The evolution of learning has changed so much over the past 15 years and that has to do with the emergence of technology in the classroom. Years ago it was acceptable for teachers to just have students memorize facts. Now, we want the students to dig deeper into the information and to develop critical thinking skills. When they get older it will be important for them to be smart and know facts, but now it's even more important that they understand how to problem solve and think creatively.
Since the world has changed so much over the past 15 years, how teachers teach has changed so much as well. When teachers plan their lessons now, they are strongly encouraged to incorporate technology into the lesson. This is difficult though because it has to be more than having the kids use the technology as a fact checker. Technology in the classroom is more than just a book that lights up for the students.
When teachers are planning a lesson that uses technology, they must remember these steps from Bloom's Digital Taxonomy.
1. Analyze the Benefits
2. Start the Brainstorming
3. Map the Project
4. Create the Teaching Template
5. Develop Assessment Tools
6. Evaluation Mode
Everyone has heard of Bloom's Taxonomy and making sure that we as teachers get the kids thinking more critically. The higher you go on the chart the more beneficial it is for the students. Now they have Bloom's Digital Taxonomy and the higher you go on the chart the better that assignment is for the student. When planning a lesson it will be good for the teacher to incorporate some of the higher levels of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy.
The levels we as teachers want to incorporate are the top 3, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. When the students analyze they are making connections from the material. When the students are evaluating they are making judgements based on criteria. When the students are creating they are producing new or original work through animating, blogging, filming, podcasting, and much more.
When you go into planning a lesson using technology these are just some things to think about, and the biggest thing to remember is to don't use the technology as a virtual textbook. When you are incorporating technology into your lesson plan, make sure that the technology takes their thinking to the next level. Make sure that the technology enhances the learning of the students! Integrating technology into the classroom is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.
eLearning (technology in education)
Monday, June 18, 2018
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Break the Rules and Pay the Price: When Educators Can Search Your Phone
As the new school year begins, a new BYOD policy is set in place at your school. The first thing that passes through your mind is “I can’t wait to text my friends during class!” right? Not if your school has an Acceptable Use Policy.
An Acceptable Use Policy at most schools that have a BYOD initiative may include any or all of the following rules.
Students will:
· Only use devices for educational purposes
· Respect the privacy of others
· Comply with copyright laws and user licensing agreements
· Connect to district Wi-Fi
· Not password protect their devices
Students will not:
· Use devices for any illegal purposes
· Search for inappropriate or obscene content
· Use devices to discriminate or cyber-bully others
· Engage in hacking of any kind
· Repost or forward any personal communications without prior approval from educator
· Plagiarize others’ work
· Use their devices for cheating
Even with an Acceptable User Agreement in place at your school, there will still be students who believe they can do what they want on their device, simply because it is their personal property. Failure to follow the rules in the AUP can have some negative outcomes for the student who breaks said rules.
Students expect to have some privacy expectations with their cell phones at school. There are several factors that can cause the students to relinquish their cell phone privacy at school, allowing educators to seize and search their phones for evidence. All of these factors should be included in the school’s AUP.
It is imperative to include a policy that states that a violation of the AUP will result in the confiscation and searching of personal devices by the administration. Without this policy in place, as Justin W. Patchin mentions in his article, because of New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985), the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects students against search and seizures of their personal property.
Other cases focusing on the issue of whether or not search and seizure of students’ cell phones is justified include the following:
· Klump v. Nazareth Area School District (2006)
· J.W. v. Desoto County School District (2010)
In each of these cases, the school was being examined to see whether or not they had “reasonable cause” to lawfully search through the students’ phones. So when you and your parents sign your school's AUP, remember what could happen if you violate any portion of it.
Monday, June 4, 2018
BYOD: A Good Or Bad Thing?
How BYOD Has Changed Education
With technology advancing seemingly everyday in 2018, educators have been forced to take note and by bringing more and more technology into their classrooms. The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative has been pouring into school rapidly over the past decade, and I wanted to look at the changes in education that have occurred since students have been able to bring their own mobile device to school.
Ashley Wainwright and Corey Murray both wrote posts containing pros and cons of implementing BYOD in schools. In order to fully comprehend BYOD's positive and negative impacts, you must look at both sides of the argument to see what side of the fence you believe in more. Let's look at the 5 biggest pros and 5 biggest cons that both writers mention:
Pros
- Students are already familiar and comfortable using their own technology so they can focus on actually learning with them than learning how to use the device.
