Comments on: A Little Taste of Reality http://doucwhatic.edublogs.org/2008/04/26/a-little-taste-of-reality/ What I do with what I see... Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:45:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Mrs.V http://doucwhatic.edublogs.org/2008/04/26/a-little-taste-of-reality/#comment-42 Mrs.V Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:22:10 +0000 http://doucwhatic.edublogs.org/2008/04/26/a-little-taste-of-reality/#comment-42 Jen, The questions I got were a mixed bag. Some were about where my textbooks were (in the closet) and if I didn't use textbooks then how did I figure out what to teach- that one bummed me out:( I suspect that they think that is what they should do...start at page one, end at page 254 and they have taught what they need to teach. I showed them the Missouri grade level expectations that I start with, and told them how I used that as a base, but tried to let my kids take me where their interests go in regards to how we actually learned about things. Other questions were good, like how I built my website, and could they use my resources. I fed them alot of things about how I can differentiate instruction so much easier with technology because it gives me a wide varietyof resources for the same concept instead of just one chapter in a book that everyone either can or can't read and understand. I talked to them about how my kids blog me at home when they are sick, or when we have snow days, etc. I am not sure they really knew what to ask..that is the feeling I got. I was also thinking about this....I came into tech teaching late in the game- in my 30's. I had a huge learning curve with the tech side of things, and still feel like my students know more than I do in that area. I guess I thought that for these college students it would be a no-brainer to embed tech in a classroom because they live in that world every day. I got the feeling that they did not make that bridge between using their ipods and cell phones every day, and using their ipods and cell phones in thier classrooms someday. It's like it is two worlds that don't connect, and I thought they would for this younger generation. Was it "taught out of them" in their college courses do you suppose? My kids let them watch and listen to voicethreads, and read the blog, etc. and I am sure they were not puzzled by those kinds of tools, although I don't think they have been introduced to any of those things in this course they are taking now. It seemed that the thing that was taught as the 'latest and greatest thing" was webquests...nothing against webquests, but for pete's sake! I saw a few step in and help with the kids who were struggling with the math review, but not much stepping in with the technology. I have this handout that goes with my differentiation preso that I wish I had done- it takes all the stuff we are working on in the classroom, and plugs it into the blooms triangle to show the level of thinking each task requires of students. I think that would have pulled it together for them a bit more. Their teacher was saying, see what is possible? Now do you understand what you could do? I think they realized that we WANT them to have a classroom like this, but I don't know if they think they can DO a classroom like this. Does that make sense? I don't blame them really, they have not been adequately prepared to come in and do it this way, and to expect them to figure it out on the fly is really alot to ask I think, don't you? OK, hope I answered all of your questions, and thanks for the comment:) Hugs, Amy Jen,
The questions I got were a mixed bag. Some were about where my textbooks were (in the closet) and if I didn’t use textbooks then how did I figure out what to teach- that one bummed me out:( I suspect that they think that is what they should do…start at page one, end at page 254 and they have taught what they need to teach. I showed them the Missouri grade level expectations that I start with, and told them how I used that as a base, but tried to let my kids take me where their interests go in regards to how we actually learned about things. Other questions were good, like how I built my website, and could they use my resources. I fed them alot of things about how I can differentiate instruction so much easier with technology because it gives me a wide varietyof resources for the same concept instead of just one chapter in a book that everyone either can or can’t read and understand. I talked to them about how my kids blog me at home when they are sick, or when we have snow days, etc. I am not sure they really knew what to ask..that is the feeling I got.
I was also thinking about this….I came into tech teaching late in the game- in my 30’s. I had a huge learning curve with the tech side of things, and still feel like my students know more than I do in that area. I guess I thought that for these college students it would be a no-brainer to embed tech in a classroom because they live in that world every day. I got the feeling that they did not make that bridge between using their ipods and cell phones every day, and using their ipods and cell phones in thier classrooms someday. It’s like it is two worlds that don’t connect, and I thought they would for this younger generation. Was it “taught out of them” in their college courses do you suppose?

My kids let them watch and listen to voicethreads, and read the blog, etc. and I am sure they were not puzzled by those kinds of tools, although I don’t think they have been introduced to any of those things in this course they are taking now. It seemed that the thing that was taught as the ‘latest and greatest thing” was webquests…nothing against webquests, but for pete’s sake!

I saw a few step in and help with the kids who were struggling with the math review, but not much stepping in with the technology. I have this handout that goes with my differentiation preso that I wish I had done- it takes all the stuff we are working on in the classroom, and plugs it into the blooms triangle to show the level of thinking each task requires of students. I think that would have pulled it together for them a bit more.

Their teacher was saying, see what is possible? Now do you understand what you could do? I think they realized that we WANT them to have a classroom like this, but I don’t know if they think they can DO a classroom like this. Does that make sense? I don’t blame them really, they have not been adequately prepared to come in and do it this way, and to expect them to figure it out on the fly is really alot to ask I think, don’t you?

OK, hope I answered all of your questions, and thanks for the comment:)

Hugs,
Amy

]]> By: Jennifer http://doucwhatic.edublogs.org/2008/04/26/a-little-taste-of-reality/#comment-41 Jennifer Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:36:53 +0000 http://doucwhatic.edublogs.org/2008/04/26/a-little-taste-of-reality/#comment-41 Hello!! I guess my first question would be -- what were their questions? Did they (the college students) see surprised at what was going on? or were they puzzled? Did they get that you were not teaching tech but using the tools of tech? Were they able to step in and help or did they just stand back and watch?? Did they realize that your room was what their room's should be?? Smiles - Please share more! Jen Hello!!

I guess my first question would be — what were their questions? Did they (the college students) see surprised at what was going on? or were they puzzled? Did they get that you were not teaching tech but using the tools of tech? Were they able to step in and help or did they just stand back and watch?? Did they realize that your room was what their room’s should be??

Smiles -
Please share more!
Jen

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