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

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

1. Intervention in classes: Technology is integrated into every class.
2. Principal leads change management and gives teachers time for both Professional Learning and Collaboration.
3. Games/Simulation and Social Media: Students use technology daily.
4. Core subjects: Technology is integrated into daily curriculum.
5. Online Assessments: Both formative and summative assessments are done frequently.
6. Student-Computer Ratio: Fewer students per computer improves outcomes.
7. Virtual field trips: With more frequent use, virtual trips are more powerful.
8. Search engines: Students use daily.
9. 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? 

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:

1. https://www.flocabulary.com 

(hip new age educational songs that are sure to make your foot tap)

2. icivics.com 

 (open ended game that teaches civics through student choice)

3. mission-us.org 

(historical missions that allow student choice to dictate the path of the game allowing for different entry points while stretching the students imaginations)

4. mobymax.com 

5. https://mysteryscience.com 

(awesome science activities and lessons)

6. socrative.com

(classroom organization, participation and engagement)

7. Xtramath.com 

(math fluency)

8. Google apps 

(Google offers a broad range of products for educational needs including Sheets, Slides, Play, Scratch… )

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:

https://education.minecraft.net/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)

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.)

1. Describe how supply and demand determine the price of the hula hoop (be sure to use vocabulary).
2. 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

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.

--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.