ThingLink has been on my list of Web 2.0 tools to learn more about. Consider joining us in the ThingLink Summer Teacher Challenge. It is not too late! Our first assignment was simple enough to create Our Digital Self. This would be a great first week assignment for back-to school. Check out my digital self below.
Looking ahead to the 2015-2016 School year:
My boss recently shared an article by Catlin Tucker that was published in the May edition of Educational Leadership eMagazine titled 5 Tips for Managing Mobile Devices in the Classroom that provided some great insight. Here are some thoughts after reading Tucker's enlightening article: 1.) We have to face our fear of allowing students to use technology in the classroom. Allowing students to use technology - especially their own technology - can make the classroom student-centered rather than teacher-centered. Students are no longer passive consumers of the information, but become researchers and creators. 2.) Have the students work together to create the Norms for using technology in the classroom. The author describes how the students decided that notifications were too distracting and made the decision to have those turned off during the school day. The teacher set times for all screens to be face down on the desk and even a time to collect or remove devices during testing. 3.) Teach the students to see these devices - especially personal devices - as learning tools, not just social tools. We must help our students take technology from Toys to Tools. 4.) Set the culture of the classroom on the FIRST DAY of school. This teacher began with ice-breakers that used technology. You can too! The plan is to issue as many iPads as possible during Schedule Pick-up day so our students can begin READY to learn. Even if they don't have their iPads, most students will have a Smartphone - or per this article, encourage sharing. One advantage we have at CHS is there are now re-purposed iPads in the Media Center that teachers can check out for those students that do not have any technology. 5.) Encourage collaborative thinking! The teacher gave several examples of breaking the class into small groups do to research and presentations. Some of the work was done during the class, but some of the work continued asynchronous from home later. I especially loved the assignment using the Life Magazine from the 1930's. 6.) Don't be afraid to ask for help. This teacher was not afraid to have a student help her learn to use Instagram to create an visual Scavenger Hunt during an upcoming Field Trip. I began using cell phones in my middle school classroom early on. The students had them, so why not put them to good use. There were many times - especially with the different types of phones - that I didn't know the answers. As a class we worked together to solve those problems and we shared our devices with students that didn't have one that day. It worked! Students chose to use their cellphones to take video to create an infomercial rather than the flip cameras available in the classroom. 7.) Technology is constantly changing. Our Superintendent proposed the DATS (Device Adaptive Technology System) before the our district decided to take our secondary students 1:1 with iPads and Chromebooks. What that means is that in the coming years we will start seeing students bringing in their own technology more and more. We will probably have reconditioned and re-purposed iPads for those students without devices, and as the article states, this is the smartest move to avoid more drain in the budget. Most Districts are not financially able to keep up with supplying the latest technology to all students. I hope you will take the time to read this article and begin thinking how it could impact your classroom. This is a good time to begin thinking about updating the class syllabus for next year. |
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