Learn & Serve #1

After signing in at the front office, I walked up the stairs to the first class ahead. My first reaction was that I couldn’t believe there was actually a smart board in the classroom. When I was in grade school, we did not have this kind of technology. As I talked to Mrs. Capatosto, my Learn & Serve teacher of a 2nd grade class, she told me that the smart boards were in each classroom, and they were new in the Niagara Falls School District. I found out the teachers could post their book on the smart board using an overhead connected to the board, and in this way, the students may show their answers in front of the class on the erasable smart board. This makes the class more interactive and fun. Mrs. Capatosto also showed me how the smart board allows her to take attendance of the class as well as completing other assignments. The students were then given time for sharpening their pencils and Mrs. Capatosto would be coming around the room to check their ABC order spelling homework. I also noticed how the students are allowed to have water bottles, as well as snack times. This is because on certain Tuesdays, the G. J. Mann staff have to meet and the students must be dismissed early. After checking homework, it was time to go downstairs to the auditorium where the Principal, Mrs. Kerins, would read a book to the students, as to signify the Book of the Month. She chose “Flight to the Moon.” After she finished reading, the sixth graders went on stage and performed two songs which were made to encourage younger students to read for the 25 books club. Their performance was amazing because their teacher changed two popular songs in catchy songs about reading. The 6th grade teachers used “21 Guns” by Green Day and changed it to “25 Books.” Also, she used “Beat it” by Michael Jackson and changed that to “Read it.” When everything was done, Mrs. Kerins played the song “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus as the students walked back to class. I thought this was a great idea because it showed how the staff was using something from the child’s world, music, and bringing it into the school in order to encourage them to become better readers and workers. We went back to class and went over the spelling homework which was on short “e” words. After this, Mrs. Capatosto used her computer to put number lines on the smart board to which she would show how to add numbers. Then, students were called to the back of the room to put their math work books on the overhead, which is connected to the smart board, and they were to show their double addition worksheet. Lastly, students were called to the front, one at a time, to write double addition problems, in order from 1+1 to 10+10, on one of the white dry erase boards. This was to show how repetition helps students to remember their assignments more, whether it is mathematics or reading. Overall, I say this was a great first day in my Learn & Serve placement. Now I am able to see a more technological classroom; something different than what I grew up with. I have also noticed how much the smart boards are now used, and they are a great help in the classroom.