Below, I have my reflections based on case studies in class.
Case Study 1: Who Cares?
Kate is intentionally vague with her students about her sexual orientation. How much should teachers share about their private lives with their students? Why do you think so?
Speaking from personal experience, I think that it is very beneficial to share some personal information with your students. I find that when my professors share something personal about themselves, I am able to build a connection with them that will aid my learning experience in their class. It allows me to not feel intimidated by my teacher and makes me feel more comfortable to ask for help when needed. I think that the information a teacher decides to share with their students should be appropriate and professional, and perhaps relatable to the course they are teaching.
By reading this case, I am under the impression that Kate is not fully comfortable talking to her students about her sexual orientation. One of the students end up writing a rude comment about her on their desk. It got me thinking: Even if she did decide to talk to her students about her sexual orientation, would that negative comment still have been written on the desk? would talking about it have altered the student’s biases? Will this create a negative atmosphere every time Kate teachers this class? What should Kate have done differently?
Being a new teacher, I think the first and most important thing to do in your classroom is to build a safe space for yourself, and for your classroom. By doing this, you must build relationships with your students, and allow time for students to connect with one another. You do not need to share information that makes you feel uncomfortable to talk about, but perhaps allows your students to see that you have similar interests in learning. I am under the impression that Kate did not let this process occur right way. Yes, she would vaguely answer students’ questions when asked, but I personally feel like Kate should have opened the window to get to know her students on the first day. If she did this, then maybe that negative comment would have never been made as that student would have had formed some sort of relationship with their teacher.
Case Study 2: A Stitch in Time
How will you create a classroom culture in which parents and students feel that they can talk to you about their safety concerns?
In this case, it is apparent that there is over crowding in the school, and they are doing their best to meet the needs of their students by creating individual education plans for students that have behaviour issues. In this case, the two boys Jayce and Kyle run into one another. Kyle initiates the argument and Jayce, who has a behaviour disorder grabbed Kyle’s shoulder which causes him to fall and hit his chin. Sometimes accidents are unavoidable, no matter how hard you try to prevent them from happening. I think in this case, it is important that at the beginning of the year all students, and parents have the opportunity to share with the teacher their own needs for the students to be successful in the school. Perhaps at the beginning of the year the students in the class should have been informed that there are certain students in the class that feel a lot of emotion at once, and in order for everyone to enjoy their school experience they must treat each other with kindness and respect. I also think that it is very important to create an “open door” policy for your students, and their parents. This should be established as soon as possible that way students and parents can discuss any concerns with you without feeling threatened or uncomfortable. I also think that it is important to give students the opportunity to play ice breaker games at the beginning of the school year that allows them to get to know each other and form a connection. By forming some sort of bond or connection, students can feel more comfortable with one another which can help eliminate any future bullying.
Case Study 3: Brave New World
How can teachers act responsibly and still be open-minded about the use of social media in the classroom?
I think this case made some excellent points about the dangers of using social media. People can hack others and gain very personal information which could be detrimental to someone’s life. People can share things through social media that can be spread across the world within seconds. Sharing the wrong information to cause harm can be a serious issue, especially in a school setting. For instance, some students could use social media to spread false information, such as bomb threats or gun attacks just to get out of school so they don’t have to do any school work. Young students might not understand how severe these actions can be. I think it would also be important to have lesson with students about privacy settings so that no strangers can see their personal information, or location. I understand Toms concerns in this case.
I think that personal apps such as snap chat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram should be banned in a school setting. It would be highly unlikely that students would be using them for an academic purpose. In my opinion they would be more of a danger, and a distraction in the classroom. However, there are schools that have created apps that are similar to these that connect the teachers, students, and parents together. I would recommend using these, as the schools would set safety restrictions, and would be used only for academic purpose. I think that it is important that parents are more involved with their children’s schooling, and this would be an excellent opportunity for them to build these connections.
Responses to Case Studies:
Case Study 1: Is it morally defensible to close a school library? Why or why not?
I think that you touch on some excellent points about how significant libraries are in a school setting. I agree with you that they can motivate and help children explore their learning. However, I do disagree with your main argument. The world is trying to become more environmentally friendly, and reducing the use of paper could make a positive transformation on our environment.
At Thompson Rivers University we have an excellent online library that I have personally used for research in many of my courses. I found it simple to use as you just search what you are looking for, and lots of options are at the tips of your fingers. This process is easier then finding what you are looking for in a typical library. Even though we have the old library on campus, I can say that I have never searched for books in it.
I agree that it would be difficult for young students to use an online library as they could be searching things that are inappropriate. However, there are certain restrictions that you can put on the computer to stop this from happening.
Case Study 2: How do you think social media will affect students’ understanding of historical events? Explain
I think that you touch on some excellent points about how social media affects students understanding of history. I do agree that it can be beneficial. I like your example of the fire in Australia. Without the use of social media, I do not think we would of had an understanding of how detrimental the fire is. We are able to see videos or photos within seconds of them being posted to the internet. individuals are also able to give people in Australia donations easily through the use of social media.
However, I do agree that social media can have a negative correlation with history. There are thousands and thousands of sites that can provide the wrong information. For young students it can be difficult for them to find a trust worthy site with useful information. Perhaps if we teach students how to thread out the bad sites, then it could potentially have a use in the classroom.
Case Study 3: Do you agree that playing violent video games at a young age can lead to violent behaviour? Why or why not?
I think that you raise an interesting question in regards to other variables playing a role in the child’s life. Perhaps if they experience violence in their home life, it would be difficult to separate the video game world from reality, as they experience violence in both. However, I personally feel like video games at a young age will most likely cause violent behaviour. I have witnessed this first hand, as my five year old cousin is allowed to play video games with violence. From what I can see his at home life is filled with love by both parents. After he plays these games his imagination takes over, and he plays a lot more rough with his friends then he should. He is often reminded the consequences of playing to rough. He needs that constant reminder that if you hurt someone in the real world it can create emotional devastation. I feel like the older the child gets, as long as they have that reassurance they will not have violent behavior as they will have more experience with how the real world works.