the room was easily ninety degrees. as i look around, there are three boys for everyone one girl. actually, that's an exaggeration. there are about fifty to sixty people in this room, and there are five girls total. the kids are all hunched down with their work in front of them as they pant from the sweat and heat.
what is this room?
it's not a sweat shop, and we're not in the third world. this is a testing site, and these kids are here from a regular english ten class to take the plan test. they are the ones who just don't care anymore about school because they associate it with failure and defeat. they don't care about school because they see that the school doesn't care about them. how can they think otherwise when they're sitting in a room that's over ninety degrees.
it's so strange to think of air conditioning and heating as a technology because it seems so standard to our lives now. but the reality hits home during the hotter months when the a/c frequently breaks down at belleville, and during the colder months when parts of the school don't receive heating.
but when we consider educational technology as technology that facilitates student learning, we should also consider the little things that set the environment such as the light bulbs or the running water. after all, how can student take learning seriously when they're asked to go to school under such ridiculous situations?
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6 comments:
Larry,
I agree with you. While I know that funding can play a role in the heating/ac battle (at least it did when I was in high school), I think some students see this as the school being disrespectful. After all, why should the students come to class and make an effort when the school doesn't appear to take them seriously enough to make a comfortable, and as the benchmarks say, safe, atmosphere for learning? It hardly seems fair to expect the students to respect the learning environment/school if they are not receiving that respect in return.
Larry,
I witnessed a room full of kids the other day when the a/c went out. I couldn't believe the change. They were ornery, unfocused, and unwilling to work. Although no one blamed the bad mood on the room temperature, it was clear that it was the cause, as these classes are usually much calmer and much more engaged. You are right that sitting in a room which is set at a comfortable temperature is one of the technologies we typically take for granted, yet is one of the most important.
As a person whose brain seems to shut off when it gets too hot out, I'm with you 100%. When it's too hot in a classroom, I don't care what a teacher's trying to teach me and how much I might otherwise be interested in it--I'm focusing more on the heat than anything else.
In addition to everything Anna's said, which I agree with 100%, one thing to consider might be making the school environment a desireable one to be in, not just in terms of safety and learning, but in terms of getting kids to come to school. If it's hot outside and even hotter and stuffier at home, a kid who might want to go somewhere other than school might reconsider that choice if he knows that school will be pleasant, temperature-wise. Same goes for heating in the winter. As teachers, we're supposed to do our best to remove all the barriers to learning, from establishing prior knowledge to making sure there's enough pencils for everybody. Proper heating and cooling is no different.
Larry,
I'm glad you said this. I get very frustrated when we talk about both social justice AND schools being on the leading edge of technology. These two things do not go hand in hand. Also, in my opinion, if we want to meet the needs of students in lower income districts, is our money truly best used if it is invested in every room having a projector? Why not keep the regular blackboards, but invest more in recruiting and equipping social workers and school psychologists? How can we not realize that it is person on person contact, not person on technology contact, that will alleviate the pains and frustrations of the public schools.
Powerful post Larry. You bring up a fantastic point. A few weeks ago my freshman english class at Pioneer was all using school macbooks to do an online search project related to the book they are reading. Yet, no one was focused as they were all sweaty and distracted in the hot room. The little air-conditioner was useless. I am beginning to find that irony is all to commonplace in today's schools and educational system.
Hi Larry!
Your observation that AC/Heat are necessary "technology" for learning is a good one! Now that the Oct. heat wave is over, we are hoping for enough heat in the classrooms. My HS science wing has no windows and (thankfully) has AC, but I know that at John Glenn HS they do not have AC.
Have you started your Tech. Internship yet? I thought you were doing something with the International School? If you are, I'd love to hear about it - it's part of my local school district - I've heard generally good things about that school.
Lynne
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