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The best advantage is the ability to combine your human abilities with the best tools available.
In the world of chess, the best players in the world can no longer beat the best machines in the world.
However, a combination …
Share this article
The best advantage is the ability to combine your human abilities with the best tools available.
In the world of chess, the best players in the world can no longer beat the best machines in the world.
However, a combination …
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This post is sponsored in partnership with Metaverse. |
There are all sorts of components to work with. You can even embed your own videos or select videos from YouTube.
To interact with the experience, the user will need the Metaverse App (Android/iOS). Once you’ve downloaded the app, you can tap the link or scan the code to get started. It’s really fun and easy.
Teachers and students are creating all sorts of amazing things with Metaverse. You could make a breakout game, create a trivia/review game, develop a scavenger hunt, interactive story, and much more.
Just recently, Metaverse added a new feature to allow teachers to see all of the projects their students are working on, in one place. It’s called Collections.
1. It develops creative thinking.
Students need more opportunities to use creativity in the classroom. Metaverse provides a platform with endless options for creativity. Students can demonstrate their learning in new and interesting ways. They can make their own game, scavenger hunt, or story to show what they’re learning.
2. It develops reasoning skills.
Metaverse has a “storyboard” format that requires lots of if/then logical thinking. To create an experience, students will be using basic thinking skills used in coding, only without the coding. Everything is drag and drop. My cognitive reasoning skills were getting a good workout as I experimented with the tool.
3. It motivates learners.
Metaverse is a fun way to learn. I showed it to my own kids and they were immediately interested in how it worked and all of the different components that could be linked together. It definitely has a coolness factor that many other education apps lack. Students could work on their project individually or in teams.
4. It helps learners apply what they know.
It’s been often said, “No one cares what you know, they only care what you can do with what you know.” Metaverse is a great way to have students do something with what they know. There will no doubt be deeper learning when students create something that demonstrates their learning.
5. It’s a great alternative to traditional paper/pencil assessment.
Metaverse projects are a great way to assess learning. The teacher could develop a rubric for the essential learning outcomes and how those will be assessed in the Metaverse experience. As students work on the projects, the teacher could provide ongoing feedback. And students could provide feedback to each other too.
Overall, Metaverse is a great way to shift instruction from learning as a delivery system to learning that is a discovery system. The opportunities for engagement and creativity using this tool are unlimited.
Read More 5 Reasons Metaverse is the Perfect Way to Bring AR to Your Classroom
But the availability to devices doesn’t automatically result in more learning or better experiences for students or teachers. In fact, the addition of devices presents new challenges for educators to consider. When our school added Chromebooks for every student, we quickly learned we would need to address some new challenges. These obstacles can derail learning in classrooms where the potential pitfalls aren’t addressed or avoided.
If you are an educator who is fortunate enough to have access to digital devices for all your students to use, be ready to take steps to teach the procedures and routines that will help create success for using these tools in learning. It’s important to establish and maintain boundaries. And it’s also important to never make assumptions about what your students may or may not know about using the devices.
1. You can’t assume students are tech savvy just because they are digital natives.
It’s true that students in today’s classrooms are digital natives. They’ve grown up around technology and tend to have some skills that are helpful in navigating the digital world. However, it’s a mistake to think they are proficient in using any tool you might throw at them. For the most part, kids have used technology for social media or entertainment. Using technology for learning, productivity, or creativity might be new to them. So, when you plan for using a new tool in class, plan to spend some time orienting students to how it works.
Or, if you prefer for students learn the tool on their own, provide time for them to experiment with the tool and share out their learning to others in the class. It can be a good idea for students to “teach themselves” a digital tool. New tools and apps are being developed all the time. It’s great practice for students to be able to adapt to new tools and work on the intuitive thinking and problem solving required for “clicking around” and figuring it out. You might want to provide them with a list of tasks they should be able to do with the new tool. And it’s great for the teacher to model what to do when getting stuck. The ability to research solutions via Google or YouTube search can be very helpful.
