There are a few things I want to take from the experience. First of all my respect for the teaching staff at NUSA has increased almost to the point of adoration. In many ways, effective teaching seems to boil down more to classroom management than anything else. The kids were rowdy and lacked interest although there were occasional crumbs of interest here and there.
Looking back I would have been better prepared.for the talk. While we had drafted a basic outline of the lesson and sketched out some ideas on paper.we had little back up if anything went wrong, which of course it did. The kids seemed generally disinterested and difficult to engage. However, by the end of the first session they displayed some interest, if grudgingly.
The second session was the most difficult. There were at least 40 kids in a class only designed to hold 25, the kids complained and generally mis behaved. There was a general feeling of apathy and a group dynamic that seemed to prohibit any of them displaying interest in what was going on.
The third group were good. Everyone, while not enthusiastic at least kept quiet and showed some basic interest. There were a few kids who were keen to get down to programming, 3d object creation and general design. While it would have been great to separate these kids from the group I think their enthusiasm would given the time, have given license to the other kids to show more willingness to get involved.
What would I do differently?
- I would ensure that I had sufficient materials and tasks. Including back-ups if everything went wrong. There is little point in thinking that these kids have an inherent willingness to learn. Indeed, most of them view school as a hurdle which must be overcome before life begins propoer, a sentiment I can wholly sympathize with.
- Have smaller groups. When I spoke to kids individually or in small groups they seemed keen. A far cry from how they acted in the larger classroom environment.
- Speak more about myself from the start. These kids seem more interested in what you have done rather than what you say. When I presented the MYGO video to the last group many of them recognized the work and seemed impressed that I had been involved.
What's next?
- I will be going in to the school in January to discuss two things. 1. Assembling a small group of students to help me with the design of my PhD work. A few students expressed interest in doing this.
- Assemble an after school session where students can discuss and learn about interactive technologies.
