DAT Blog #3

I would say a lot has gone on in the last week, but these past few days have been wonderful with no school. I highly doubt Dr. O and Bennett would say the same though.

As a secondary teacher, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco will be relativiely prevalent in high schools. I know when I went to high school, it was not uncommon to see kids smoking outside of school grounds, waiting for the first bell to ring. As far as Chew goes, never saw some many people "dip" until I came to BC. I knew a handful, at the most that did it. Now everywhere you turn, every baseball and football player has a can and an empty water bottle. I dont know how they afford to spend $4 every other day on a new can. Drugs were not a huge problem at my school either. Weed was probably the most common, followed by some pills or something. When it comes to alcohol, that was the biggest problem at my school. Kids would of course show up drunk, or talk about the big keggar they had the night before. Lots of DUIs? Not really. We did have a couple people get in car accidents and die. The ones who died were not driving, instead had someone drunk drive. A very avoidable thing if you ask me.

Nowadays, kids are into drugs, alcohol, and tobacco more it seems. I forsee it being a bigger problem then when I was in high school. I think the number one thing to do as a teacher is to be available for your kids. Make sure they know they can come talk to you if thy need to. And be willing to meet with them. They may just need one adult in their life to tell them no. If you are well-repsected and liked around campus, then why wouldnt they listen to you? Most teachers are well-put together people, and have good, stable lives. Kids can see your success, and see where you have come. i am sure everyone has had an experience with someone they know who has been an alcoholic or a drug addict and had their life turned upside down. Tell your kids that this is where your life could lead. Some kids, they wont listen. But, some kids will. If you can just stop one kids from using drugs, or doing something dumb that night, I would be very happy with myself. Knowing I potentially saved someone's life, or prevented them from hurting someone elses? Awesome feeling.

when it comes to technology, I would be one of the lst people to tel you how things work. I have a computer and a cell phone. At first glance, the Promethian Boards just look like an expensive overhead with cool tools. I have never seen one until I went to BC. My teachers were stuck with projectors on carts, overheads, and the good ol' whiteboard.

I dont know how receptive I would be to a Promethian Board in my room. I definately think a school should buy only one or two at a time to try them out and see how the teachers like them. I cannot imaigne them being very cheap. I know that as technology grows, so will our classroom. We will have to adapt and "get with the times." I for one would need to do it slowly. If I had some piece of new technology, I would most likely want the summer to test it out and make sure it is something I would want in my room. What I dont want is for technoology to take over the classroom. Having kids never have to interact with their teachers or peers. So much would be lost if this were to happen. Even now, with texting and Internet phones, no one really talks anymore. I am guilty of it, but in the classroom this interaction is necessary for growth as a person in the real world and academically.