2. Don’t just teach digital citizenship, embed digital citizenship.
It’s never a good idea to hand students devices without also supporting safe, responsible use. Many schools create their own digital citizenship curriculum or buy one to use with their students. There are also some excellent digital citizenship resources available for free online, from Google or from Common Sense Media for instance. Try to anticipate the problems your students might encounter in using the digital devices in your classroom. Be proactive and have discussions up front with your students about what is appropriate to share, how to judge validity of resources, how to respect content ownership and fair use, and how to report something that is threatening.
While it is important to teach digital citizenship up front, it’s also very important for teachers to monitor student use of technology and use teachable moments to address situations that may arise as students utilize tech. Often the most valuable lessons occur as opportunities arise to discuss relevant issues in authentic context. Digital citizenship should not just be a scheduled lesson. It should be part of everything we do related to the use of technology in the classroom. It’s something educators must model and discuss regularly. Moreover, it’s part of the bigger issue of developing good citizenship in the broadest sense. How are we helping students contribute as positive, productive members of communities online and in physical space?
3. Plan to manage distractions.
One of the most common challenges of implementing devices in the classroom is dealing with the potential distraction technology can present. While technology open up a whole new world of possibilities for learning, it also opens a world of possibilities for diversion away from classroom learning priorities. This prospect is very frightening for many teachers. How will I make sure my students aren’t wasting class time? How can I make sure students are watching content that is not appropriate for school? Will the presence of a screen take away from learning instead of accelerating learning?
Keep in mind distractions are nothing new in the classroom. Keeping students attention has always been a chief concern for teachers. Even in a class without devices, students can find a plethora of things to occupy their attention besides learning. The key to alleviate boredom is to stimulate curiosity and plan engaging lessons. Device distractions are no match for an amazing lesson! At least I think it pays to think like that.
Some schools also choose to purchase classroom monitoring software that allows teachers to view and even take control of student devices. This type of system typically allows teachers to monitor an entire classroom from the teacher’s computer. You may not have this type of software available, and I actually prefer not to utilize it. It’s better for the teacher to be able to move around the room and interact with students rather than being tethered to a computer monitoring students like Big Brother.
Here are some solid tips for managing distractions with no software required.
-Clearly communicate times when students should and should not be on devices.
-Clarify when it is okay to use earbuds and when earbuds should not be used.
-Set up the classroom so you can easily move around and behind students using devices. You need to be able to easily view student screens.
-Require students to only have one browser tab open at a time. This prevents switching tabs when the teacher is not watching to games or media that might be distracting.
-When transitioning from devices to whole group instruction or another activity, wait until you have everyone’s attention before you move on.
-Give specific instructions about which apps or sites should be used during a particular activity. Hold students accountable to use these tools only unless they ask permission to access another site.
These considerations are an essential part of establishing a strong culture of learning in the digital classroom. Other issues will also arise like caring for devices, dealing with tech questions, managing battery life, etc. The most important thing is to work with students to establish classroom expectations and revisit them consistently. It works best when teachers can develop a shared responsibility with students for using devices responsibly and productively. Just like any other classroom behavior, it’s not enough to proclaim a rule and never discuss it again. Students will need reminders and guidance to be successful.
Ultimately, the opportunity to develop digital learning skills is invaluable to students. Students will need to be able to successfully use devices for learning and productivity for the rest of their lives. Although there are challenges with implementing technology in the classroom, with the right approach, teachers can help students become strong digital learners.
But the availability to devices doesn’t automatically result in more learning or better experiences for students or teachers. In fact, the addition of devices presents new challenges for educators to consider. When our school added Chromebooks for every student, we quickly learned we would need to address some new challenges. These obstacles can derail learning in classrooms where the potential pitfalls aren’t addressed or avoided.
If you are an educator who is fortunate enough to have access to digital devices for all your students to use, be ready to take steps to teach the procedures and routines that will help create success for using these tools in learning. It’s important to establish and maintain boundaries. And it’s also important to never make assumptions about what your students may or may not know about using the devices.
1. You can’t assume students are tech savvy just because they are digital natives.
It’s true that students in today’s classrooms are digital natives. They’ve grown up around technology and tend to have some skills that are helpful in navigating the digital world. However, it’s a mistake to think they are proficient in using any tool you might throw at them. For the most part, kids have used technology for social media or entertainment. Using technology for learning, productivity, or creativity might be new to them. So, when you plan for using a new tool in class, plan to spend some time orienting students to how it works.
