This week I noticed the change in the voice-level during center time now that we have introduced MP3 players and iPods for the TeacherMate program. The classroom is much quieter and seems more focused now that 4 students are listening to books on the MP3 players and 4 students are playing reading games on the iPods. All 8 students have headphones in and are engaged with their programs. The purpose of the TeacherMate program is to provide students with engaging activities so that the teacher can focus on her guided reading group without redirecting student behavior at other centers.
The fact that the program is working as it's supposed to is very important. I instruct the guided reading center each day and have noticed that I've been more able to focus on my group rather than constantly reminding others to quiet down. I can understand that the students are much more engaged in their center activities now because they are excited to use the technology. Therefore, students are quieter and the classroom runs more smoothly. I hadn't thought to use iPods and MP3 players in the classroom before this program was introduced to my mentor. This program is not about giving students cool technology to use to have fun with, rather it's about keeping them engaged so that the teacher can focus on teaching others to build fluency and comprehension through reading. This is a case of classroom management in a sense because the classroom is now more under control during center time. The overall voice-level in the classroom is much quieter now that the technology tools have been introduced. I plan to track the use of the technology in the classroom to see how well it continues to work.
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