find a better way to teach her kids. This story exemplifies what a good teacher is: one who is dedicated, persistent, and caring. This was a great class.

Internet Resources-- Use them!

**No Week 8 Post because there was no school**

In class today, we learned about a website called Wolfram Alpha. On this website, you can learn about a variety of subjects like science and math. You can type in problems and it will work them out for you with very detailed explanations. When I first saw this website, I got concerned. Can students just get the answers to the work they have to complete themselves online? I wonder what the positive and negative consequences of this website can be. What I learned in class today, were some of the positive aspects of a site like this. This is just another resource for students to use. Since the website breaks down problems so well, one thing teachers can do (implications for classroom practice) is assign a certain problem which the students have to access on this site, and then review it as a whole class the next day, reviewing key terms, reviewing steps in the problem, and answering questions that arise. In such a homework assignment, you are teaching kids to use their resources. Let’s face it, teaching kids how to use a resource like this isn’t going to pass a classroom test for them, but it will help in their learning. However, I do have questions about assessments. If a student can get so much information online, how do I assess how much I have taught them?

As a teacher, you will try to reach all of your students, but there will be times when you don’t. Therefore, why not expose the students to these resources if there’s the possibility that they will understand something that in class they weren’t able to? It just makes more sense.