At a public secondary school with a reputation for having students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, all
students are required to bring an electronic device, such as a laptop or ipad. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this.
On one hand, it is great for working on individual projects and for working at their own pace. Each student has individual goals in class and in the overall course to match their abilities and where they stand in the subject. I love the differentiation and I think we could take a lot away from this model. The integration of technology is a critical part of all students meeting their own needs and the teachers here seem to have embraced technology wholeheartedly. This would have been especially great for my students at the practicum school who were not able or willing to come to school regularly. They would not be completely lost when they did show up, since they could work on their own thing. Plus, they would have the ability to work on their assignments outside of the classroom.
The classrooms are also great at integrating the technology into things like science labs. Students are encouraged to take pictures and videos to include with their lab reports. They are given electronic templates for their work and submit electronic versions of their slides for presentations. Their exit slips in class are emails to the teacher - it is all fully integrated and is very inspiring.
The other bonus is that students have learned to work well independently. I was shocked to see grade 8 students plugging away at online assignments individually for the majority of their class time. They have gradually been brought into it. But I wonder if this takes away the humanity in teaching. Back home, I would wander around the class and ask students what they were up to. They would happily describe what they were working on and ask questions about where they are stuck. But that doesn't seem to be the case here. When I talk to students, even the younger ones who, in my experience, are more excitable and happy to talk to you, they just say they are fine and try to get me to leave them alone. The computer has become their teacher when they are working on individual projects, and the classroom teacher is almost an annoyance. It's great that they are independent, but do they need to learn how to ask for help?
What's more, I wonder how they manage the low socioeconomic students. How can they ensure that every student has access to the required technology? Are there programs in place to assist students who have trouble affording uniforms and laptops?
On one hand, it is great for working on individual projects and for working at their own pace. Each student has individual goals in class and in the overall course to match their abilities and where they stand in the subject. I love the differentiation and I think we could take a lot away from this model. The integration of technology is a critical part of all students meeting their own needs and the teachers here seem to have embraced technology wholeheartedly. This would have been especially great for my students at the practicum school who were not able or willing to come to school regularly. They would not be completely lost when they did show up, since they could work on their own thing. Plus, they would have the ability to work on their assignments outside of the classroom.
The classrooms are also great at integrating the technology into things like science labs. Students are encouraged to take pictures and videos to include with their lab reports. They are given electronic templates for their work and submit electronic versions of their slides for presentations. Their exit slips in class are emails to the teacher - it is all fully integrated and is very inspiring.
The other bonus is that students have learned to work well independently. I was shocked to see grade 8 students plugging away at online assignments individually for the majority of their class time. They have gradually been brought into it. But I wonder if this takes away the humanity in teaching. Back home, I would wander around the class and ask students what they were up to. They would happily describe what they were working on and ask questions about where they are stuck. But that doesn't seem to be the case here. When I talk to students, even the younger ones who, in my experience, are more excitable and happy to talk to you, they just say they are fine and try to get me to leave them alone. The computer has become their teacher when they are working on individual projects, and the classroom teacher is almost an annoyance. It's great that they are independent, but do they need to learn how to ask for help?
What's more, I wonder how they manage the low socioeconomic students. How can they ensure that every student has access to the required technology? Are there programs in place to assist students who have trouble affording uniforms and laptops?
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