- It’s a cost-effective way to save schools money on technology.
- With BYOD students are more likely to continue learning outside of schools hours.
- Students love technology so BYOD promotes teacher creativity and engages students by creating enthusiasm and excitement about learning.
- BYOD allows more opportunities for more personalized learning where students can excel at their own pace.
Cons
- Students may be more easily distracted while working on their own mobile devices.
- All these mobile devices can overload your wireless network.
- It possibly opens up the opportunity for cheating and virus being brought onto the school's network.
- Students forget to bring their mobile devices OR forget to charge their devices.
- Some teacher may resist teaching with technology.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Pros definitely outweigh the Cons for the BYOD initiative. In order for educators to eliminate the negative impacts of BYOD, teachers must be open to changing for the better education of their students and also display good classroom management skills when it comes to technology. Those are easy fixes that just take an educator who is willing to self reflect on their own teaching and be willing to do whatever it takes to enhance learning for all students!
Do you agree with me that the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to BYOD changing the landscape of education?
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Classroom Management in a BYOD Environment
Classroom Management in a BYOD Environment
Questions to ponder:
Is there a way to control
what students are looking up?
How do you successful manage a BYOD classroom?
For years teachers have battled wave after wave of technology
and its advancing bombardment on the classroom.
Throughout the 70’s and 80’s teachers fought against the use of
calculators. Complaints echoed from the
teacher’s lounge: “It is cheating!” they said.
“Students will become complacent,” reverberated others. Many would ask, “Why would they even focus on
their facts, when the computers do all the work?” The same battle resumed in the 90’s when
computers replaced word processors, and again in the 2000’s when laptops
arrived to reinforce learning by making the labs mobile. But, what most fail to realize is that the battle
with technology, is not normally a battle with the technology itself. Instead, it is a personal battle within the teacher because of their lack of knowledge of
the technology or their inability to control the process. If schools are to reach their full potential,
technology needs to be embraced and harnessed to promote learning. Since the
first battle is one that takes education and professional development, today’s
blog is an attempt to alleviate one of the teachers’ biggest concerns: how to
successfully manage a BYOD classroom?
Instead of Fearing
the Unknown, Focus on Engagement and Untapped Possibilities.
Again, and again,
teachers and administrators often fear the unknown and focus on the negatives. At
the administration level, the priorities of safety and student learning must
take precedent. The thought of adding a
BYOD policy adds stress to both. Once
again questions arise:
What if they use it inappropriately?
What if they use it to cheat?
What if it becomes a distraction?
However, what if these what ifs were eliminated altogether. If districts would treat device infractions
the same as for typical infractions for inappropriate use, cheating, offensive,
violent or sexual content, or even bullying.
Then what makes a device infraction different? The answer is nothing, after all a hand
gesture meant to offend someone should be reprimanded the same as if the words
were spoken; it is the same message, just a different form of communication. A strongly written Internet Safety Policy and Responsible
Use Guideline informs students and guardians of expectations and notifies them
that there are consequences for not abiding by the policy. Furthermore, districts and schools are
required by law to protect students from online dangers and exposure to obscene,
sexual or violent material and should have content control software in place to
block improper content. Now, the fear
should begin to reside. What if, we use
the students’ own devices to engage and challenge students like never before?
Classroom Management
The next question to come up on the minds of most teachers’
will be: How do I successfully manage a BYOD classroom? The answer is easier than you might expect. In the article Classroom
Management in a BYOD Environment , Bethany reminds us that managing a BYOD classroom is what good
teachers do anyway:
· Establish clear guidelines
If students use their devices inappropriately,
those devices can still be confiscated, and those students are still subject to
disciplinary action. Students must know this!
· Provide students with a list of apps (resources)
that you think are beneficial for their learning.
· BE MOBILE! Proximity eliminates most negative
behaviors, circulate the classroom.
· Encourage students to use their devices for
educational purposes.
Don’t claim to be an expert of all things, if you don’t know the answer assign
a student to look it up and teach the class.
Not only is this educational but empowering.
These
are all things that good teachers do daily, the management of a BYOD classroom
does not need to be something completely new.
If something comes new up deal with it, but do not let fear of the unknown
stop you from providing your students an amazing opportunity.
