Lorenzo's Experiences in Arkansas

Friday, March 2nd, 2018 In this last day of observation, I attended the music class. I liked this class because the students were singing a beautiful song "This is me". I think that I can use also this song and others with my students in Panama and develop many activities based on those songs and others. The teachers prepared me a farewell with a brunch at the teachers' lounge in where they asked about my impressions about my week at the school. Also, I had a nice and beautiful farewell from my students. The class gave me as a present a beautiful book in where all of them signed with their names. I will never go to forget this experience. During this week I saw many differences in the use of technology in class, student behavior, interactive classes and the emphasis that the education put in reading as a subject and as a usual item in them.

Thursday, March 1st, 2018 The use of technology in class surprised me. All the students in class owned their own personal laptop. They used it to practice math in class, to look for information and to share information with others. Also, I could observe that the computer could be a distractor in class. Because sometimes some specific students were not paying attention to class and they were playing computer games. The teacher couldn't observe those students for that reason I talked to them that please pay attention. The teacher also used technology to present her classes. She handled in a good way the use of technology in class. Also, I attended the library class. This class was performed at the library. The library teacher read them a short book but the point that caught my attention was the tone of voice and mimic used during the reading. That caused the students to pay attention and participate in the reading. At the end of this class, she encouraged them to select a boo...

Wednesday, February 28th, 2018. During this third day of observation, I attend to an adult English program that the school has. They give English language classes to the parents of Spanish or another language speakers so they can help their sons and daughters at home with the homework. This class was not focused on grammar, it only was focused on verbal conversation and understanding. I was very interesting because in my country we focus on grammar more than in speaking and communication. Also, I had the opportunity to attend the art class. In this class, the art teacher was using math. The students were constructing their own room in a big space that they called home. Their room had to have the specific length and width that the teacher gave to them. It was very interesting. During this week the class had a debate activity. During the development of this activity, I could observe Cooperative Learning .  Cooperative Learning is a systematic pedagogical strategy that e...

Tuesday, February 27th, 2018 During this second day, I focused my observation in the classroom management. The management of the class was ordered. Every time the children talked or did not pay attention she called attention to them with attention to getters like "Clap once if you can hear me." Those students who listened quieted down and clapped once. Then she said, "Clap twice if you can hear me." Then more children responded with two claps. Finally, she said, "Clap three times if you can hear me." By this time she had the attention of all her students. Also, I noticed that she had a notebook, where she wrote down the names of students who did not follow the instructions given, they at the end of the week they would not have the extra recess time that those who followed instructions would enjoy. I liked that the school has an ELD class (English Language Development). In this class, all the Spanish speakers or another language speakers students had to ...

Monday, February 26th, 2018 Today I had the opportunity to visit and observe the classes in an American School in Springdale, Arkansas. The school that I visited was Thurman G. Smith Elementary School and the teacher who was my English teacher partner was Mrs. Jerri Wilson. This classroom has 25 students and they are from 5th grade. They welcomed me with great joy and enthusiasm. The first thing I could see was the decoration of the classrooms and the halls. In my country, the classrooms are also decorated, but here they decorate much more. During the day all children are given breakfast. Those in low levels take it in the cafeteria and the big ones eat it in the classroom. On Monday after breakfast, they have a conversation session. Everyone sits on the carpet and the teacher in front of them, the conversation is about some current issue and everyone should participate. Then everyone takes out their computers and begins to practice math each one goes to their leve...