6.9.2020

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It was refreshing to come to class and take the LE class since it was hard to focus during video lessons. I was glad that at least one class followed a routine plan that isn't as vague as other classes, and it felt natural since choosing the dates for the remote lessons helped set my mindset for timed school classes. Like what Mr. Paterson described in today's class, I very much agreed on the lack of structure and consistency in the online curriculum. Some of them I really enjoyed, but there wasn't enough engagement between the school and the students, which eliminates the purpose of learning in a school environment. I understand that the school aims for personal management, but that doesn't mean stopping all lessons and handing out homework like it's summer vacation.  When I researched my old school which was an international school, I found out that they've initiated an online curriculum that uses google classroom for frequent lessons. They share this information publically, which can reassure parents about the education they're paying for. However, I can see that our school website didn't publicize any initial updates to their curriculum. From this, I express that compared to international schools, Japanese schools lack their online knowledge. Although it may be prejudicial since this is only one example, listening to Mr. Paterson's experience of Japanese students messing up his master document can indicate the stance of Japan in tech experience.  Not only that, but I've noticed other aspects through attending divided classes and adjusting to the new regulations of this school.

Something to take note of is the new time schedule. Before, students were seated by 8:30, but because of coronavirus, school starts 40 minutes later. Normally, I would've ridden the 6:33AM train, but this later start has helped me prepare precisely than waking up sleepy and tired. My old school starts at 9:00 with some students enrolling from 2 hours away, so perhaps this new lifestyle can be adopted. Moreover, classes have shortened to 45 minutes, with 5 minutes worth of class cut from each. From a student's aspect, I haven't felt any significant change in terms of class length, so with further scrutiny, maybe shortening the last 5 minutes can be implemented. Of course, we students would like to have shorter classes with later starting times, but I also believe it would be beneficial because as Mr. Paterson explained in a previous class, our focusing spans aren't everlasting. Shorter classes may help sustain the focus of students so teachers can share their information from beginning to end. Also, the limited time can encourage teachers to summarize their information, making it more straightforward and therefore understandable to students. It would also help teachers as they are allowed more time instead of teaching. With that, I think the school will revert back to its normal schedule once the pandemic ends since there are after school activities and students who want to go home earlier. Moreover, even the regular 50 minutes can be insufficient for some teachers as I've experienced in classes of teachers saying they're running out of time. So for now, I wouldn't mind if the school doesn't start later -- anything but earlier than usual.

For the actual LE class, I've realized the amount of time we've lost for education. Although our class presentations start later than the other half, I still feel unsatisfied with presenting from the lack of preparedness and interaction with peers. The fact that there's no group work also feels weird since I'd imagined Mr. Paterson's classes to be based upon collaboration. For me, editing each other's book reviews weren't enough. As for the presentations itself, it was sad to see the time shortening to 5 minutes. I usually like to research a lot, so it would be hard to cut the 4-page book review to fit the necessary criteria, but it is also an opportunity to improve my summarizing skills because it's most efficient to fit the most information quickly and with clarity. I would like to wrap up my presentation before the regular time period starts where I predict that many teachers will assign homework.

Comments

  1. RabJune 10, 2020 at 1:34 AM

    Nice blog post - very informative and enjoyable.

    ReplyDelete

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