Effectiveness of Technology Depends on the Teacher

I was at school today for two and a half hours, observing students before school for about 20 minutes, Geometry CP for an hour and 35 minutes, and Algebra I B for 35 minutes. During the Geometry class, the students used laptops to complete a project on Geometer's Sketchpad. There was such a difference between the behavior of my teacher's students and the students I observed using the laptop last week. At the beginning of the class, Mr. Delaney told his students that if he saw them working on anything other than their project, they would not be allowed to use computers for the rest of the year. Since they use computers once a week, that would be a huge loss of privileges. The students were on task and working hard for the entire period. Another thing I noticed is that he has his students put their work into portfolios: both electronic and paper. I thought this was a very good application of what we talked about in class. Mr. Delaney encouraged his students to work at their own pace and told them that he offers extra projects for extra credit at the end of the year. I like that idea a lot because it rewards students for working quickly rather than punishing them in the form of giving them extra work without rewarding them for it.

Observing class today was very encouraging to me because I saw that is is possible to have a classroom full of students working on computers and staying on task the entire time. After I observed the class full of students not doing their work when there were two teachers in there last week, I was very discouraged and wondered if it was possible to have that many students doing what they are supposed to be doing. After observing today, I felt hopeful that I could have students working diligently on their assignment. I learned today that it is important to clearly state your expectations in the beginning so students know what they are supposed to be doing. Also, Mr. Delaney treated his students like adults in the sense that he only once told them to remain on task and then trusted them to do what they were supposed to be doing. I will apply this to my classroom by clearly stating my expectations in the beginning to make it easier for my students to succeed. I want my students to know that I trust them because then they will be more likely to do what they are supposed to do. I also want to have confidence in incorporating technology in my classroom and get my students actively involved.