How can I productively react when students misbehave or act up?

I think that we haven't really touched on this much in class thus far. I feel like again, what I know about reacting to poor behavior is learned from my own experience as a pre-school/daycare teacher in the summers, my other mentoring experience, and from having siblings. However, I do think that I have learned much through these mediums. I have learned that putting a positive spin on the behavior, reacting proactively, is much more effective than simple reprimanding. I also know that within a certain point, discipline doesn't need to be scary. It can be in the form of reflection, or aimed at the different intelligences.

I think the resource or incident that helped me learned this the most thus far would be in my actual field placement, seeing and dealing with discipline issues first-hand; you learn quickly to choose your battles and what to say (and what not to say).

Again, I feel like if I knew anything about this already, it was from previous experience, nothing to do with the class being ill-suited in any way. I do however think that the class needs to focus more on the management piece.

One question that I have discipline wise is for common issues, like talking back, walking out, etc, when is the line drawn between the teacher dealing with it, and when it is time to have an administrator step in.

Which strategies are most effective for maintaining order in the classroom?

I think that most of the things that I know about this topic I knew from common sense as being a student and just from life experience. I don't think the management piece was concentrated on very much thus far, but what I have been exposed to has been fairly interesting. I think the most effective way for managing order is all about balance. You can't be too strict as an educator, or students' creativity is shut off. However, you can't be the funny teacher that gets no respect (or work done) either. I think there is a fine line between being compatible and personable with students but at the same time maintaining authority. This will be especially important during our first of years as teachers, because we will be so close in age with our students.

I think the book readings, especially chapters 3 & 4, helped me grasp management concepts.

Like I said, the things that I think I really knew already were just from life experience, so I don't think there was really any redundant material.

What is a method of making your students feel comfortable enough to share personal information with you, but not so much that they think you're "another kid" ?

# How can you effectively integrate technology into your teaching and learning?

Like I said before, I feel like I have learned so much about integrating technology into the classroom. I now know how to effectively use technology as hooks (whether it be a youtube video, a powerpoint game, or a smartboard challenge), how to incorporate wiki's and blogs into virtually any and all lessons, and that technology is my friend, not my enemy. I also learned the difference between Type I and Type II usage of technology in the classroom, which made a huge impact for me. I think having someone very obviously point out to me that simply using word to type up notes doesn't count as using technology effectively in the classroom.

Since I had a lot of moments where I felt I learnt a lot, I suppose I'll pick my favorite.I loved the ebooks group presentation. Watching that video really peaked my curiosity about the subject and made me understand a little bit more about ebooks at the college level.

Honestly, there really wasn't anything in this section that I knew much about, it was all new to me. My experience with technology in the classroom was word processing to type and Internet to research.

If I use technology in my classroom daily, will the novelty wear off?

Why might it be important for students to learn with technology?

I think I have learned a lot this semester about technology in the classroom thus far. I feel like before this course began, I understood that technology as a "bonus" to get to have available-- like a priveledge that could be taken away or given. Now I see technology as something necessary, just like pen and paper. This course has shown me that the students I will be teaching truly are "technology natives," and that if I want to be marketable in this field, I need to get (and stay) with the program.

I think actually going in and using the Wiki for so much stuff in our own class made me realize how functional that aspect was. Just looking at it for our purposes I can see how I could adapt those to use in a highschool classroom. I could have links for my syllabus, assignments, contact information, student contact information, and a place to upload important artifacts.

I think the only thing that was really redundant thus far for me was the mp3 player section, and ironically, that was my technology group.

I really want to know more about ebooks-- how affordable they are, how realistic is the idea of using them in a highschool setting?

How to Help Someone Use a Computer

"First you have to tell yourself some things."

"You've forgotten what it's like to be a beginner."

This struck me as important because it so true in any situation when you are trying to teach someone a skill. The mere fact that you are at a knowledge level where you could teach someone something shows that you have mastered that skill and clearly haven't been a beginner for a long time. This is important to tell yourself before teaching because you need to remember that not everyone is going to have what you might consider "common sense" or "background education" that you do.



"Having convinced yourself of these things, you are more likely to follow some important rules:"

"Be aware of how abstract your language is. "Get into the editor" is abstract and "press this key" is concrete. Don't say anything unless you intend for them to understand it. Keep adjusting your language downward towards concrete units until they start to get it, then slowly adjust back up towards greater abstraction so long as they're following you. When formulating a take-home lesson ("when it does this and that, you should try such-and-such"), check once again that you're using language of the right degree of abstraction for this user right now."

This will be useful during my presentation because as a "technology native" I will always need to remind myself to take my language, technology terminology, etc, "down a level" so that a complete novice in the area could understand.


This will be useful during my presentation because it will force me to be at a beginner's level with my topic, even thought I will feel like, in some sense, an "expert."



Agre, Phil (1996). How to help someone use a computer. Retrieved October 14, 2007, Web site: http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/how-to-help.html

NOTE: Sorry, for the delay Dr. Theresa-- I posted this to the wrong blog!

Type I/ Type II Technology Usage

Type I usage of technology is when the technology is used in a classroom basically as a way to make things more efficient for the teacher, while not really gaining any new ground. Type I is very programmer controlled and is very passive (student wise).

Type II on the other hand, emphasizes the role of the student, and is much more interactive, using the technology in new and innovative ways to further one's education.

Type I examples:
*Using a flashcard program to replace a student-partner group from holding up flashcards.
*Taking notes on the computer in Word instead of handwriting them
*Sending students a syllabus through e-mail to replace a hard copy.
--> There is nothing wrong with these uses, but they are not furthering our education, they are simply more "efficient."


Type II examples:
*Using Google Earth to visually see the place in the world, in actual photographs, where the genocide you are learning about takes place.
*Using Excel or Spreadsheet to learn to how to plot coordinates of data.
*Creating a website to demonstrate your knowledge of computer skills and what a website can do.
-->These examples are both great to use, as well as provide opportunities that would not otherwise be available!



Citation:

"Type II Applications of Technology in Education: New and Better Ways of Teaching and Learning." Maddox, C. & Johnson, D. Haworth Press, Inc. 2005.