Students Respond to Tech Questions

Keith Sorensen and I spent a few hours in the PHS Media Center interviewing students. The focus of our questioning was to find out what students were expecting from their educational experiences, particularly relating to instructional technologies. We interviewed several dozen students attempting to get a heterogeneous representation of our student population. We naturally gravitated towards students that were either using or obviously possessing their own mobile technology (cell phones or tablets).

Some of the student responses were surprisingly honest, and revealing. Here are a few general themes that we learned from today's discussions.

Most students are willing and able to bring their own technology to class, but in most cases, the teachers restrict usage. In a few noted exceptions, teachers encouraged student usage of personal electronics. In these situations, students commented about feeling more engaged and connected with the lesson, and with their classmates.
Students are eager for 1:1 implementation, but many had reservations regarding responsible use, distractions, and security of the device at home and at school. Although the iPad seemed to be the most popular choice for a 1:1 device, many students did not articulate functional reasons why it was there choice. Typical reasons included; familiarity with iOS (iPods / iPhones), coolness, battery life, fast log-in & shut-down, and convenient size and weight. Nearly all students did not feel a keyboard was necessary to be productive with the iPad. Most students viewed the iPad as a tool to eliminate textbooks and / or for taking notes in class.
About 3/4 of the students questioned and observed used Gmail for their email communication. No one admitted to using their district email account, and a few non-verbal cues suggested, "Are you serious?!?", when asked about their district email usage. Yahoo and Hotmail were also mentioned.
We observed several students using Edmodo. They liked that this social network helped them stay connected with their teachers and their class. They also commented that Edmodo helped with their class organization and preparation, and they liked that it looked like Facebook.
Most students that we talked to did not see video games as viable educational tools, nor learning experiences.
Nearly all of the students that we talked with thought that their educational experiences could be improved with technology. A few suggested that technology immersion was preparation for the "real world".

Conclusions

As is the case with the adults in our school, many folks don't know what they don't know. Meaning, that most students agree mobile technologies would enhance their educational experiences and their learning. However, nearly all of the responding students did not take the concept beyond traditional classroom practices. Professional development for our teachers is critical to leveraging future 1:1 devices for more than just note-taking and reading text. Creative problem solving and presentations are proven best-practices in successful 1:1 initiatives.

Students need to be instructed in methodology for creation and composition using technology. Most students we talked to today put themselves in the role of information consumers, not producers.

Surprisingly, not all students have internet access at home. High speed internet access needs to be available, if not provided, to all of our students and their families.

Most of the students we talked with today would be surprised to know that recent research supports the idea of at least some video games providing valuable learning experiences and higher-order thinking opportunities.

Nearly all of the students that we met with today were polite, thoughtful, and helpful. We were grateful for their time and their willingness to share their thoughts.

What Teachers Can Learn From Effective Coaches

In my educational world teaching and coaching involve the same processes. The people that impacted my own learning most significantly were coaches. Could it be that great coaches were ahead of their time with respects to instructional best practices? Let's take a look at ten coaching practices that thankfully have found their way into the classroom. http://www.coachwooden.com/files/PyramidThinkingSuccess.jpg Standards-based Grading - coaches aren't concerned with arbitrary measures of success such as letter grades. Great coaches identify a requisite set of skills that are necessary for advancement and success. Promotion and achievement are based upon clearly identified levels of skill mastery. Authentic assessment - coaches are looking for their athletes to demonstrate their skill mastery under game-like situations. The best coaches incorporate game simulations and competitive, game-like drills into their practices. Winning coaches will use the contests as assess...

Board Games in the School Library: 3 Reasons Why It's a Winning Play

"Play is the highest form of research." - Albert Einstein “Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori In our recently remodeled school media center, we have a space dedicated to active engagement in fun learning activities. Part maker space, part literacy lounge, board games are being incorporated to promote a culture of joyful learning. Whether it's a game of Rummy , Yahtzee , or Scrabble , family game night serves as a communication elixir and solidifies our domestic climate of togetherness. Shouldn't similar opportunities for interaction, challenge, and fun exist somewhere in our schools? Broken families, cultural fragmentation, and poverty are impacting opportunities for children to play. As we unpacked and tagged our new media center games, I was more disappointed than shocked by the number of students who had never played Monopoly , Boggle , or Sorry . One skeptical teacher commented, "Oh great, now we're letting students pl...

Self-Directed vs. Self-Determined Learning; What's the Difference?

"We need to move beyond the idea that an education is something that is provided for us, and toward the idea that an education is something that we create for ourselves." - Stephen Downes In this age of abundance of information, shifting classroom pedagogy isn't nearly enough to make learning in school more relevant and authentic for the learner. Self-directed learning ( andragogy ), and self-determined learning ( heutagogy ) are the ideals necessary in making students " future ready " to live and learn in a web-connected world. While original research applied these concepts to mature learners, it has become apparent that even young children have an abundant capacity for recognizing and directing their learning. Anyone who has observed toddlers learning how to walk and talk understand the motivation and skill development that quickly develops during these processes. Considered by some to be on a learning continuum, self-directed learning, and self-determined ...

Nocking the Arrow

Search This Blog