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Lesson 9 Classroom Technology Observation

 

Today I had the privilege of observing Sharon Braunerbaund in her classroom.  Sharon, like me, teaches Read 180 and CAHSEE English.  When I entered Sharon’s classroom the bell had just rung and she had already started the students on their rotations.  She has in her classroom three rotations in which the students spend 15 minutes at.  This way they can all get to the stations in a single day.

What technology is being used?

Sharon has 7 student computers in her classroom.  These are Dell computers.  These are the very basic in computer systems.  She does not have any other electronics except for an over head projector and two audio tape players.  The software that is being used for this class is by Scholastic and it is READ 180.  The systems also run windows based software like Office which is on the server.  The systems are also internet ready.  The systems are up to date running Windows XP.  This is more then enough for the classroom setting.

 

How the technology is being used by the teacher and students.

 

• Is technology being used by both students and teacher, students only or teacher only?

 

Technology is being used by both the teacher and the students.  The teacher however is using a little bit more then the students in she is controlling the management suite used to administer the READ 180 program.  The teacher as well as the student is required to take a reading test as a baseline to see what their reading level is.  This is also done so that the teacher is aware of what the student goes through to complete the program.

• Are the students engaged and on task?

Sharon seems to run a pretty tight ship.  Her classroom organization is clear and effective.  The students know their routine and seem to follow it with ease.  Looking at the students I notice that many of them seem to be a bit up set when they are told it is time to log off the computer program and go to the next station.  They truly seem to enjoy the program.

• Does the teacher seem knowledgeable and comfortable with the technology?

The nice thing about SBCUSD is that they put their teachers through a rigorous training program to get them ready to teach their subject.  Sharon is comfortable and more then capable to administer the program.  She is comfortable and seems to really enjoy the program as well as the students do.  The teacher is also knowledgeable about her server and the hardware involved in running the computers. 

• Do the students seem comfortable with the technology?

When you look at the students you see confidant students that are very use to what they are doing.  In my classroom when someone new comes in it takes them about a day or two to adjust to the use of the program.  It is very easy to use.

• Does the teacher interact regularly with the students as they use the technology or does it seem to be used as a babysitter to give the teacher down time?

In this type of classroom setting there is no down time for the teacher.  She is always moving between the three groups checking to see how the students are doing and seeing if they need any help with what they are doing.

• If the students are not using the technology (e.g. the teacher is doing a presentation or demonstration) does the technology enhance or detract from the lesson?

The technology neither enhances, nor detracts from the lesson.  The lesson for this class is always taught in a separate rotation.

• Are there any technical problems? How does the teacher handle them?

Periodically the database will get stuck and the students will have to log off and log back on.  It also some times runs really slow if all of the students in a group are recording at the same time.  If there is ever a problem in the classroom with the computer the teacher is trained to check for loose cables, re – boot the computer and see if the server is on.  If this fails then the teacher is to email and call the IT department so that one of the people that work in that department can come and fix the problem as soon as they can.

Is the use of technology appropriate for the application in which it is being used?

In this type of setting where the students are learning to read faster and better, this technology is appropriate to run the software, and in the fact that it is easy to use since most students have a computer in their home.  When students are being asked to read they seem to relate better to computers then they do to books.  So having a program like this on the computer is a sure way to get the kids to read.

What is the teacher’s history and experience with technology?

Sharon has been teaching this class at this school for several years now and is very familiar with using these computers and this software program.  She has also taught a computer lit class about five years ago at this same school.

His/her views about the use of technology in schools.

Sharon is an old time teacher with the mind of a new age teacher.  She is very much for the use of technology in the classroom.  With the introduction of the World Wide Web students are able to access more information then they could ever hope to find in a High School library.  Since this helps to make her classroom more inviting and more fun she is all for it.

What types and level of training and technical support are available at the school/district?

The training that is given to the teachers that run this program is pretty extensive, and is given by the company that created the program.  The teachers meet three to four times a year to learn about updates and any glitches that may have been found in the system.  The technical staff is made up two gentlemen that run the department and about 15 students that are taking a computer technology course.  The school district offers all levels of training from the beginner teacher to the veteran that has been dealing with this stuff for years.

What if anything would you do differently? What?

After watching Sharon I see many differences between the way she runs the course and the way I currently run the course.  Sharon has the students on a 15 minute rotation for her stations and I run a 20 minute.  In my class the students only get to two different stations in a day.  I feel that this gives them more time to comprehend what they are learning.  I also do not use the audio station.  I have changed it into a strictly reading station only.  I found that the students were using it as time to draw pictures and write notes to there friends.  I use a large amount of power point presentations in my class where Sharon does not.  I feel that this gets the students attention and holds it when I am trying to get them to remember something.

What did you learn from this observation?

Observing Sharon is something that I have wanted to do this entire school year.  Seeing her in action gave me some ideas and also made me glad that I do something’s differently then she does.  I now know that Sharon has a very short temper when it comes to her students, and she does not allow for any talking in her classroom.  I believe that she needs to re think her procedures when dealing with the students.

Interview with teacher

I met with Sharon after the class to discuss how she feels about the class and see if there is anything that she is unhappy with or that she would like to see done differently.  In speaking with her I found out that she would like to see more computer time and more one on one time with the students.  She feels that having the third station where they read silently is too much for them after having read on the READ 180 software.  They get bored and this is the station that they get into trouble if they are going to get into trouble.  She also told me that she would like to see more ELL materials provided for those that are learning to speak, write, and read English.  She currently does not have any.  She would also like to see the aids for the special Ed students come into the classroom more then once a week.  She told me that likes teaching the class and hopes to do so for many more years.