Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Arend Article
This article focused on two seperate studies which sought to better understand how teachers effectively manage their classrooms. The studies found similar results: the most successful classroom managers outlined clear procedures and classroom expectations, and these were usually outlined very early during the school year. While both the Kounin and Texas study arrived at this results, the Texas study also found that teachers who spent the first several days of class explaining and firmly enforcing procedures and expectations often had better classroom management during the school year. Both studies also state that in well-managed classrooms, the daily lessons were smooth-flowing and that any misbehavior was handled quickly. A third common result between the studies is that the most effective classroom managers have very clear work requirements for their students, and that the students' progress is carefully monitored. Both studies also found that when teachers gave clear presentations and explanations and were clear in their directions about note-taking their classrooms were generally better managed.
The Texas article also found that effective managers often took a good deal of time to get to know their students on a more personal level, were more sensitive to specific student needs, had better instructional procedures, made the first academic lesson more enjoyable, and often displayed better listening skills than those teachers who did not take these steps. The Texas study also found a significant key to classroom management success: establish a smooth-running classroom in the beginning of the year and maintain it throughout the school year.
The Texas article also found that effective managers often took a good deal of time to get to know their students on a more personal level, were more sensitive to specific student needs, had better instructional procedures, made the first academic lesson more enjoyable, and often displayed better listening skills than those teachers who did not take these steps. The Texas study also found a significant key to classroom management success: establish a smooth-running classroom in the beginning of the year and maintain it throughout the school year.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Wordle Rocks!
Benefits of Technology--Barron Article
I wish that when I was in high school my teachers would have had a stronger background in Educational Technology. The most exposure I got to to technology in high school was when I was required to take a beginner's Computer Literacy class in order to graduate. The little experience I had working with technology when I was in high school has been enough to convince me that incorporating it into our classrooms can most definitely be beneficial.
I love the idea that students can have so much freedom when working on a multimedia project to present to the class. I've worked in classrooms where students were asked to make a multimedia project on a particular topic, and the students got so excited about the ability to spend time on the computers in the lab, have some creative expression, and discover much more than a textbook could ever teach them. I liked the example in the Barron article about the students who were researching Martin Luther King online and could see images, hear his speeches, and read the text all at the same. The ability to incorporate so many of the senses while learning can really help a student learn more, achieve more, and be more motivated to put in the time and effort because they know they are putting out a fantastic product instead of being stuck writing a five-page paper.
If multiple studies have proven that students can achieve more on our lovely standardized tests, then that should be reason enough to be incorporating technology (sensibly of course) into our classrooms. After all, we spend so much time as future teachers learning how to "teach to the test" and still be creative in our classrooms, technology allows for us to do that.
Of course, there are limits. We've talked a lot as a class about sensory overload and having too much technology in our classes. We must beware that we are doing our PowerPoints right so that students benefit the most from them, and we must teach our students how to do one so that it will be most beneficial for their classmates. If we plan carefully and are prepared, our students could learn a great deal from spending time with technology.
I love the idea that students can have so much freedom when working on a multimedia project to present to the class. I've worked in classrooms where students were asked to make a multimedia project on a particular topic, and the students got so excited about the ability to spend time on the computers in the lab, have some creative expression, and discover much more than a textbook could ever teach them. I liked the example in the Barron article about the students who were researching Martin Luther King online and could see images, hear his speeches, and read the text all at the same. The ability to incorporate so many of the senses while learning can really help a student learn more, achieve more, and be more motivated to put in the time and effort because they know they are putting out a fantastic product instead of being stuck writing a five-page paper.
If multiple studies have proven that students can achieve more on our lovely standardized tests, then that should be reason enough to be incorporating technology (sensibly of course) into our classrooms. After all, we spend so much time as future teachers learning how to "teach to the test" and still be creative in our classrooms, technology allows for us to do that.
Of course, there are limits. We've talked a lot as a class about sensory overload and having too much technology in our classes. We must beware that we are doing our PowerPoints right so that students benefit the most from them, and we must teach our students how to do one so that it will be most beneficial for their classmates. If we plan carefully and are prepared, our students could learn a great deal from spending time with technology.
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