After grading finals, I feel so sorry for the students that can't seem to read the questions right - can't seem to correctly identify the information wanted. It's sad really; these students have not seemed to have instruction on how to take tests. I'm often shocked at the ability of students - whether over- or under-whelmed. Sometimes students just don't live up to your expectations. As an instructional designer and educator, I have to believe that every student can learn from "close-to-perfect" instruction. However, this doesn't seem to be the case. From my perspective students need actual experiences. It wasn't until I got into the classroom, I really thrived and was able to practice my abilities and skills. Classroom management has to be one of the most difficult elements for teachers. There should be a class in every teacher education program, focusing on just this problem - but they also need to test it themselves. I am of the opinion that every future teacher (especially elementary) need practice interacting with students. Through summer camps or volunteering for an after school program - it should be mandatory for students to manage children. Honestly, even though I am in educational technology, and I believe in the power of technology, nothing can substitute for an actual experience in the classroom. By experiencing education from a teacher's lens (or at least a supervisor's lens) students will have a better view of how to conduct a classroom.
When I compare the projects that teachers created in EDCI 560 (in-service equivalent of EDCI 270 - Introduction to Educational Technology and Computing) to those created in EDCI 270, they just have a profoundly superior way to utilize technology in the classroom. They use functions of animation for moving parts of equations around the screen in PowerPoint to help students visualize the mathematical substitution process. It's just so amazing what teachers can come up with. Granted, teachers have had way more experience in the classroom, but how do you get pre-service teachers to begin to think like these experts? This is a question I am attempting to answer in my dissertation - How do you better prepare pre-service teachers to transfer their skills into practice?
After grading finals...
3 comments:
I don't feel sorry ... just because I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the students. I know I told my students to read carefully, underline each thing they need to answer in a question, and to take their time. Of course everyone was finished in about 40 minutes ... so why should I care if they don't (until they receive their grade)?
This is true - students don't really care until they get their grade. Three students contacted asking why they received the grade they did. I feel like telling them to check WebCT Vista like I've been telling them all semester long! Maybe I coddle them too much so they don't check on things on their own. Don't you think that they should start taking responsibility for their own learning at the freshman level?
I think they have to start taking responsibility at some point, and it's better to start as a college freshman than a college senior. My view of the situation is that my students are adults, so I will treat them like adults. I will help students who ask for help or who obviously need help when I see them in lab, but otherwise I don't worry about them. If they want to turn in their projects, great. If not, that's their decision. I will not hunt them down and badger them to turn it in ... I not going to waste my time worrying about someone who doesn't care themselves.
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