Attention! Attention!

As a teacher you need to make sure your class is focused and on task with the assignment. Whether the assignment is something the students are doing as a class or individually you want to make sure your class is doing it. In our class we have learned and put to use a thing we call, Signals for Attention! These signals for attention help teachers gain their students attention as well as keeping them focused. They can be called attention grabbers or response signals within a classroom as well. Below is a picture with a couple of attention signals that can be used.

Here is a link to a video that will help you learn more about attention signals and what types are more effective then others! 

     While in fieldwork I have noticed my colleagues using many different signals for attention. It is a good idea for teachers not to use the same signal for a significant amount of time because then the students will not respond to it as quickly then the first couple of times. They will start to get bored of it and choose not to listen. This will cause the teacher to have more trouble gaining control of her class.  Some of the different ones I have noticed my fellow colleagues have used were: 

• " One, two, three" "Eyes on you!"

• "Hocus Pocus" "Everybody Focus!" 

• "Ready to Rock" "Ready to Roll!" 

         However, there are four different types of attention signals. Like the ones listed above, those are called, call and response attentions signals. The other three are turn off lights, rising hands, and echo clapping. Throughout my time in school I have always found that my teachers would always use the last three methods, turning off lights, rising hands, and echo clapping. I think that it is good to use all four within a classroom and keep it as a variety of different attention signals. 

Online Classroom!

Today was a very different day for our class! Instead of physically going to class we did an online class using microphones and webcams. It was definitely something I have never done before, but I really enjoyed it. At first when I logged on I thought to myself, "This is silly. I'm not going to learn anything. I'm going to be so distracted." I always thought I had to be in a physical classroom to learn and that I would not be able to learn anywhere else. This proved me wrong. I learned so much from this virtual classroom experience.

    As we were learning from Dr. Smirnova through webcam, I realized this is just one of the many ways techonolgy has changed education and the way teachers teach. Technology has definitely improved things in a positive way. Technology has made virtual classrooms possible, to do things from home for people who can not physically go to school. This was absolutely an experience I would like to experience again!

First Day of Fieldwork!

Today we started our first day of fieldwork! After a month of being on break I have forgotten how much I loved fieldwork. Today we had our meet and greet. We got to meet and get to know all of the students in the second grade class that we will be teaching. Our class is teaching groups so my group went around to each table and introduced our selves and our topic to the students. We also got to know the students a little bit better with an ice breaker. We went around the group of students and asked what their names were and what they liked to do. I love learning about the students and their favorite hobbies because it helps us as teachers find a way to teach students by using something they love or are interested in. I am excited but also nervous for when my group goes to teach for the first time.