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 Observation Experience
This spring our high school moved into a brand new building. Our new facilities include a distance learning lab. I had the opportunity to participate in an inservice training program for the media center. Each distance learning lab is equipped with video cameras focused on the teacher and the student audience; a cpu for multimedia presentations using PowerPoint, the internet, and any other appropriate software; a high magnification overhead; a whiteboard; and a VCR to play videos and record our lessons. This experience was invaluable because I was able to observe eight teachers selected by their principal from the Cisco High School campus and five of our Clyde High School teachers. Each teacher presented a 3 minute and 10 minute lesson using each component of this new technology.
As each teacher chose their methods of instruction I learned some interesting things. First we were all intimidated using technology we were unfamiliar with. Just like the students we teach, we began with baby steps using only the basics of what was available. As we gained confidence in our knowledge over the next couple of days, we were more willing to venture out and try new things. Several teachers used desktop publishing for their overhead presentations and handouts. Others were more adventuresome and used the video cameras to present visual aides across the distance to the other lab of teachers. Some also used the computer for PowerPoint presentations and other multimedia presentations. It is always a little unsettling to realize you are being video taped and critiqued by your peers. At the end of the week, the teachers' creativity began to soar bringing in all types of resources from our classrooms and adapting the old material we had taught in our classes and presenting it in a whole new way through the avenue of technology.
The majority of the teachers, who at first found technology to be a terrifying experience, were excited about adding a new asset to their teaching arsenal. Ultimately we must reach our students on a whole new level which makes learning exciting with unboundless teaching methods and learning styles through the use of technology.
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