Tech. at my Internship

I am doing my field internship with the famous "Guy in a Tie." I have visited his classroom now on three separate occasions, and I must say that I am impressed. Not only is Jeff a great teacher (organized, enthusiastic, approachable), he truly engages his students by using technology.

Many of you may be aware of some of the tools he uses, but I will name the two that I have witnessed and am most impressed with. Podcasts. I have seen Jeff's students record podcasts on two occasions. The most notable is he had his 6th graders write papers about evolution as if it was a sporting event. For example, one student described the progression from single-celled organisms to humans as a soccer match, complete with fights and goals. The kids read these stories into a microphone, hooked up to a computer, and recorded their podcast in Garage Band. It was extra credit this time, but this kids really got into it.

The second cool use of technology that Jeff uses is that he has his students take quizzes on-line. Wait, didn't I do that in college? The students, at the tender age of 11, are responsible for getting on a computer, taking the quiz, and doing all of this before the website closes at an established time. I like this because it is something the kids will likely have to do in the future, and it teaches them to be responsible.

I am excited to see the other ways the students use technology in Jeff's classroom!