I went to Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH. It is a very large school. In fact, it is bigger than Southern New Hampshire University itself. When being a part of five thousand students, it is easy to get lost in the crowd. Yes it us up to the student to make a presence in the school. However, it is also the teacher's responsibility to reach out to all his or her students.
At Pinkerton, we did a lot of research. We had many computer labs where we did online research. We also used library materials and books as well. Pinkerton never handed out laptops or iPads as some schools do because there are too many people to provide them for. One thing that stuck out was how many of my teachers would do online chats with the whole class. This way we could communicate with each other from home if we had issues with homework, projects, and studying.
I also had some text books that we could access online. There were activities we did online together for homework. This kind of homework was actually more fun and entertaining than traditional book work. The whole class agreed to this opinion.
When I become a teacher (YAY) I will definitely incorporate technology into my classroom. I am going to use the online chats for my students. We can post how we thought the class went and mainly questions and concerns about the topic, homework, and upcoming exams. Many times I found myself (and still do as a commuter) frustrated being away from school and not understanding the work I had to do at home. This way, there is always a connection even when you are away from school. I think overall this will help with performance levels and also student bonding in the classroom.
I can't even imagine going to a school that has more then 5,000 students at it, but it must be a great experience. I think that it is great that your teacher is using the internet for a chat room because you never have to guess anymore on a problem. I think that i will incorporate that into my classroom when i become a teacher. I think that is a great idea about posting things about the class and how it went that day. Because that gives you feed back on what your students think about the lesson.
ReplyDeleteDid you get lost on your first day of school at Pinkerton? I have been to Pinkerton a few times for cheer competitions and found myself lost easily so I would imagine that it would be stressful for incoming freshmen. I think its great that students are able to have their textbooks on tablets or Ipad because some people learn and read better that way. I mean obviously not every teacher will agree with that but I personally find it more interesting when I am able to read on the Ipad. It also makes it easier for the students to have their homework with them all the time. That is how I personally feel about having textbooks on electronic devices.
ReplyDeleteI could imagine teaching at Pinkerton, it would be hard to get to know each of your students. It is nice to hear that the teachers did make an effort to communicate with everyone. It seems they did that through technology. This made me realize that you do not need to use technology for only research, but for connecting with one another. By using an online chat for questions about homework, the students get another classmates feed back too. Sometimes students learn more from their peers than their teachers because their peers know how to explain it better. Also, it gives the shy kids in class a way to ask questions and not fall behind. I love the chat room and I would incorporate that in my classroom as well!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a huge school, and i can't imagine ever being a student there! But it seems that you're teachers really took the time to work with technology, and really bring all their students together with those chat groups. I think that is a really good idea! I never thought of something so interesting to bring students together, and help them connect. I also think it is a great idea for you to incorporate what you have been taught and learned into your own classroom when you have one! I also really hope that being a commuter that you feel more comfortable with asking questions and making connections!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how big your high school was! I grew up in a very small town in central Pennsylvania (known as Pennsyltucky) and only had about 450 kids in my school. It was even a school that had grades 7-12 so I would be so lost if I went to Pinkerton. It does seem like you had a great experiences with technology so that is really awesome. Like you I can't wait until I'm a teacher and can use technology in my classroom daily.
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