For
more specific ideas and procedures to make a BYOD classroom successful, there
are countless sites and professionals that offer proactive suggestions for
easier implementation. In the blog, 10
Classroom Management Tips for BYOD, Christina Love gives ten great
suggestions that will prevent many future problems. While all are good, teachers and administrators
should look closely at the following three:
1. BYOD Signs
Administrators should post signs
around the school to let students know if they can use their device in that
space. For areas such as bathrooms and locker rooms, post clearly visible NO
DEVICE ZONE signs. Cellphones and other BYOD devices serve no roll in locker
rooms, and restrooms and should be prohibited in such areas.
Teachers should post signs on the
door to remind students that they have planned activities for personal devices
on given days. This eliminates miscommunication.
Teachers must create a clear
visible way to notify students of if a device is permitted for an activity and
what degree it may be used. In the video, 10 Tips for
Classroom Management the idea of a stoplight was given as a visual: Red-stop
all technology, Yellow- restricted to given sites or applications, and Green- open
use. Whatever visual chosen, students
need to know what is expected.
2. Spot Check
This is a quick way to enforce the
BYOD policy. Teachers simply, say “Spot Check.” Then students hold or turn their devices so
that their screens face you. Extra
clicking before turning should tell you that the student was probably doing something
they were not supposed to.
3. Screens Down
Most teachers use an attention statement
or visual. When you need students’
attention, say “Screens down.” This tells
the students to turn over the device so that the screen is down or close their
laptop lid and focus on you for further instruction.
4. Observe Body
Language
Teachers must learn the
difference between what social use on a device looks like compared to
educational use. The author tells us to notice that when students are texting
friends that it happens in short bursts and involves only a few finger strokes,
while often followed by smiles or snickers. Whereas, writing a report tends to
involve continuous typing accompanied by a focused expression. Noticing body language, will help teachers of
BYOD classrooms to keep the students engaged in educational content.
With time, personal devices and other technology has infiltrated
schools across the nation and will continue to force education to evolve. BYOD classrooms and schools are here and
increasing in numbers. Today’s students are
eager to take on this challenge and help the institution of education progress into
what it can be. The possibilities are truly
endless. Students will never be the
same. As for teachers, nor will they. Hopefully, some of the information and advice
in this blog has reduced your stress level and outlined ideas for continuing
good teaching through the current revolution and into the future.
Comment below:
What questions or concerns do you still have?
What other suggestions do you have to help successfully
manage a BYOD classroom?
By Nick Rice
Monday, May 21, 2018
Using Smart Phones as Essential Tools for Learning
Cell phones... Can't live with them, can't live without them... But what about in the classroom...?
One article called Using Smartphones as Essential Tools for Learning: A Call to Place Schools on the Right Side of the 21st Century by Cathleen Norris, Akhlaq Hossain, and Elliot Soloway argues that the positives outweigh the negatives -- in a properly set-up classroom.
First, they go through the history of 1:1. The first wave of technology rolled out was laptops 1:1. The authors focused on data gathered by Project RED. They polled many schools that have gone 1:1 and they identified key factors for a successful 1:1 program. But first, they stated that, "using 1:1 when not “properly implemented” has no more effect than using COWS (computers on wheels), computer labs, etc." A properly implemented program is as follows:
"Rank of Key Implementation Factors
- Intervention in classes: Technology is integrated into every class.
- Principal leads change management and gives teachers time for both Professional Learning and Collaboration.
- Games/Simulation and Social Media: Students use technology daily.
- Core subjects: Technology is integrated into daily curriculum.
- Online Assessments: Both formative and summative assessments are done frequently.
- Student-Computer Ratio: Fewer students per computer improves outcomes.
- Virtual field trips: With more frequent use, virtual trips are more powerful.
- Search engines: Students use daily.
- Principal is trained via short courses in teacher buy-in, best practices, and technology-transformed learning."
These factors seem like no-brainers, and something to keep in mind across all BYOD devices, and not just laptops.
As technology improved, the second wave of technology in schools drove the usage of cell phones as the new device of choice. The authors note that, "Now, the choice of device was clear: Laptops are not sustainable. But smartphones are sustainable, cost-wise, and smartphones are more in concert with the emergence of mobile technologies as a dominant technology in the coming decade."
The authors of the article mention two major advantages of cell phones as learning tools:
- Cell phones are lightweight, portable, and students ALWAYS have them. The authors described them as "omnipresent" in the life of the average student. This accessibility is important because carrying around a 2-5lb laptop isn't always feasible. It's easily left at home, bulky to carry, and easily broken. A cell phone, on the other hand, is the opposite of those.
