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JasonMorosky EDSC425 Spring2013

ObservationLog#1 Myfirstobservationitsfunnybeingontheteacherssideoftheclassroom,giventhatthiswas whereIspentmostofmytimeinhighschool.Somethingsdontchange(andIactuallyhopetobe teachingheresomeday).Iwasaratheractiveparticipantintheclassroom,whetheritberunningaround answeringquestionsonaparticularsoftwareorremindingstudentshowtowiretheiroutletsand switches.Mr.English,mycooperatingteacherandinspirationforbecomingateacher,istakingastep backandlettingmegetmyfeetwetwiththestudents,onlyoptingtospeakupwhenIneedclarification orthereissomethingIdontknow.Otherwisehelecturesatthebeginningandthenthestudentsbreak offtoworkontheirblueprintsorprojects.ThatsthebeautyofTechEd,itsverystudentandproject driven,theresalwayssomethingneworsomethingtobuildoraddoradjust.Itsnotallreading chaptersandthenbeingquizzed. OftenwhenIamwalkingaround,thestudentsarebeingmostlyproductive,withtheoccasional Facebookorgamesiteup,buttheygettheirworkdoneandifIseethemItrytonudgethemintheright direction,muchtotheirdismay.Butmostlytheyreproductiveandgettheirworkdone,andtheyonly messaroundreallywhentheyhaveaccesstothecomputerswhichisntoften. Whatthismeansasafutureteacherisdisplayingthepowerofhandsonprojectsand assignments.Whenthestudentsareawayfromtheinternet,theyarentdistractednearlyaseasyand canstayontask.Thankfullythereissoftwarethatcanblockthosesortsofthingsremotely,soIhopeto nothaveasmuchofanissuewithinternetdistraction.

Coursecontent,thegroupworklessonscertainlyplayarole,asoftenstudentsareworkingin smallgroupsonaprojectandworkingequallyasthesethingsaren'tprojectsthatworkcanbeall relegatedtooneperson.Thisleadstolessdistractionandgoodsocialskillsandgroupprojectscan meanthatstudentscanhavelotsofthingsgoingonatonce,whichleadstovariety. ObservationLog#2 Thisdaywasmoreuniqueinmyobservationsbecauseduetothesecondclass,ConstructionII, didntmeet.Instead,duetothisobservationtakingplaceonValentinesDay,therewasaRandomAct ofKindnessassemblyforthestudents.ThisreallybrokeupmydayasIgofromConstructionIIto lunchandflex,whichthenleadstoanArchitectureIclass.Thatsaidtherewasnotmuchtoobservefor ConstructionIIastherewastheassembly,whichwasjustlikealltheassembliesIremembergoingto whileinschool. Ofcourse,IdidgettoobservetheArchitectureIclass,whichmayverywellendupbeingmy favoriteclassduetothestudentsinvolvedandthesubjectmatter.TodayImostlysatandobservedas studentsworkedonsettingupkitchensintheirhouses,usingtheprincipleoftheworktriangleto effectivelylayouttheirfirstkitchens.OnethingIdidnotewasthatoftentimesstudentswouldaskfor helpfromotherstudentswhowerefartherahead.Thisisimportantasthisdrivesstudentlearningits notalljustlecturestheygettheinformationfrom. ObservationLog#3 ThiswasnowmysecondtimeseeingtheConstructionIandCADMechanicalclasses.The Constructionclasswasworkingonwiringlightswitches,andthisrequiredmuchdemonstration. However,inaclassthatusuallywantstodootherthings,demonstrationcanbehardtodo.SoMr.

