Technology in the Classroom

I enjoyed the creativity of this presentation and the fact that it was very engaging. I learned about many new websites and programs that I had not previously heard of. I would have liked to discuss more in depth ways that these sits can be used in the classroom. Still, it was an exciting and memorable presentation.

Classroom Discipline and Management

There are many different methods of classroom management style. They fall on a spectrum from laisse-faire, which involves little teacher involvement, to an authoritarian style where the teacher is the mighty authority in the class. I doubt that many teachers are far at either end of the spectrum and instead cluster in the middle. There are advantages and disadvantages to any learning style in part due to multiple intelligences. A teacher's style reflects that person's learning style, culture, etc. Students with different MI's or a different family life will have a difficult time learning from that teacher.

I enjoyed the scenario discussion at the end of the lesson. It was very thought-provoking to be placed in an uncomfortable situation and having to come up with the best plan possible to handle it. I definitely believe that it must be difficult to quickly process what to do when two students are fighting in the classroom. I think that the table discussions were very valuable.

Multicultural Issues Presentation

The biggest lesson that I learned in relation to diversity is to not just do it...do it everyday. Celebrating diversity doesn't mean having a special day to acknowledge everyone's differences. We should be doing this every day. Why does every author students learn about in English class have to be white? Why do history classes focus on the history of our ancestors from Europe? Education and curriculum should offer a variety of roles to learn about.

Gender roles can be such a difficult subject to discuss because I know that even I buy into the idea. I loved my barbies and dolls when I was a girl. I also adored my brother's hot wheels and train sets and played video games, which is something I always felt was weird and set me apart from most girls. Still, I enjoy the domestic, nurturing role that I have created for myself (or has been created for me...not sure which it is) and don't see anything wrong with washing my future family's laundry and cooking the meals. That said, there is no way that I will cook, clean, and put the kids to bed while my husband puts his feet up in front of the television. I do believe that gender roles have (almost) no place in schools because I don't think that gender correlates to intelligence, effort, or capability. On a side note, do schools really need to provide separate bathrooms for transgendered individuals? Can't they just choose?