Today my students began to look at the initial Flash tutorials. While a couple of them seemed to take everything in stride, even those things they weren't familiar with, the majority expressed some frustration. They reported feeling uneasy because they didn't really understand what it was trying to show them. I am becoming somewhat concerned about the structure of the class and its appropriateness (in current structure) for middle school. This program is set up for students to be self-paced and self-learners. It is very appropriate for older students such as high school and college-aged students. Middle School students, however, at ages 12-13 years, are not developmentally in the same place. That doesn't mean they aren't capable; it simply means that the average middle school student will need more support and guidance than a student in high school and college. They are not developmentally in the same place, nor are they in the same place in regard to maturity. I feel this is a valid concern, and it warrants some consideration.
Overall today, I had several very frustrated individuals in class. I understand their frustration and will try to continue to think about ways to decrease those negative feelings as we begin to delve into Flash. We will pick up where we left off with this first tutorial on Monday. Maybe by the end of the week, students will feel more knowledgeable and more positive.
1 comment:
Hey Tonji, your blog is awesome and very thoughtful. I think the Flash learning experience will get better this week, when your students all have Flash on their machines. Reading a tutorial without being able to experiment with what is being described is so hard! I'm looking forward to our mini workshop to share Progress Reports Thursday. I hope you'll be there. You described some excellent techniques that I'd like to share with the others. Best, Shannon
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