Englishmixedthingsupbybothaskingforvolunteersandforcingvolunteerstodemonstratethevarious wiringtechniquesinvolved.Ithoughtthiswasexcellentasitbothcausedstudentlearningandstudent interaction,whichnormallywouldnthaveevenbeenathought. However,intheCADIIcourse,Ihadamoreinterestingclassperiod.Notonlywastheschool putonlockdown(apracticeexercise),thestudentswerenotreallyinterestedingettinganythingdone thisperiod.Theyfoughtinstructiononeverydetail,andoftentimesstudentswerejustnotpaying attentionorgoofingoffontheinternetinsteadofdoingtheinstructedassignment.Nomattertheamount ofwalkaroundovervationandnudgingfrombothmyselforMr.Englishseemedtomotivatethe students,untildetentionwarningsbegangettinghandedout.Thisgotmostofthestudentstowakeup andfocus,sotomethisshowedthatthestudentswerejustnotmotivatedenough.Thereasoningfor this,however,Iveyettodiscern.Eventuallythestudentsdidfindtheirwaytotheendoftheassignment, whichmeanttheycouldstartfocusingonprojectsthatdidmattertothemasopposedtobookworkto getthemfamiliarwiththeprogram.Thismaylenditselftoapplicationburnout. ObservationLog#4 Thiswasday2ofseeingtheConstructionIIandArchIclass,andwhatanightandday experiencebetweenthesetwoclasses.TheConstructionIIcoursewasratherdisorganizedasthe studentswerefinishinguptheirgroupprojectsandthestudentsdidntseemtobeinahurrytoget finished.Thisisaclassofmostlyseniors,whoseemtohavealreadycheckedoutfortheyearwiththe largestcaseofSenioritisIhaveeverseen.Eventuallytheclassfinishedtheirprojects,butthatwascutso closetothebellringingitfeltalmostplanned. TheArchIclasshoweverwasawesometobein.Itaughtmyfirstlesson,onhousefoundations.

Istartedoffwithapresentationthatfeaturedacoupleclipsofhowatraditionalhousefoundationwas pouredinadditiontotechniquesthatbroughttheprocesstothe21stcentury,usingprecastfoamforms thatwerethenpouredinto,whichhelpedaddinsulationtoafoundation.Thestudentslovedthevideos, whichthenledintoapresentationonthetypesoffoundationsslabs,crawlspaces,andfullbasements. Thiswasshortandtothepoint,asthemeatofthelessonwasactuallycontainedinthesoftware,where studentswouldlearnhowtodrawandaddafoundationtoahousedrawing.Thisiswheremyfirst rudeawakeninghappened.Beforethislesson,Ihadbeenusedtoteachinga20minutelessons.Ihad nevertaughtalessonlongerthanthatbefore,andnowIhadawhole80minuteperiodinwhichto teach.Needlesstosay,thesoftwareportionofthelessonshouldhavebeenbrokenupintotwolessons, meaningpossiblyaweekofteachingduetoLitchfieldsrotatingschedule.Thesoftwareportiondidend upbeingcompleted,butitwasamadrushattheend.WereItochangethings,otherthansplittingup thelesson,Iwouldhavehadthestudentswatchmeonewholewaythroughonce,andthenstartinwith theIdoyoudotechniqueIoriginallysetouttoaccomplish.Thiswouldmeandoingthepresentation andwalkthroughonedayandthenwalkingthestudentsthroughstepbysteponday2. ObservationDay#5 Idonthavemanynotesonthisobservationotherthanitwasacrazyday.ConstructionIIwasa blur,whenastudentoptedtohavewhatessentiallywasamentalbreakdowninthemiddleofclass somethingthatIhadntexpectedorevenseen.Soclassthatdaywasntmuchofaclass,itinvolvedMr. Englishmuchmoreoutoftheclassroomthanin.TherearentanynotesregardingArchitectureIthat day,whichmeanstheclassitselfwasmostlyuneventful.IdohoweverhavewrittendownthatIhave startedtopickuponthenamesofstudents.Whichcertainlyisntbad,givenIseemostofthemonce

everytwoweeksandImterriblewithnames. ObservationDay#6 ThiswasthedayItaughtmysecondlessonandthedayItechnicallycompletedmy30hours requirementforthecourse.Ihoweveroptedtocontinueonobservingtheclassroom,withthedelighted permissionofmycooperatingteacher.PlusIalsohadtoteachathirdlesson. Thesecondlessonwasasimpleonehowtomeasureandlayoutastudwall16incheson center.Ibeganmylessonwithagreatvideothatdemonstratedexactlythathowtolayoutastudwall. Aftershowingthevideo,Idemonstratedtotheclasshowtolayoutawall,andthenhadthestudents checkmywork.Afterthis,thestudentsweresplitupintosmallgroupsandweregiventheirownsetof studstomeasure.ThiswaswhereIlostthestudents.Aftertheyweresplitup,theyweremuchmore easilydistracted,andwhileIwasabletowalkaroundtoeachgroupandgetthemtofocus,itwould seemasthoughassoonasIleftagrouptheywouldimmediatelybegintogetofftrack.Luckily,Mr. Englishwasabletostepinandrefocustheclassonthetaskathand.Ileavethistoacouplethings onethatthestudentsrespectedMr.Englishbutnotmyself,astheyhadlimitedinteractionwithmyself withintheclassroomsoIwastreatedmoreasasubstituteteacherthanastudentobserver/teacher.

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