- Students feel respected and vindicated when they are allowed to use cell phones as a learning tool because they use it outside of class all of the time. The authors speculate that when they are then allowed by a BYOD system to use their own device, they take more ownership of their learning and they are adept at using the technology that they use... constantly at home. It was argued best when it was speculated that, "The respect and vindication the students now feel, i.e., the acknowledgment by adults, is a strong motivator. The students are effective at using mobile technologies outside of school, and thus they can now use those same skills inside the classroom effectively on their school work. As well, the students may well feel that they need to demonstrate—to further prove—that mobile technologies are valuable, so the school won’t change their mind and re-ban the devices."
Lastly, the authors give us many examples of the success of 1:1 BYOD initiatives. My favorite story was, "Toms River, NJ: 150 fifth-graders used smartphones from February to June, 2010. The teachers and the Director of Technology claim that all 150 students did every homework assignment on time." There are many more stories detailing the successes of cell phones in school, and the article argues that cell phones in schools are overwhelmingly positive, if the environment is set up correctly.
Do you have a good success story? Write about it in the comments below!
Ultimately, across the world, teachers are seeing unprecedented student involvement in schools and an increase in test scores. Cell phones are able to keep up with the ever-changing shifts in technology and software. The future is bright with BYOD initiatives and 1:1 cell phone usage in schools, but teachers must be trained properly and classroom management plans should evolve with the new tech! The authors caution us to always evolve our knowledge with the devices and to implement cell phones on a deeper level than replacing tech activities with pencil and paper assignments.
Do you have any awesome projects/stories to share on this topic?Do you prefer cell phones or laptops in the classroom and why?
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Interactive Technology, a Staple in the Lives of Today’s Youth
Interactive
Technology, a Staple in the Lives of Today’s Youth
Question: How do we catch the online gaming craze and
harness it for educational purposes?
Survey any Intermediate or Middle School student in the country on what is the
hottest game on their game system and iPhone. The answer is consistent:
FORTNITE! With over 45 million players world wide and 3.5 million
consistent, Fornite is the most downloaded game in the world and this craze
does not appear to be slowing down soon. According to pcgamesn.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site. (Links to an external site.) it has taken over the
net, in February, Fortnite had a 16.3% share of all PC players according to
their data. Even on YouTube, “Fortnite holds 17.9% of daily viewership
hours.” How has this game taken over the net and the lives of our
children? The answers are simple: The game is free to download. No
Cost! The game moves through a constant evolution. Every week the
game board and theme change to reinvigorate the players imaginations.
Gamers are connected to other players all over the world. One could
let the game sort them into squads or they can invite their friends to
play. Once sorted players can communicate via gaming headsets in this
imaginary world. This has replaced the phone, text messaging, standalone
gaming and has become the social scene for adolescents and teenagers.
Where does Fortnite make its money? Gamers spend millions of
dollars a month upgrading the characters persona. Gamers can buy new
clothing (skins), gliders, pick axes, and emotes (dances), online without ever
touching their piggy banks by using Play Station V Bucks, which directly
connect to parents’ online banking.
The Question is: How do educators cash in on the gaming
craze to engage children into curriculum.
This has been a debate for years, in 2013, the blog Virtual
Worlds and Education From Skyrim to School appeared to answer the same
question citing the popularity of MineCraft and Skyrim, discussing the
creations of online world’s that teach children how to interact, in new ways,
with people around the world.
Maybe we need to take a closer look at how we are
teaching. Many educators look for a single response or convergent thought
process that focus on a common answer in preparation for testing.
Just as blinders are put on thoroughbreds to keep their focus on the
finish line. Do we as teachers put blinders on our students so that their
thought processes become uniform and focused on what we want as a result? Maybe
this is the problem with why educational games and apps and technology, it does
not demand engagement challenge our students at their given levels. What
if we look at Fortnite for a few suggestions? How can educational apps,
games and programs give students choice in open questions with different entry
and exit points? How can characters build their own persona to display
their personality? How can programmers design something that adolescents and
teenagers will want to compete and have conversations over while working
together to solve the task and secure victory? How can the same program
challenge a low achieving student and a high achieving student at the same
time? How can a game or program be left open for divergent thought that
deepens conceptual mastery?
