Technology in the Classroom: Lindsay Community Day School

For one of our actual "assigned assignments" for our EDUC 578 class, Professor Heil had required us to observe a classroom that integrates technology in their curriculum.  Now, I was actually kind of excited to do this outside of the classroom.  The reason?  I have yet to experience seeing a teacher use technology in their classrooms.  Not in my practicum experience, not in my community service learning experience, not in my volunteer experience, and not in my work experience!!!  (I've worked at a middle school in the LAUSD school district for 6 years, a high school in the GUHSD for a year, and currently work in a middle and high school in the SDUHSD).  I kind of expected something technology besides the use of a computer lab along my Credential and Master's journey, but it has yet to happen!

Now, what did I envision in my experience??  I expected to see SMART or Promethean Boards (since I've heard that many of my classmates in this class and other classes have them in their practicums), maybe some tools on the Internet, or even computer collaboration.  What I REALLY hoped for was to see a classroom that is integrating the use of iPad's, since this was my "focus" in EDUC 579 and I had written a grant for iPad's in the Science classroom for a curriculum innovations class I took this past summer at USD.  But since I procrastinated and waited last minute to research what schools in San Diego use the iPad (if there is even on), I instead was given the opportunity to accompany Professor Heil and Christina A. to the Lindsay Community Day School and I was VERY impressed with what I saw at this small school.

Students at Lindsay school share lunchtime with their children.
Photo: Sam Hodgson

Lindsay Community Day School "is a high school program for pregnant and parenting teens. Lindsay offers a comprehensive academic program including prenatal and parenting education classes. It has a staff of two fully credentialed teachers who are assisted by two teacher aides. It also offers childcare for babies and toddlers while students attend school. Our two major goals for pregnant students who do not wish to attend a regular school setting are as follows:

• To help each student cope with her special needs because of early pregnancy and approaching parenthood.
• To help each student continue her academic education.

(Excerpt from: Juvenile Court and Community Schools)

(Also, check out SDCOE's website that shows a video about best practices at Lindsay and also features Dawn Miller, who is a teacher at the site and past graduates of the school).

Honestly, I didn't really know what to expect, since all I knew about the school was that Professor Heil worked in conjunction with the site and that the school was focused for pregnant and parenting teenagers.  When we first arrived at the school, I had no idea that we were actually already there.  Lindsay is located on the corner of Ash and Union in Downtown San Diego which is not the ideal location for a high school.  From the outside, the building looked like a regular building you would see if you walked down the streets of Downtown San Diego.  We entered through a door on Union to see walls filled with art and work of the students.  We entered Dawn Miller's English classroom and immediately, my focus was on the babies!  Now, I don't have any of my own, but I have lots of nieces and nephews and I LOVE playing with babies!  We introduced ourselves to Dawn, then she went on to guide the class to their activity of blogging on their laptops.  The classroom was not filled, but had about 15 female students, most of who had their infants right alongside their desks.  Girls would come in at different times to sign-in and then proceeded to sit at their desks and catch up to their other peers.  Dawn went on to have other students help those who have not yet signed up for their blogger accounts and one student even went up on the SMART board and used the laptop to visually show how to sign up for blogger.

This definitely was not what I expected to see, since I've seen other programs for pregnant and parenting teens look like.  These girls were there to participate and learn.  They were open to helping one another out and most of all, they were using technology that I had not seen in the classrooms I have been in!  Walls along the building had pictures of the girls and showed their progress to graduating with a diploma.  The SDCOE's video explains how many of these girls pass the CAHSEE, get their diploma, and go on to college or a vocational school.  This truly was an environment that was student-centered.  It may not be a traditional school environment, but these girls were getting the attention that they needed to succeed and also were getting the help and resources they needed in their personal lives.  I very much enjoyed my visit to Lindsay and had a great tour guide who was a prior graduate of Lindsay and now works as a teacher's assistant at the school.

Lastly, check out the article about Lindsay Community Day School in my blog below!

*On a side note, I would appreciate any help with embedding the video on SDCOE's website to this blog post!!