Or, if you prefer for students learn the tool on their own, provide time for them to experiment with the tool and share out their learning to others in the class. It can be a good idea for students to “teach themselves” a digital tool. New tools and apps are being developed all the time. It’s great practice for students to be able to adapt to new tools and work on the intuitive thinking and problem solving required for “clicking around” and figuring it out. You might want to provide them with a list of tasks they should be able to do with the new tool. And it’s great for the teacher to model what to do when getting stuck. The ability to research solutions via Google or YouTube search can be very helpful.
2. Don’t just teach digital citizenship, embed digital citizenship.
It’s never a good idea to hand students devices without also supporting safe, responsible use. Many schools create their own digital citizenship curriculum or buy one to use with their students. There are also some excellent digital citizenship resources available for free online, from Google or from Common Sense Media for instance. Try to anticipate the problems your students might encounter in using the digital devices in your classroom. Be proactive and have discussions up front with your students about what is appropriate to share, how to judge validity of resources, how to respect content ownership and fair use, and how to report something that is threatening.
While it is important to teach digital citizenship up front, it’s also very important for teachers to monitor student use of technology and use teachable moments to address situations that may arise as students utilize tech. Often the most valuable lessons occur as opportunities arise to discuss relevant issues in authentic context. Digital citizenship should not just be a scheduled lesson. It should be part of everything we do related to the use of technology in the classroom. It’s something educators must model and discuss regularly. Moreover, it’s part of the bigger issue of developing good citizenship in the broadest sense. How are we helping students contribute as positive, productive members of communities online and in physical space?
3. Plan to manage distractions.
One of the most common challenges of implementing devices in the classroom is dealing with the potential distraction technology can present. While technology open up a whole new world of possibilities for learning, it also opens a world of possibilities for diversion away from classroom learning priorities. This prospect is very frightening for many teachers. How will I make sure my students aren’t wasting class time? How can I make sure students are watching content that is not appropriate for school? Will the presence of a screen take away from learning instead of accelerating learning?
Keep in mind distractions are nothing new in the classroom. Keeping students attention has always been a chief concern for teachers. Even in a class without devices, students can find a plethora of things to occupy their attention besides learning. The key to alleviate boredom is to stimulate curiosity and plan engaging lessons. Device distractions are no match for an amazing lesson! At least I think it pays to think like that.
Some schools also choose to purchase classroom monitoring software that allows teachers to view and even take control of student devices. This type of system typically allows teachers to monitor an entire classroom from the teacher’s computer. You may not have this type of software available, and I actually prefer not to utilize it. It’s better for the teacher to be able to move around the room and interact with students rather than being tethered to a computer monitoring students like Big Brother.
Here are some solid tips for managing distractions with no software required.
-Clearly communicate times when students should and should not be on devices.
-Clarify when it is okay to use earbuds and when earbuds should not be used.
-Set up the classroom so you can easily move around and behind students using devices. You need to be able to easily view student screens.
-Require students to only have one browser tab open at a time. This prevents switching tabs when the teacher is not watching to games or media that might be distracting.
-When transitioning from devices to whole group instruction or another activity, wait until you have everyone’s attention before you move on.
-Give specific instructions about which apps or sites should be used during a particular activity. Hold students accountable to use these tools only unless they ask permission to access another site.
These considerations are an essential part of establishing a strong culture of learning in the digital classroom. Other issues will also arise like caring for devices, dealing with tech questions, managing battery life, etc. The most important thing is to work with students to establish classroom expectations and revisit them consistently. It works best when teachers can develop a shared responsibility with students for using devices responsibly and productively. Just like any other classroom behavior, it’s not enough to proclaim a rule and never discuss it again. Students will need reminders and guidance to be successful.
Ultimately, the opportunity to develop digital learning skills is invaluable to students. Students will need to be able to successfully use devices for learning and productivity for the rest of their lives. Although there are challenges with implementing technology in the classroom, with the right approach, teachers can help students become strong digital learners.
We have a group at Bolivar High School known as the SWAT team. SWAT stands for Students Working to Advance Technology. The club started in 2015 to support our 1:1 program that was just getting off the ground.
