Note: this post is part of a school assignment.
Prompt: What are the differences to the U.S. in respect of the way classrooms, the school day and week, the entire school system are organized? Discuss where you see benefits of the U.S. or the German system. How do teachers use Instructional Technology in the classroom (compare North Carolina to Germany)? Describe the type of instructional technology that was used in the classrooms you visited. By whom (teacher/students) was it used and for what purpose? Do students in technology-enriched classrooms demonstrate better use of higher-order thinking skills than do students in a traditional classroom (document specific questions posed by teachers).
Prompt: What are the differences to the U.S. in respect of the way classrooms, the school day and week, the entire school system are organized? Discuss where you see benefits of the U.S. or the German system. How do teachers use Instructional Technology in the classroom (compare North Carolina to Germany)? Describe the type of instructional technology that was used in the classrooms you visited. By whom (teacher/students) was it used and for what purpose? Do students in technology-enriched classrooms demonstrate better use of higher-order thinking skills than do students in a traditional classroom (document specific questions posed by teachers).
International Kindergarten Turmweg
There were more differences than similarities when comparing a German kindergarten to an American kindergarten.
Age and type of facility Time Structure Instructional Technology | In America, · Kindergarten is a grade level in an elementary school specifically for 5-6 year old children. · Teacher-based instruction that follows Common Core Standards. · Daily/weekly schedules that are closely followed. · Specials (gym, art, music, etc.) offered on set days of the week. · Morning meeting/circle time to start the day. · Children are exposed to computers, SmartBoards, iPads, and other modes of instructional technology often. | In Germany, · Kindergarten is more like a childcare facility for 2-6 year old children. · Children are grouped by age for parts of the day. · Child/play-based “instruction.” · Children choose what they would like to do each day. · These “offerings” range from art to a family bringing their pet in for show and tell. · Morning meeting starts the day after breakfast (3 separate groups by age). · Students did not utilize technology. · Teachers used technology (computer and projector) to show a movie for Easter and for my Skype conferences with my pre-k class back in the U.S. |
I feel like I'm being biased when making comparisons between these two vastly different school systems. I completed three months of my student teaching in the U.S. because that's where I'm going to be teaching (hopefully in the very near future), and that's where I've learned what's expected of me as a teacher and also what's expected of the students. There's so much pressure on students (and teachers) to meet standards and objectives (even in pre-k!) that I think we forget that we're teaching kids.
That's one thing that I found refreshing about the German kindergarten I was placed in for a month: they let kids be kids! The teachers weren't stressed about this standard or that objective and let the children guide their own learning. Children had the freedom to choose how to spend their day, whether it was in the gym, art room, study workshop, or play room.
I must admit that I found it very strange that children weren't being taught anything related to math or literacy, especially the 5-6 year old "preschool" children. I was also shocked that my 4 year old host sister didn't know how to spell or write her name since that's something children in the U.S. begin learning at an early age. When I asked the director, "where's the math and literacy components," he said they don't focus on that because that's something the children will begin learning in Grade 1.
I'm glad I got to see these differences in schooling and how different cultures approach teaching and instruction. I see the value in play-based learning and allowing children to make their own choices. Whenever possible, I would love to incorporate these into my own teaching practice so my future students can feel they have a role in their learning.
That's one thing that I found refreshing about the German kindergarten I was placed in for a month: they let kids be kids! The teachers weren't stressed about this standard or that objective and let the children guide their own learning. Children had the freedom to choose how to spend their day, whether it was in the gym, art room, study workshop, or play room.
I must admit that I found it very strange that children weren't being taught anything related to math or literacy, especially the 5-6 year old "preschool" children. I was also shocked that my 4 year old host sister didn't know how to spell or write her name since that's something children in the U.S. begin learning at an early age. When I asked the director, "where's the math and literacy components," he said they don't focus on that because that's something the children will begin learning in Grade 1.
I'm glad I got to see these differences in schooling and how different cultures approach teaching and instruction. I see the value in play-based learning and allowing children to make their own choices. Whenever possible, I would love to incorporate these into my own teaching practice so my future students can feel they have a role in their learning.
International School of Hamburg
While visiting a kindergarten class at ISH, I felt like I was back home in the U.S. because it was so similar. The daily and weekly schedule was almost the same as the kindergarten class I was placed at in October with literacy, writing, math, specials (art, music, library, gym, etc.), and recess. I felt more comfortable here and jumped right in with helping children sound out words while writing in their journals. Later in the day, I helped them with patterns for the math activity. The teacher showed me their curriculum and how they follow Common Core Standards for math and are working on getting literacy standards in place as well. Technology was present here just like in the U.S. Students had access to computers, iPads, and a SmartBoard. One of the girls in my class presented a slideshow of pictures from her trip to London to her classmates on the SmartBoard, and her public speaking skills were very impressive!