Technology Application Ideas for the English Classroom in my Practicum Experience at SLU High
For my methods class, I am required to observe at a school in the St. Louis area. This Tuesday was my first observation day at SLU High. This single sex school reminded me a lot of my high school experience (except mine was all girls of course). The students were engaged, particpatory, and prepared for class. They had teachers that were excited to learn with them and teach them the knowledge that they have acquired as certified professionals. Seeing these similarities, I thought that the way the students learned outside of class would be reminiscent of my high school's approach to learning the content for class.
I did not find this to be the case, however. In just one class period, I saw the use of technology as an important learning tool in the classroom. Not only did the instructor teach using a smart board, but the students also were working on PowerPoint presentations for use in future classes. The students were reading Othello and the teacher strongly suggested the students to pick up compact discs of a reading of the play to help them with their studies. He said that it would be useful to put this on the students' iPods as well. This, of course, is a more affluent school with many students that are wealthy enough to own portable cd players and iPods so that teachers can make suggestions pertaining to owning these kinds of technologies.
I just found this senior classes' learning style really interesting. It really hit home that I am going to have to keep up with the students' preferred learning styles as we discussed in the last class. Seeing the transformation that the high school English classroom has gone through in just three years makes me realize just how quickly new technology comes out on the market. Even in my senior year, I had no idea what an iPod was. Now I am listening to my own iPod on the way to class and am seeing practical applications for them in the classroom through my observations. It makes me a bit nervous that technology is ever-changing, but it also reassures me that, throughout my long career is a high school English teacher (hopefully!) , my lessons will never get monotonous if I keep them up-to-date and use a little creativity for the sake of my students.
I did not find this to be the case, however. In just one class period, I saw the use of technology as an important learning tool in the classroom. Not only did the instructor teach using a smart board, but the students also were working on PowerPoint presentations for use in future classes. The students were reading Othello and the teacher strongly suggested the students to pick up compact discs of a reading of the play to help them with their studies. He said that it would be useful to put this on the students' iPods as well. This, of course, is a more affluent school with many students that are wealthy enough to own portable cd players and iPods so that teachers can make suggestions pertaining to owning these kinds of technologies.
I just found this senior classes' learning style really interesting. It really hit home that I am going to have to keep up with the students' preferred learning styles as we discussed in the last class. Seeing the transformation that the high school English classroom has gone through in just three years makes me realize just how quickly new technology comes out on the market. Even in my senior year, I had no idea what an iPod was. Now I am listening to my own iPod on the way to class and am seeing practical applications for them in the classroom through my observations. It makes me a bit nervous that technology is ever-changing, but it also reassures me that, throughout my long career is a high school English teacher (hopefully!) , my lessons will never get monotonous if I keep them up-to-date and use a little creativity for the sake of my students.
posted by Moe at
3:09 PM
2 Comments:
Hi Moe,
Really great post! Do you mind if I share it with someone whose son has applied to SLU High?
We'll be talking about Podcasting later this semester. I think it will be interesting to you as a future English teacher.
By
Anonymous, at 9:55 AM
Moe,
I can completely relate to what you have said about technology growing in the classroom (especially English). I just did my practicum at Rosati-Kain, which is a private, all girls’ school. I went to public school myself, but I can still see the drastic changes that have taken place over the past what... 3 years? Are we really that old already! I have this huge fear of being that teacher that spends the entire class period trying to figure out how to turn on the projector while the whole class laughs at me.
I enjoyed your response to your observations because it is so good to know that someone else feels the way I do about the growth of technology in the classroom. Good job!
By
Meghan Glarner, at 1:41 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home