At learn and serve this week my classes took place in the computer lab. The students were working on poetry portfolio projects. They were asked to find poems online using the library's database, find a literary device in the poem, and explain why they chose the poem. This is a big assignment so they will be in the computer lab until the first week in November. The students have a few projects this year that are going to require time and research in the computer lab. They are emphasising technology greatly, and I think this is a good thing. "Instructional technology involves the computer and related tools that support and expand the computer's usefulness. Instructional technology is developed primarily as a means to deliver content and instruction in an appropriate manner to exceptional children" (Kirk et. al., pg 63). The students seem more eager to do their work when they are able to be on the computers. The style of teaching used the in English department at Gaskill Prep is called Nigara's Choice. This time at learn and serve was one of the first times I was able to reach out and help the students because they were doing independent work the whole class period. Some students needed direction or guidance in addition to what the teacher provided. I was able to help them choose good poems or suggest things to look for in a poem.
The second class is an accelerated pace class and some of those students really opened up to me. They were flocking around me to have me read some of the poems they had written themselves. One boy wrote a poem about a car accident, it was the first time I had seen an example of work (in this class) that really seemed like accelerated student work. The student told me he had been in a car accident and his grandmother and sister were injured, luckily they are alright now. He had a good handle on how a poem should be structured. There was a clear story line but he was using descriptive words to "show" his reader, instead of "tell" his reader. This is an advanced skill. This student is a talented writer.
OK. Great visual. Tell me more - maybe a hyperlink to the program. To take a critical stance, what is the value of such learning. What do YOU think (there's no right or wrong answer here).
ReplyDeleteDid you observe more dependance on teacher directions, or less?
Also, talk more about the kid who shared his poem. You stated that you noticed accelerated student work. Define what this looks like... more words? nicer print? coherence?
Nice job J!