Physical Environment:
The physical environment in the classroom consisted of groups of tables facing the blackboard or perpendicular to the blackboard. The projector sat in the middle of the room, and quiz questions were put up in the beginning of class so the students could easily see them and complete them. There was a special location for the dividers that provided confidentiality for the quiz, an also for assignments to be turned in. There are a lot of posters adorning the walls and blackboard, which contain information vital for composition, and to hold information about some of the books they have been working on.
Curricular Environment:
The students were presenting week in a portfolio that they have been completing over the duration of their Holocaust unit. It was clear that they have received instruction in some of the elements of poetry, what makes a political cartoon funny, and they shared their work aloud. I didn't see any English textbooks, but as the class went over the structure of a 5 paragraph essay, they pulled out notes that they had taken in an earlier class. Next Friday, we will be in the computer lab, working on the first of three essays that will culminate the Holocaust Unit.
Human Environment:
Several students looked to be from diverse cultural backgrounds, but did not display any signs that they may be struggling with any linguistic issues. Some students seemed chatty with their seating buddies, and the group in general seemed lively and willing to participate.
What a deep topic for seventh graders! It will be interesting to see what your student will have to say about the Holocaust.
ReplyDeleteYes, so last week we were in the computer lab and they were working on their 5 paragraph essays. They need to complete three diffrent essays, and their teacher gave them ten prompts to choose from. Things like: compare Amedinejad and Hitler, describe the dehumanization tactics that the Nazi's used, what the meaning of bravery truly is, why some countries were relutantt o accept jewish immigrants, etc. The points of views of the students were very strong, as young people tend to get fired up abbout anything "unfair". The differences in writing mechanics were easy to observe. Some students needed a lot of spelling help from the program they were using, while others were at the point of needing to explore the use of semicolons to break up long ideas. Good Stuff!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is pretty heavy subject matter and concepts. Where you surprised by anything so far in your practicum or is it what you expected? What kinds of technological resources do they have to work on these assignments? Are they given time in class or expected to do the majority of their essays at home?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say surprisin, but I will definitely say its been very interesting watching the children's writing processes. The system they use is called My Access, which is new to the district for seventh graders. It has a built in grading system, so that they can submit essays and get feedback, then revise. Some determined students had done up to 19 submissions in order to reach their goal grade of 5.5 out of 6. The teacher always assures them a "human grade" as well, because even a computer can't catch all the nuances of English language. They are given time in class to work on their essays. They have a 45 minute class block, but many students started at home the weekend before, as their teacher encouraged them to do. That way all the work is done and fine tuning can take place.
ReplyDeleteDid the students have to read anything on the Holocaust to start their unit, like the Diary of Anne Frank? The students in my class used MyAccess too, and it really is a cool program that helps them, while teaching them, improve their grade. Did they use any programs like Acquire3000 or FunBrain? Could the students get up and walk around the room or were they more confined to their seats?
ReplyDelete