Many students do not take the MTHS building rule of “Electronic Free Classroom(s)” seriously. As an instructor of a second or world language, I want and expect the best for my students. Expecting the best for them includes expecting them to be electronic free for the 50 minutes that I am their instructor.
Parents would be appalled at the number of electronics used in classes despite permission. Head phones, ear buds, listening devices, cell phones, iPods, etc., are rampant in room 133 where I teach. Seldom does a student walk through 133, a pass through room, that electronics aren’t evident.
Our principal has asked that teachers maintain an Electronics Free learning environment, and yet valuable time during teacher meetings continue to touch on “should we, can we, or will we” abide by our supervisor’s wishes of no electronics in the classrooms during instructional hours. STUDENTS ARE SO CONNECTED these days. There is NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY that I don’t see cell phones in class, speak to, or take a phone away from, one of my students. The record keeping takes time, students angry, “this” teacher frustrated, wishing the focus was on learning.
A teacher in Florida has a nice solution, she uses a texting application in class. Students are asked to keep their cell phone out, and asked to text survey responses to her.
In Spanish class, for now, the rule of no texting, no cell phones is applied based on my knowledge of current brain research on learning. We know the brain CAN do more than one thing at once, but it can NOT give full attention to all things equally. Therefore, attention can not be 100% during learning if students are involved in texting, listening to music on cell phones or iPods, etc.
While in our World Language classrooms at MTHS, students are provided comprehensible input that occurs via the teacher’s body language; tone of voice; gestures; pictures; props; movement; indication of words on the white board; or my favorite-watching while I point to words with a laser pointer to assist students while reading text on the overhead projector. Someone looking down at a cell phone screen, concentrating on sending/typing a message will missing much of the input designed to make meaning out of sounds or text. Moreover, students who chose to work on other subjects (a.k.a.: homework for other classes) during Spanish class are in the same boat. They are not only losing participation points for doing so, but missing the opportunity, again, to invest 100% attention to input than can come only from the mini-immersion experience that class provides each day. Grades are faltering ¡Qué triste, chicos! Es una oportunidad perdida.
On the other hand, when students participate the way that I ask: eyes on me; desks cleared of all bags and books; raising hands to ask questions; not involved in side conversations that distract others from listening, or themselves from hearing input as I continue teaching, are doing very well grade wise. ¡Muy buen hecho, chicos!
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Two Seniors from MTHS are working hard to put together the Multicultural Night as their Sr. Project. Following is the invitation to students, parents, and community members.
IF YOU LOVE FOOD, THEN PLEASE PAY ATTENTION!
Friends and family are welcome! Hosted by two seniors for their senior projects Giulia Velluti and Janis Gonzales. What’s going to be at the dinner? Besides food, there will be games, entertainment, music, acting etc. What types of foods? At the back of the HUB, there will be tables divided into continents. Chef Melvin Bañuelos will be creating cultural dishes. Since we can’t really afford to make all the foods from around the world, we are asking our MTHS families to make food from their cultures and bring it to the pot luck dinner. Please no fast food. Students will be receiving a flyer with sign up information from their history and world language teachers. Please have students return the tear-off to their teacher or room 105 by March 15th. We will also post an e-vite on the school website. This is a great time for families to come together to share their cultures and celebrate the wealth of diversity we enjoy at MTHS. If you want to help out, talk to Giulia or Janis or Melvin Bañuelos. Our contact info is: Gonzales_janis12@yahoo.com melvinbanuelos@yahoo.com vellutig@hotmail.com. Hope you can make it.
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