Second Task: Field Trip to a school in Marburg
Steady replacement of old boards by white boards.
On the 10th June 2011 we went to a school in Marburg in order to get an overview of the existing media there. We started our tour in the teacher’s lounge where the school’s booking system was located. The booking system enables the teachers to book a DVD Player or even an equipped room in advance. Furthermore, they are able to see whether a room or a medium is taken or not. Another benefit of this system is the fact that all the exams (only three per week are permitted) are listed there, and this is also visible to the pupils and their parents. There is a so-called “canoe tool” as well, where teachers can book the school’s canoe via the school internal booking system.
Our tour went on towards the media cabinet which contained various kinds of useful media such as a digital camera, speakers, a mobile microphone, a projector, a laptop and a so-called PW-presenter. The latter was made by the political science department and it was a case with an integrated laptop as well as other useful media and they were installed on the base of the case.
The library did not only include lots of books but four computers with internet access. I was surprised by the fact that each student needs a pass with their parent’s signature on it to be allowed to use the internet. They have to clip it to the computer they are using so that the attendant can check the validity. Our guide told us that even now there are still some pupils without the authorization of their parents. Regardless, they are still allowed to attend a class hold in a computer room.
The school owns three copy machines and each teacher has an allowance of 2500 copies per term. Problematic may be the fact that there are no differences made between for example an English teacher who may need more copies as it is a literature based class and mathematics. We were told that sometimes teachers have to use another teacher’s copy card in order to be able to make all the necessary copies.
In the hall they have a flat screen with all the stand-in classes of the current day and the next one. This is visible for the students and their parents online as well; with the difference that you can not see the names of the teachers there whereas you can on the flat screen.
We visited a classroom with a cupboard full of multi media like a flat screen and a laptop for example. The school owns seven cupboards like this and its value is about 1000€. There are two smart boards in the school which is supposed to be substandard. The city of Marburg has 100.000€ for all its schools, which is not much. There are still old-school boards in the class rooms but they are more and more replaced by the white boards. Even if this school currently only has two of them in their institution. The tour continued to the so-called “quiet time room” for teachers with two computers but apparently it is not used to often to actually be prepare or anything but as a place for the laptop carriage. The laptop carriage includes 14 laptops and it is quite good for the classroom or to just use it in that room. A disadvantage is that you can only use it on the same floor and if you carry each laptop itself there might be the problem that they are not charged sufficiently.
There are two computer rooms in the school and they are well equipped, too. Normally, two students use on computer and they are used often but double lessons appear to be more efficient as there is more time which you need to actually go to the room, turn on the computers etc. The teacher’s computer is equipped with a program that enables the teacher to check whether or not the pupils are doing what they are supposed to do. He has the possibility to freeze their screens and he can even finish for example their messages on social networks like “facebook” etc. I think this is not only a great invention but also a more than necessary one. As a teacher you have a certain responsibility and especially the internet opens up new doors towards misuse of personal rights.
I think that the Martin-Luther school is well equipped, especially compared to my old school. I could see how this new media can be helpful in class.
Another important discovery was that further training to improve the teacher’s media skills is not mandatory. There are certain courses offered but apparently there are only a handful of teachers you use this opportunities to keep up with the times. Even though there is a presentation obligatory in the 9th grade.
So what does this lack of dedication mean for the future? Shouldn’t each teacher bring along a specific level of media competence and if not acquire it?
Our tour went on towards the media cabinet which contained various kinds of useful media such as a digital camera, speakers, a mobile microphone, a projector, a laptop and a so-called PW-presenter. The latter was made by the political science department and it was a case with an integrated laptop as well as other useful media and they were installed on the base of the case.
The library did not only include lots of books but four computers with internet access. I was surprised by the fact that each student needs a pass with their parent’s signature on it to be allowed to use the internet. They have to clip it to the computer they are using so that the attendant can check the validity. Our guide told us that even now there are still some pupils without the authorization of their parents. Regardless, they are still allowed to attend a class hold in a computer room.
The school owns three copy machines and each teacher has an allowance of 2500 copies per term. Problematic may be the fact that there are no differences made between for example an English teacher who may need more copies as it is a literature based class and mathematics. We were told that sometimes teachers have to use another teacher’s copy card in order to be able to make all the necessary copies.
In the hall they have a flat screen with all the stand-in classes of the current day and the next one. This is visible for the students and their parents online as well; with the difference that you can not see the names of the teachers there whereas you can on the flat screen.
We visited a classroom with a cupboard full of multi media like a flat screen and a laptop for example. The school owns seven cupboards like this and its value is about 1000€. There are two smart boards in the school which is supposed to be substandard. The city of Marburg has 100.000€ for all its schools, which is not much. There are still old-school boards in the class rooms but they are more and more replaced by the white boards. Even if this school currently only has two of them in their institution. The tour continued to the so-called “quiet time room” for teachers with two computers but apparently it is not used to often to actually be prepare or anything but as a place for the laptop carriage. The laptop carriage includes 14 laptops and it is quite good for the classroom or to just use it in that room. A disadvantage is that you can only use it on the same floor and if you carry each laptop itself there might be the problem that they are not charged sufficiently.
There are two computer rooms in the school and they are well equipped, too. Normally, two students use on computer and they are used often but double lessons appear to be more efficient as there is more time which you need to actually go to the room, turn on the computers etc. The teacher’s computer is equipped with a program that enables the teacher to check whether or not the pupils are doing what they are supposed to do. He has the possibility to freeze their screens and he can even finish for example their messages on social networks like “facebook” etc. I think this is not only a great invention but also a more than necessary one. As a teacher you have a certain responsibility and especially the internet opens up new doors towards misuse of personal rights.
I think that the Martin-Luther school is well equipped, especially compared to my old school. I could see how this new media can be helpful in class.
Another important discovery was that further training to improve the teacher’s media skills is not mandatory. There are certain courses offered but apparently there are only a handful of teachers you use this opportunities to keep up with the times. Even though there is a presentation obligatory in the 9th grade.
So what does this lack of dedication mean for the future? Shouldn’t each teacher bring along a specific level of media competence and if not acquire it?
Media equipment.
