Online Class

Who would have ever thought that one day classes would be held virtually instead of in the classroom? Well that's what I was able to experience this week! On Thursday October, 27th the weather wasn't all that great so Dr. Smirnova decided to hold an online class. I thought this was a great idea, it made it safer for the students who travel to school back and forth everyday including myself and it was a way to still obtain some information without being in the classroom. We were able to log in and be in one big chat room. We were able to see Dr. Smirnova and hear her as well as she spoke to us. My classmates took turns talking and showing their face in their webcams so that we were able to see them. There was a chat box where we could answer questions that were being asked and there were many options while using this online. We were given the opportunity to show our face in the camera, answer a chat, mute our computer and see our classmates responses. I think using technology in education is very important, its like a whole new world for us. I wonder if one day school will be taught like this in the future everyday. Having an online class is still a good way to hold class, you are given the opportunity to stay home but you are also able to show you participation. Learning how to use technology is important because that is what our world is all about today, technology. I think this is a very helpful resource that professors should use when the weather is bad and students cannot make their way to school. You are able to teach your student's virtually and they are able to obtain the same information they would have in the classroom. I hope throughout the semester when the weather continues to get bad more and more professors use this method. I thought it was very engaging and it was new and different to all of us. I can see teaching classes virtually becoming a big hit in the future!

                                              

Week One Complete !

This week each and every single one of us was given the opportunity to be in a sixth grade science classroom and get to know the students by the activities that we have prepared for them. On the first day of field work we got to know the children by moving around the room and working on our actives with each of them. This was an ice breaker for the semester being able to know a little bit about one another and what we may or may not know about the topic we are working with group by group. After we spent time in the classroom with the students we were ready to go back into their actual classroom and watch group one as they introduced their lesson to the class and what they will be teaching them. I think that these ladies did a great job presenting their lesson being that this was their first time up in front of the class on their own. It's nerve wrecking to begin with but I give them a lot of credit for going first and doing as well as they did. They spoke clearly and had back up plans when things didn't go as planned. They were still ready to teach and complete their lesson in the two days they worked on it. It was great to see the teachers interact with the students and the students interact in their groups with the teachers. I think it is great when everyone is working together and giving a little bit of information to complete the assignment they were given. While observing i was able to see all of the the teachers did and how the students react. This is very helpful for us because we are able to sit back and watch another group get up, introduce a lesson and work with the students. It will better prepare everyone for when it is their turn. Group One did a great job when it came to being prepared and having engaging activities that will keep the students interested such as the rocks to pass around the room, the questions being asked, the ballon's, the posters they worked on in groups, the take home assignment to Ms. Mineral  and much more. I am excited to see each group get up and perform their lesson and hope that we can each learn from one another and take notes on what we should look out for and work one. Heres to the next few weeks ! Good luck everyone