This week we were supposed to find information on how our old grammar school uses New Media nowadays. Besides, we also had to think back at our own time in school and how we used or did not use New Media.
In this blog entry I want to show how my grammar school called “LeG Uelzen”, used and uses New Media.
Now:
Firstly of all, I started my research by consulting the homepage of my old grammar school in order to find out whether they included New Media in school life and particularly in lessons. Unfortunately, the homepage was still under construction in many different areas and that is why it has been really difficult to get useful information. What I found out was the following:
“Das Lessing-Gymnasium ist im Bereich der modernen Technologien gut ausgestattet.”
After having read through the homepage, I came to the conclusion that my research was unsufficient and that I needed more sources in order to get a general idea on how New Media is used today. Furthermore, the statement from the homepage was not really clear. Therefore I asked current students to tell me something about their experiences with New Media in school. I got to know that there are several fields in which New Media and especially Internet is used.
The first important aspect to be considered is that my old grammar school has only one particular computer room. Besides that, students can also use the computer and Internet in another room, which is right next to the library.
Moreover, every student at a certain grade can get the so-called “Internet licence” (“Internetführerschein”). With this “ID card” students are allowed to use computers in the library independently. In order to do so, they have to participate in a little computer course in advance and furthermore, they have to fill out a form. One teacher is responsable for these courses and these forms.
The so-called computer room on the other hand, is usually closed and is only used by teachers with their classes. If a teacher wants to use this room, he/she has to sign up for it on a list. Additionally, one can say that most of the time this particular room is used by older classes and their teachers.
I would like to give the example of students from the 12th grade: They use this computer room in order to do research for their term papers (“Facharbeit”), because every student is supposed to write a term paper in one of his two major classes.
Besides, teachers also use it in order to give students the chance to collect information on a certain topic, which would go beyond “usual homework”.
Teachers also make use of this room when they either want to introduce a new topic or during a teaching unit. That means that they either tell students to look for some first information on a new unit or that they tell them to do research in order to deepen a certain part of a unit. The same holds true for the students of the 13th grade.
It becomes obvious that teachers use New Media more often with older students. Younger classes are not really introduced to New Media and might only know it by using their “Internet licence”.
Then:
When I thought of my own schooldays, it became clear pretty soon that New Media had not played a big role in my lessons at all. I remembered that the first years at my grammar school had been without any New Media. Teachers had not been skilled for it and the only tools they used had been the black board and the overhead-projector.
After a while, a former break room was transformed into computer room. It was always open and that gave us the opportunity to write e-mails or to look things up in our breaks or free periods.
But I have to admit that I really used these computers when I already went to higher classes, meaning from 10th grade to 13th grade. In addition, I also had to get the Internet licence before I could use the computers, but at that time we did not have a real course. It was rather one afternoon when the teacher taught us some things. In retrospective, it was rather ridiculous, because we had not learned anything,but we got the licence anyway. Nowadays, it is much more difficult.
Some years later, they constructed the other computer room. But I think we never really worked their with our teachers.
The tool of Power Point also was not really common in my schooldays. I only remember that some of my schoolmates made use of it in the 12th and 13th grade. Sometimes it also had been connected with films and other tools.
All in all, I come to the conclusion that New Media is much more integrated in school life and lessons than some years ago when I started grammar school. But nonetheless, it is mostly used with older classes, because teachers are able to do “free research” with their students. The latter do not need a helping hand and therefore the teacher has less things to do. There is also a higher usage of tools like Power Point etc.
My experiences fit the ones of current students that New Media is not really used in younger classes. To my mind, it would have been nice if I had had some more New Media in my schooldays. Finally, I believe that my grammar school might still improve a bit when it comes to New Media.
Hey Sarah,
when I did my research for this task I found many of similar situations at most schools. They don’t have computers in their class rooms but special computer rooms. Still, this is an improvement and I think in most cases it’s enough. Usually schools use the New Media for projects. I think it’ll take a while and it’ll cost the schools a lot until every class room has got its own computers.
Your post is very good. You dealt intensively with the topic and worked a lot on it I suppose
Hi Sarah,
interesting idea to make the students get an “Internet Führerschein” before they may actually use the Internet. I think it’s a good idea when you bear in mind all the problems with the Internet we discussed in class. Good to see that your school seems to have changed for the better concerning New Media!
I really enjoyed reading your entry!