Field Work

This past week was my first week of field work. I have been observing at Timpagnogus Elementary school with Mr. Price's 6th grade class. I haven't had an opportunity to teach yet. So this past week I just observed how the classroom functions and how the teacher incorporates technology into the classroom.

The classroom is amazing. It is nothing like I visioned it to be. When I was young the only technology we had in the classroom were televisions with vcrs. We had a computer lab where that most advanced we got was playing the Oregon trail or learning how to type. In the classroom I've been observing the students do almost all of their assignments on their computer. As I said last week each for every two students there is a big imac, and when all the students are required to work on the computer they have laptops that they have stored away that they can pull out an work on. When I saw this I was blown away! I didn't realize that schools had such great resources for their students. Everyone of the students knew how to pull up different downloads and access different websites they were required to do their assignments on. They also are all very great typers. They are all required to type up their assignments in a word document and have had a few essays they were required to write as well.
As I watch the students interact and study with the use of technology I have realized that technology is more vital to the classroom than I ever thought. I am excited to know for the future that as a teacher I will most likely have access to the tools that I need to teach lessons the way that I will find most effective.

I have realized that I need to be as educated on the computers as possible. If I am going to require my students to use the internet and complete their assignments online then I need to know exactly what I'm doing and not waste time trying to figure out how to work the tools. There have been a few times that documents haven't been able to be pulled up during a lecture and it slows down the presentation and takes away from the time I'd allow my students to work and ask questions. That is probably the only downfall I have found from the use of technology so far, but other than that it has been amazing to see how smoothly the classroom functions and how the students have the ability to find their assignments online. The use of technology is allowing the students that I'm observing to excel beyond what past education has allowed because they have more tools and more opportunity! It is my duty to keep my students updated and ready for what the future will bring.