As we begin observing, either virtually or in-person, how do you think the students are responding to their educational environment now? Some districts are using a hybrid approach to instruction whereby the students are in-person one day and online the next day. Do you think the switching between home and in-person school is helping or hurting these students? Do you think the system is working or does it need to be readjusted? Also, what sort of technology programs are your cooperating teachers using to deliver online instruction? Do you believe that these technology approaches are giving students the same type of education that they would receive if they were in school every day?
Please feel free to address any one of the questions posed above.
To be honest, I feel that students are stressed out about this adjustment more than we think they are. The first day of my observations there were two children who cried at one point during the day. The boy who cried was upset and said he just wanted to stay home and the girl who cried said she was just so confused and wanted to go back to normal school. I feel so bad for these children and do not feel that they are experiencing school under the best of circumstances. While we as teachers have no control over the pandemic and its impact on how schools run, I feel it is our duty to try and make this transition as simple and stress free as possible for our students.
ReplyDeleteThe school I am observing at is following a hybrid schedule and to be honest I do not think that it is beneficial to the students at all. While I do understand that the hybrid schedule is set up in order to keep exposure to a limited number, I feel that it is detrimental to the learning of the students. I think the students should be in the classroom full-time, or not at all. It is very challenging for teachers to simultaneously teach an in-person class and a remote class. One group of the students usually ends up not being given the attention and help they need. While I do understand the intentions of the plan, I do not think it is setting the students up for success during this academic year.
In the classroom that I am observing in this semester, they have AM and PM cohorts. This means that all students go to school everyday for two and a half hours. the rest of their day is done remotely on google classrooms. Sometimes they have to log on and watch a special live but most of their work is already up there for them to complete whenever they can that day. The in person session go ok but the students are having a hard time sitting in their chairs for two hours straight and they get very restless. It seems that they are losing focus and the classroom setup isn't ideal either. On the remote side, I feel like it is going worse than in person. Most of the students in the class aren't even logging on to google classroom so half of their school day/work is not being done. I think that the students really are going to suffer with the strategy that is in place. While I think the idea of students going into school everyday for a half day was great thinking, the other half of their day is suffering.
ReplyDeleteI have not been placed yet but I have had the opportunity to work with two students to help them during their remote learning. One child is in kindergarten and the other is in second grade. I can say that this is a tough process for them and that it is hard to keep them engaged for a whole school day online. I do not think it is reasonable to have a kindergartner online for 5 or 6 hours a day. It does not seem to be enjoyable for them or their teachers. I can see that the student is stressed as well as the teacher. Being in a kindergarten classroom is all about engaging with the children and not only helping them with their education but their social skills as well which they are not getting. On the other hand, the second grader seems to be having an easier time with this process. She is able to stay engaged for the most part throughout the day and it seems like she enjoys it as much as she can. I really think that them being fully remote is only hurting them because they are not getting the same experiences they would in school even if it was for a few hours a day.
ReplyDeleteJessica Kellenbach: I think that the children in my class who are learning remotely are struggling with a good learning environment. I think this because some of my students are sitting in bed while learning which is very distracting for them. Not all students are lucky enough to have desks in quite places. I think the children have a lot of distractions with learning at home.
ReplyDeleteJessica Kellenbach
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