Technology is our future

Technology in the classroom is exciting. So many new things have been developed to help learning along especially in this information era. We have smart boards and iPads and so much more it is hard to list it all. One piece of technology I have learned about is so amazing I hope to have in my classroom one day and that is the Kinect for math. It allows children to use their bodies to do math. They can graph and display visually what their bodies are doing. It is still being developed and adapted but, it truly is the future.

As a teacher we have to keep up with the shifting and changing technology because our children sure are. From cell phones to intuitive search engines children are soaking up this technology. Not only that they are also shaping it and developing it. Technology can be beneficial in the classroom if we know how to use it with our lesson plans. I do want to stress though that technology is great but, sometimes you have to put the screens down and spend time in the world right in front of you. Whether, that be going outside or having a technology free day either way we can’t always be plugged in. 

BEDUC427   

Boys can be mommies

This week I want to discuss gender and how it still dictates so many aspects of life especially in the classroom. Early on people influence the way a child behaves based on their gender. Why? Because we were once influenced to categorize what makes a male, male and what makes a female, female. At an early age children are experimenting with their image and emotions. For example boys will play mommies. This act makes many adults uncomfortable because they are taking an innocent activity and giving it adult ramifications. Another example is when two children the same age but, opposite gender play house and the boy is the dad and the girl is the daughter. Again the adults have emotional reactions and put a stop to this caring gesture. They say that she needs to learn to be a strong woman and not rely on men but, these children are not yet men or women.

We wonder why boys behave the way they do and yet we don’t see the connection that displays how we have shaped them to not be sensitive. Or to be rough and rambunctious; we have shut down tenderness and caring so quickly they couldn’t even see what hit them. As for girls we want then to be dainty and lady like and strong and independent. These gender issues are so prevalent and this is why we discuss. Why can’t boys be sensitive? What can’t girls be smart? Why do we as adults feel the need to pass on our categories? I for one know that my categories are changing. Boys can be mommies and girls and be tomboys as long as they are allowed to work it out for themselves.

BEDUC405     

Inclusion

Why are children treated like little robots trained from the begging to sit in rows and raise their hand when they want to speak? This is not a natural formation for people and yet we feel the need to make every child contain there enthusiasm. In some classrooms teacher have been experimenting with different types of learning station where students can stand or sit which is great. The only issue is not all schools are doing this. We see the benefit everywhere and yet we are still stuck in this assembly line mentality. I think this has to comment on inclusion; many children are not able to sit still for hours and thus are dubbed the “problem child”. Then that child is either medicated or isolated which is not a positive reaction at all. Or maybe on the flip side a child is unable to communicate then they are ignored because they conform and blend in. We are not learning from our students.

Many teachers are overwhelmed because we have a high volume of students in the classroom and ciaos is viewed as negative. I believe that if children are allowed to get the exercise they need combined with the mental stimulation of learning that we could stop the over use of medication in children. We can also change the dynamic of the classroom to be more inclusive of all backgrounds, abilities and energy levels.

BEDUC405       

A lawyer walked in...

A lawyer walked in and said be a robot; don’t show emotion and remember never ever ever touch a child as long as you live.

Now don’t get me wrong it was extremely informational to hear how a lawyer would handle some situations in the classroom. Of course no teacher wants to get in trouble in any way shape or form when it comes to the safety of our students. With that said though I can’t imagine not having any contact with my students at all. They are 3^rd graders and demand a lot of attentions and children need physical contact. I will say that it should always be child initiated but, if they ask for a hug my arms are wide open.

What I find even more troubling is the fact that we have to have these rules in place because non humans came before and did unspeakable things to innocent children. We can’t control every person and there really in no mentally ill test we can give before we certify teachers. All we can do is use our best judgment and hope for the best, but keep our eyes out for the worst.

I am not a robot; I am not emotionless; and I am not on quarantine

BEDUC405  

Standardized Testing?

This is the time of year that we are testing our children. We are giving standardized exams which many teachers have taught to all year long. Many children get worked up and stressed out about these exams because no one explains that they are simply a joke. Yes they are a joke that these students need to pass but, they do not comment on a child’s IQ in any way at all. This past week I interviewed a 7^th grander going to Kopachuck middle school and she brought up testing. She said “standardized testing was stressful but, it is not really meant for me it is just a way the school is evaluated” for a thirteen year old that is pretty impressive; in any case though she is the minority when it comes to that knowledge.

Why is standardized testing still in the forefront of how we evaluate our children in the classroom? There are many sources that say this type of testing is doing students no good at all. Every child learns differently and they could be brilliant in the classroom; then they take an exam and fail miserably because they clamed up. Something needs to be done about changing the way we evaluate our children.

BEDUC405