Scenario+1

Back to Classroom Management

=Scenario 1=

Scenario 1CM. A new language arts teacher in your district/school is being evaluated by an assistant principal (AP). The AP asks the ITF to join her for the observation so she can provide her opinion about technology use by the new hire. Upon entering the room, both the AP and ITF recognize that the room has dissolved into complete chaos. Apparently, the students are suppose to be taking notes using their laptops as the teacher provides information on a PowerPoint using the data projector. The AP and ITF notice that the teacher has her back to the students and is reading her PowerPoint while occasionally asking a student to "get on task." The students are arranged in what loosely resemble "pods" and some students are hardwired into the LAN (they could not get onto the WLAN). Meanwhile, students are messaging each other, playing online games, looking at inappropriate images, etc. on their laptops. Some students are talking and a few students are doodling on pieces of paper. The teacher has undergone two days of professional development at the start of the school year, with approximately 3 hours devoted to technology (gradebook, posting of assignments, and connecting the data projector).

From the point of view of your identity (card), consider the following points regarding classroom management in this situation: infrastructure, desk/table arrangement, positioning and movement of the facilitator, development and buy-in regarding classroom norms, detailed planning, controlled/creative chaos, leveraging students as technology teacher assistants, etc.