Reflection / Discussion 7

I can happily say I understood and enjoyed reading Chapter 18. I really found most of the techniques in this chapter to be interesting and valuable in the classroom. The two most interesting to me were Information Technology and Globalization of Training. As I read these sections I found myself picturing situations in my classroom over the past two years. In that event I decided that I could have prompted better end results.

I found the Information Technology, about the designer who had only paper and pencil or a typewriter and then how much easier computers made the job, to be somewhat comical. The first image that came to mind was the one time before computers that I had to use my mom’s typewriter. It was the most frustrating and nerve-racking task I had ever done. Of course I was not familiar with the keyboard resulting in many mistakes. In my class I thought about all the assignment that are done with paper and pencil. Granted first graders need to practice handwriting and even the use of a pencil for some but using the computer for occassional writing assignments would motivate writers. It would also give them a small introduction to how assignment will be completed in later years.

Globalization of Training is a concept I usually keep in the back of my mind but this section prompted me to be more aware of my students’ backgrounds. Like most American classrooms I have a wide range of knowledge and experiences that come with my students. In general I understand the differences, such as my students from the city often do not know all the different farm animals and my rural students lack some knowledge about cities. What I had not considered was how they preferred to work, in groups or individually, that some colors could be offensive, or even how they interpret the numerical form of the date. I don’t know that I could ever accommodate all these preferences at one time but I found it to be something to think about even if it just causes me to take a moment for a little further explanation and understand if assignments are completed based on the student’s culture.