Korean Job Discussion Forums

[some waygug-in]

Just spent a frustrating 45 mins with middle school class.

Had this great introductory lesson planned using short vids and pictures,

but the computer system doesn't work. ^&*()_

So I have to stand there and pull stuff out of nowhere for 45 mins.

What do some of you people do when this happens?


Arggggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

[cruisemonkey]

I never use technology (except for a movie at thend of a term). So... no problems!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Today my grade 3 MS lessons were on the chapter topic of 'I can't live without music' - rather boring with no technical aids. The first two lessons were great. In the last one the computer decided to freeze. 30 minutes on music were cut down to 15 on music, 5 silently cursing the computer, and 10 minutes of hangman.

It's the greatest thing to have when it works, but it sure torpedoes the lesson when it doesn't.

[fromtheuk]

Hangman, I spy, simon says, ask students to write a list of things on blank paper, ask them to write sentences on blank paper.

I'm at an elementary school though.

[missty]

This happened to me today! Argh! I was so frustrated. I had this great lesson planned from youtube, but the internet was so slow and kept crashing. Very annoying. Thankfully I had typed out the transcript of the video for the students. So instead of me watching the video whilst the students filled in the blanks, I had to read out the entire thing myself.

That was my first and last foray into the world of technology.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Yup, about half of last week. I just got the students to write questions on bits of paper then I answered them. Do you wanna know the reason why there were no computers? Because they swapped them around and didn't know what the passwords were.

[Goku]

Same happened to me a few days ago.

When the computer didn't boot I had to improvise my lesson plan. I basiacally taught the same thing, drew the pictures on the blackboard. And had to use my co-teacher as the dialogue partner.

Actually quite honestly, I think I worked out better.

Technology is an valuable tool, but I think sometimes it gimps me from remembering how to work with the fudamentals of basic teaching.

I think a teachers strongest tool is their voice, projection, and body language.

[cruisemonkey]

The reason I don't use technology is - the computers in all my school's classrooms (where I teach) are absolute garbage. We have a 'state of the art' computer lab, science lab and library... beautiful artificial turf soccer field, a brand new 'infirmary', and new floors... but the classroom computers are just 'ddong'.

If they got half-decent computers in the classrooms, I might start using them... as it is, there's just NO point.

[Rusty Shackleford]

[some waygug-in]

There are no computers in the classrooms, only a wire set up so my co-teacher brings in her laptop during class. The problem was the wiring set up failed...not the computer. Same same for me though.

It's an old school, I guess they don't want to spend any money on the place.


When I applied for the job, I was told it was an elementary school, after I got my visa I was told I would also be teaching 2 days a week at this middle school. Not that I'm complaining, I like the change but it is a bit new for me. I was hoping I could be more creative with lessons here,
but so far..... *_*

Have to wait till Thursday and see how things go then.

Cheers

[Robot_Teacher]

I have sound issues often and have to troubleshoot via the control panel and this junk, "RealTek," sound software on Korean made computers. I would love my own homeroom classroom so I know everything is set up, organized, and ready to rock n rolla to the beats of Banana Phone, BINGO, and Mr. Roboto.

[D.D.]

Strange I was going to write a big post about this now called sabotage. Today I had a teacher give me no warning about no tv. She arrived 10 minutes late just as I gave up waiting for her and informs me the Tv is broken.

So I switch classes with the class beside me to have a T.V. and she is walking around the class talking in a daze.

Kids sensing this act up and I ask one to take a 10 minute break out of class. She grabs him and tells him not to leave. At this point I am starting to lose it.

She then just leaves the class. Now the kids are there with me and she has sent the message that my authority means nothing.

A lesson that went over well in every other class bombs. Tail between legs I go back to the staff area and I was going to let it ride but I got stuck into her.


90% percent of the time the technology fails in the classes with the teacher who hates English.

If the kids hate English you can bet that their teacher doesn't like it.


If you are a new teacher and having trouble find ways to build a English atmosphere.

Teachers that come late, check messages, look out the window, don't fix the equipment are sabotaging the process.

Don't always blame yourself if things are not working.

I should have kept my cool today but I have been around long enough to know that it not always by chance the equipment is not working.


I asked her when did she know it didn't work. She said Friday. So I said well how many times did you have a chance to warn me about it? Blank stare from her.

[BS.Dos.]

My HS is okay, although I teach in the library most of the time and everything is pretty new. The classroom PCs are a bit unpredictable though. At my MS, each classroom has a brand new, 64" stylee plasma screen, which is connected to what appears to be, a late 1990's PC i.e. very slow and very clunky. I can get by with them, but I sometimes have to resort to working only with the handouts. In any case, I've always got an activity book of some description with me in case of an unforseen meltdown emergency.

[blade]

[adamosity]

i bought a netbook recently, which I take to class...

our computers in the classrooms are not always reliable, but if I can figure out how to hook it up in a minute or so (I'm going to ask our tech people), then I never have that problem again

meanwhile, if that doesn't work, always have a backup lesson just in case of things like that!

(that reminds me--i need to catalog the classrooms and find out which ones work and which ones do not, so I can report it and get them fixed!)