Thursday, March 15, 2012
Programming
We have spent a lot of time talking about programming and throwing out ideas and things we have seen, and telling others problems we see.What are some of the good programming techniques that you have seen that help with middleschoolers? And what are some of the things that have caused problems in programming with kids?
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I found that sharing our ideas with our class was helpful because we could give each other tips on which ideas were good and how some other ideas could be improved. One thing that has caused problems in programming was finding games appropriate for a certain age level. Also finding a game that would keep a large amount of kids occupied and entertained for 45 minutes.
ReplyDeleteAs Kelsey said, getting a lot of peoples ideas has been helpful to me in the past. It seems that most of the time when there is just one person coming up with the ideas for everything that something always goes wrong or not as planned.
ReplyDeleteI liked the fact that I had my group to bounce ideas off of and them give me ideas for games myself. I also really liked have the class give us ideas that we could use for are events along with things that might not work for are games as well. I also likes the way you gave us the rains on doing the event for are part of the event are selves to do it puts a lot of responsibility on us and for a hands on learner like me its a good thing to know when i'm making a mistake how not to do it again.
ReplyDeleteI found it really helpful to hear from the entire class about how we can improve our plans for MSO. Hearing where we may have problems and where it seems really good helps us see where we need to make improvements and what will work really well. It also helped to hear from our counselors, who have had experience with this event, so were able to tell us some of the problems they see.
ReplyDeleteI also found it very helpful to tell our ideas in class and to hear feed back from other groups. One problem with programming and kids I feel like kids are unpredictable. You never know what is going to keep their attention. I think this is one of the reasons why I liked the in class discussion over MSO so much it helps your group to brainstorm more contingency plans in case something goes wrong or if kids just are not interested in what you are doing.
ReplyDeleteProgramming can be so difficult because many times things do not go as we planned. I think most of us are definitely seeing that as we are planning for things for this class. Some of the best programming I've seen for middle schoolers have actually been the ones that let the kids create. Kinda like the "I wonder" questions Jenn talked about it class, I have seen kids do amazing things when given the space to learn about God in a creative way. I do believe programming is important, but sometimes the problem with programming is how up-tight it can be. Planning is always great, but also being able to adjust and let things happen that go against your program that needs to happen is important. Some of the most impacting times is when things don't go as planned, but better things fall into place.
ReplyDeleteI don't have much experience working with middle school kids in a planned, programmed environment. However, even in the casual interaction and playful events I have been involved in, I have observed that clear, concise instruction is vital. Simplicity is usually a good policy with large middle school groups. This age group does not appear to need fancy programming with complicated material. I have also noticed that you must be a dominant leader. Any form of passive leadership will quickly be ran over by a teenager with a strong, often wild, personality. I suppose my observations will be either confirmed or denied soon enough.
ReplyDeleteI have always found it helpful to bounce ideas off of other people. That is one of the reasons that before a finalize anything I will go and tell my wife about it and that way she can tell me if she thinks that it will work or if she thinks that it will not work with the space that we have to work with. This has really helped me in the past with different events that I have led. One thing that I have found that can cause problems is if the teens are not into the games and you do not have a good back up game that you can pull off real quick.
ReplyDeleteWhen working on programming with middle school students, it is best to have back up plans and games ready to go. There are so many things that could go wrong or just not work due to group size or space provided. Another important thing needed to work with middle school kids, is a strong leader who can lead the group and give clear instructions. When planning a big event with middle school kids, you need to make sure their parents are involved too. The students minds are wandering and it does not hurt to relay information to their parents also.
ReplyDeleteProgramming in my mind is a way to fish out the bad ideas for the future. It is a good learning experience because as in class we are constantly learning what worked and what didn't. Sometimes we need to take a step back as a group of leaders and see when things are not working well with what we are trying to accomplish so that we do not make the same mistake in the future.
DeleteHaving a veteran leader in charge of the group such as a admissions councilor really seems to help weed out all of the ideas that just wont work when dealing with middle school students. I think as college students we have all these crazy, fun ideas that we think will work but sometimes we need brought back into reality.
ReplyDeleteTHe main thing I have learned with programming is to be be prepared, but also be flexible. Both are extremely important especially with children and middle schoolers. It is good to have plan/agenda and try to go with it as much as possible...however, if the kids are not responding, or if the games/events don't go as planned it is important to have back up ideas or ask for their input on what they want to do. I liked what Lauren said and it is sooo true! Some of the greatest events I've seen is when the kids come up with what they want to do and then help to execute that event. They enjoy not only participating but the helping to organize and imagine ideas for it as well.
ReplyDeleteI think the main goal here is to over plan and be open to change. Middleschoolers are at that stage where they like being in groups of their friends, but they also like to have some control over what they are able to do. So when it comes to planning these things, we should be able to have a few things going on, but no so many as to overwhelm them and cause chaos.
ReplyDeleteMiddle School Students, need a lot of structure when it comes to programming events. We do need to listen to the Students ideas to know what they like to do, but we also need to be realistic to what will actually work with the certain group, the size of the group and the location the middle school students will be present in. I know we need to be very energetic and flexible with the Middle School Students to help things go smoothly and to keep the students engaged with what is happening. I do agree with the idea that programming it good, but it does also get in the way of the Students being creative in their own way and discovering God in their own way. So programming should be done with an open heart and a prayerful mindset with God guiding our way.
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