This blog post is based upon the article, "3 Tips for Managing Phone Use in Class (Lynn Kolb). You can read the whole article, HERE. I find the discussion surrounding the (potential) inclusion of cell phones in the classroom fascinating, but not for the reason that most people do... Why? Because I believe that we've come too far to be focusing on the "if" of cell phone use in schools. The reality is, it's not just coming; it's here. Students, en masse, are using phones every...single...day, for a variety of things, both overtly, and covertly (though it seems to be more of the later in schools). There are some holdouts. Those teachers who, for whatever reason, have preached and practiced a technology free classroom. And, to some extent, I get it. It's how they were raised, trained; and it's their experience. No one can fault them for that. However, for a new generation of teachers, technology is much less foreign and much more natural. And so the conversation will shift, is shifting, or has shifted. Again, we're not so much talking about the "if', but rather, the "how?". How do we utilize this technology while keeping students on track? Lynn Kolb, within her article, 3 Tips for Managing Phone Use in Class, broaches this subject with the right balance of proactivity and student involvement. Again, phones are here to stay (I think). And because of that, it would be wise for all of us to have that conversation around the "how?" of cell phone use: -How do I do this, well? -How to I engage my students? -How do I allow my students to enter into the process in meaningful ways? -How do I move forward effectively, utilizing technology/harnessing it's vast capabilities?
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3D printing is very cool, there's no doubt. It's the stuff of science fiction, now realized in 2017. Recently I watched a documentary about this very thing titled "Print the Legend". Focused on the 3D printing revolution, it asks the question throughout of, "why not us, and why not now?" Of course, this question is referring to this generation's quest to improve lives through technological innovation.
And certainly, the applications for 3D printing are numerous. However, the question I want to ask here is, "does 3D printing technology have a place in the classroom?" To the "pros" and "cons" we go! Pros *As the 2015 NMC Horizon Report suggests, 3D printing "enables more authentic exploration of objects and concepts that may not be readily available in schools" (Horizon Report, 40). The opportunity for students to produce something which they can touch and hold is significant. It adds a "hands on" dimension to the experience of learning that can't be understated. *It gets students familiar with a technology that seems to be growing exponentially. *It allows visual learners to enter in, more deeply. *It adds a layer of discovery to the classroom setting. Cons *Price- 3D printing technology is still quite expensive (comparably), and is therefore beyond the reach of many classrooms and schools. Related to this, it may be that some schools can afford the technology, while other can't. This means that some students will get to experience 3D printing, while others will be left out. *Training- Teachers will need to be trained. This will take time and resources. *Fad? Are 3D printers the next step forward? Or are they the next smart board? Only time will tell. Ultimately, any piece of technology that can move us forward is a good thing. And I do believe that 3D printers have the capacity to do just that; to move us into another phase of education in schools. "Why not us, and why not now?". I must say, I feel slightly inadequate discussing classroom management, mainly because I haven't been involved in the education system long enough to really give it the old college try. I have my assumptions on what might work, in addition to what might not work, but because I'm still in the observing phase, these thoughts remain assumptions.
That being said: Currently, I'm in a grade 2 classroom, and I have managed to glean the following: the importance of transitions cannot be understated. They're huge. Not just that, they set the tempo and they feed into activities which are to follow. Flub the transition and that which is to come, suffers. In light of this, here are some things that I have managed to observe: Communication: Talk to your students; make sure they know the classroom expectations. For primary grades, repetition of said expectations is key...is key...is key. Routine: ...That being said, don't be so tied to routine that anything that isn't part of the pre-formed plan gets discarded. But, know what you want to do, know how you want to get there, and do it enough (repetition) so that the students can understand the cues and own the process. Timing For any 20 minute activity, plan for a bookend of transition time, on each side, in which to begin the process of shifting from one thing to the next. I would suggest, especially for primary classes, a minimum of 3-5 minutes for this shift. In the video above (Big Thinkers series/Edutopia), Kurt Squire speaks to the idea that gaming can (and should) lead students into societal/civic engagement. He puts forth the notion that well designed games inevitably lead students to question (in the healthy way) that which they see around them. They begin to ask questions such as "Why are things the way that they are?" Squire suggests that this is precisely what good games, do; they create critical thinkers, and they motivate. Additionally, Squire suggests that games can and should give students the tools that they need in order to be change makers.
I love the heart behind this video/topic. Firstly, this is, in a sense, the redemption of gaming culture. I say this because gamers have a tendency to be looked upon as stagnant; cloistering themselves in order to become something within the virtual realm that they clearly are not, in reality; think World of Warcraft. Secondly, gaming culture is a language that students speak. So why wouldn't we seek to teach using something that is, not only familiar, but driving passions within our students? Of course, there's the age old question, can we afford it? What does implementation look like? Do some students become "haves", while others become "have nots"? And what about those kids that just don't get motivated beyond the scope of the game, itself? These questions are legitimate. However, I think, wherever possible, we should go to the students, and this is a prime example of how gaming can bridge that gap. As a teacher, I would try it. I need to pre curse all of this by stating the following...up front: cloud based storage has been wonderfully useful for me. I love the ease of use; I love the channels for collaboration; and I love the free storage space (my cloud of choice is Google Drive, though there are others). In my estimation, the integration of this technology is a no-brainer for schools of all shapes and sizes. (Though its usefulness within an elementary classroom context is debatable). Not only could [secondary] students connect via a cloud storage service (such as Google Drive) in order to do group work, and store collective research, teachers could also utilize the space in order to gather and share data, shape lesson plans, and prepare team teaching sessions, all from the comfort of their living rooms. And while I agree that safety may be a concern (the Novi side of me has requested that I mention this fact), I'm convinced of it's value as a teaching tool. Cloud storage is here to stay, it can be a valuable contributor to school life, and I would suggest that we all take the plunge and get connected. |
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