Few educational apps, games or programs have understood
these questions. Many simply work on fact fluency, but few challenge the
students in exciting ways that offer choice and differentiation. At the
elementary/middle school levels technology is always in demand and the
following 8 sites, apps and programs get it:
(hip new age educational songs that are sure to make your
foot tap)
(open ended game that teaches civics through student
choice)
(historical missions that allow student choice to dictate
the path of the game allowing for different entry points while stretching the
students imaginations)
(awesome science activities and lessons)
(classroom organization, participation and engagement)
(math fluency)
- Google apps
Even with these 8 programs, we do not capture and harness the engagement for all students. As an 80's kid who was always outside, I longed for those same experiences at school. Any time that I could work on something hands on or outdoors, it excited me about education. Students still get that excitement today except it comes from technology. Are we doing enough to feed the excitement?
While attending the KySTE conference in Louisville a couple
months ago a group member of mine (Rick Merman) may have stumbled upon a possible
answer. There, he learned that Microsoft has a version of Minecraft built
specifically as an education tool, where teachers could set up their own worlds
which could include any type of lesson they want. They can then let their
students join their world and work together to complete objectives and advance
through a lesson.
Check it out:
On a smaller scale in another group members school students
who have mastered concepts work on online challenges or choice boards and
submit the responses virtually using one of the google apps or blackboard.
Here you will find a sample task:
In the US economy Supply and Demand set the price of
products. Click the link about the hula hoop to find an ideal example: The
Hudsucker Proxy - Hulahoop (Links to an external site.)
- Describe how supply and demand determine the price of the hula hoop (be sure to use vocabulary).
- Create a video or add that explains supply and demand for a product of your choice.
- Submit both answers using Google Slides, be sure to share with your teacher.
There is no doubt about it, technology will eventually take over the world of education. Many of today's students often are more attuned to the opportunities it presents more than the teachers. They have developed skill sets, and replaced the traditional stand by methods of doing work and conducting business with online programs and personal devices. Furthermore, their interests reside in online technology. It is how they communicate, work and play. Through it they live their lives. If we are to prepare our students for the future of tomorrow we must harness it (technology).
Back to the question: How do educators cash in on the
gaming craze to engage children into curriculum?
Share your thoughts and ways that you could see
educators using the students own devices to further motivate them to be engaged
with content and stretch their minds.
What strengths, weaknesses and possible opportunities does
the idea of online tasks imply?
Edited by Nick Rice on May 19 at
2:34pm
Monday, May 14, 2018
Cell Phones in the Classroom: Help or Hindrance?
Do cell phones hurt or help in the classroom?
The Edutopia booklet, "Mobile Devices for Learning: What you Need to Know," covers the pros and cons of mobile devices in the classroom, describes different types of devices, explains how to get started, includes ideas with apps and tools, and tells how to get parents on board. It's basically the "How to" guide for mobile devices in the classroom.
Cell phones can help engage students in the learning process...but they can also prevent student engagement (with the classroom activity, anyway). There are apps like PollEverywhere and Socrative that allow students to respond to questions and immediately see if they are correct. They can also compare how their answers to the rest of the class. A lesson with a series of interesting questions to which students are racing to give answers with immediate feedback...engaging!
On the flip side: quietly reading a pdf from their phones on a topic that is not relative to students...I'd be willing to bet a lot of students can be caught on Instagram during this lesson.
The Edutopia booklet, "Mobile Devices for Learning: What you Need to Know," covers the pros and cons of mobile devices in the classroom, describes different types of devices, explains how to get started, includes ideas with apps and tools, and tells how to get parents on board. It's basically the "How to" guide for mobile devices in the classroom.
Cell phones can help engage students in the learning process...but they can also prevent student engagement (with the classroom activity, anyway). There are apps like PollEverywhere and Socrative that allow students to respond to questions and immediately see if they are correct. They can also compare how their answers to the rest of the class. A lesson with a series of interesting questions to which students are racing to give answers with immediate feedback...engaging!
On the flip side: quietly reading a pdf from their phones on a topic that is not relative to students...I'd be willing to bet a lot of students can be caught on Instagram during this lesson.
--Versus--
Soooo....back to our original question: Do cell phones hurt or help in the classroom?
The answer is...
...YES!
And as the teacher, you are the keeper of the classroom culture. You determine whether cell phones hurt or help. The trick is to find great resources (like the Edutopia Booklet) and plan, plan, plan for success.
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