The "Bird Rap" gave us a glimpse into a classroom in the middle of a project. The students had already done some research on birds and were preparing for a field trip. They also seem to have some experience working with the internet and Excel. Their project involved more research of birds on the internet and then data entry of their information into an Excel program that was created by the instructor.
I really enjoyed the way the teacher decided to teach how to use some of the technology. She demonstrated the small handheld technology to a small group of students. The students were then responsible to teach a classmate how to use the small computer. I thought this was a great idea, because it would have been difficult to teach the entire class how to use them based on the limited quantity.
I also liked that the teacher let the groups go through a trial run with their presentation before she graded them. After the presentations, she gave them the rubrics for which they would be graded. I felt like this was another excellent idea, because it gave students an opportunity to understand what would be expected from them. My only objection to the trial presentation would be that I don't think it needed to be done in front of the entire class, although it did serve as a way to force students to be better prepared.
I saw very few weaknesses in the video. As soon as the teacher noticed that a problem was presenting itself (ie students inappropriate playing with the equipment when they should be listening), she addressed it immediately. Overall, I really liked the project and feel that the teacher used a wide variety of technology (Excel, cameras, presentation equipment, handheld computers) to complete the lesson and promote learning.
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One of the reasons I chose this video for us to view is because it incorporates so many technologies – and I think the teacher does an exceptional job integrating them. There is always room for improvement (as with all of us!), but overall, I think this video does a great job of showcasing how technologies can make a potentially dry topic more engaging. And quite frankly, I admire anyone who’s willing to have his/her teaching recorded and critiqued.
ReplyDeleteOne area I’d like to point out is the practice of students teaching students. When implemented well, it can be a great way to empower students. But I feel that before we can ask students to teach each other we need to teach them how to teach. And we need to be confident that they understand the skills they’ll be passing on to others – otherwise, we can end up with a version of the game ‘telephone’ where the content can become filtered and twisted. So I’d encourage you to take the time to model for the students how you want them to teach (not just tell them what they should teach) and have guidelines in place to make sure they themselves understand the content well enough to teach their classmates.
I only wish I could promise that you’ll have such great technologies available in your future schools…