SWAT provides valuable support related to how we use technology in our school. For instance, they have presented how-to workshops for teachers during our annual PD day, the past two years. And they’ve been involved in parent open house to demonstrate ways technology is being used for learning in our school. They also help out in the library with issues students are having with their Chromebooks.
Most recently, the group offered tech support for senior citizens in our community every Thursday after school in February from 4-5:00pm. We publicized the opportunity in our local newspaper and on Facebook. It was a simple concept. We had some digital natives (our students) on hand to help the older crowd in our community with anything tech related we could help with.
The senior adults could bring their own device (most of them did) or the students used their Chromebooks to help with Facebook, Gmail, or whatever tool they wanted to learn.
We didn’t really know what to expect. It was our first time trying something like this. But it was a huge success. We had customers every single Thursday, and several of our guests came back week after week.
This activity was beneficial on several levels.
1. It was helpful to the senior citizens we served.
Our students helped with Macs, PCs, iPads, Android devices, multiple smart phones, and a Kindle Fire. I don’t think there was a single question that our students didn’t handle effectively. In one case, it took about 45 minutes to research a solution, but in the end, they resolved the issue.
2. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with our community.
I think it’s great when students can go out into the community or we can bring the community in. In this case, we had quite a few people into our school building that might not normally stop by for a visit.
3. It was a great learning experience for our students.
Our students had the opportunity to give back and lend a helping hand. They got to practice communication skills, empathy, patience, and problem solving. It gave them the opportunity to serve others.
4. Everyone seemed to love it.
Our students enjoyed this experience so much, they asked me if we could keep doing it each week. For a variety of reasons, I made them take a break for the month of March. We’ll see after that. But I was proud they wanted to continue. And the senior citizens seemed to have a great time too. Some of them asked me if we could keep doing it, too! Okay, after reading that I feel like a scrooge for making them take a break. 🙂
Here’s a 2 minute video that includes some student voice about how they experienced this project…
Question: Is this something you might try with your students? What questions do you have about this activity? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
Read More What Happened When We Launched Student-Led Senior Citizen Tech Support
We have a group at Bolivar High School known as the SWAT team. SWAT stands for Students Working to Advance Technology. The club started in 2015 to support our 1:1 program that was just getting off the ground.
SWAT provides valuable support related to how we use technology in our school. For instance, they have presented how-to workshops for teachers during our annual PD day, the past two years. And they’ve been involved in parent open house to demonstrate ways technology is being used for learning in our school. They also help out in the library with issues students are having with their Chromebooks.
Most recently, the group offered tech support for senior citizens in our community every Thursday after school in February from 4-5:00pm. We publicized the opportunity in our local newspaper and on Facebook. It was a simple concept. We had some digital natives (our students) on hand to help the older crowd in our community with anything tech related we could help with.
The senior adults could bring their own device (most of them did) or the students used their Chromebooks to help with Facebook, Gmail, or whatever tool they wanted to learn.
We didn’t really know what to expect. It was our first time trying something like this. But it was a huge success. We had customers every single Thursday, and several of our guests came back week after week.
This activity was beneficial on several levels.
1. It was helpful to the senior citizens we served.
Our students helped with Macs, PCs, iPads, Android devices, multiple smart phones, and a Kindle Fire. I don’t think there was a single question that our students didn’t handle effectively. In one case, it took about 45 minutes to research a solution, but in the end, they resolved the issue.
2. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with our community.
I think it’s great when students can go out into the community or we can bring the community in. In this case, we had quite a few people into our school building that might not normally stop by for a visit.
3. It was a great learning experience for our students.
Our students had the opportunity to give back and lend a helping hand. They got to practice communication skills, empathy, patience, and problem solving. It gave them the opportunity to serve others.
4. Everyone seemed to love it.
Our students enjoyed this experience so much, they asked me if we could keep doing it each week. For a variety of reasons, I made them take a break for the month of March. We’ll see after that. But I was proud they wanted to continue. And the senior citizens seemed to have a great time too. Some of them asked me if we could keep doing it, too! Okay, after reading that I feel like a scrooge for making them take a break. 🙂
Here’s a 2 minute video that includes some student voice about how they experienced this project…
Question: Is this something you might try with your students? What questions do you have about this activity? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
Read More What Happened When We Launched Student-Led Senior Citizen Tech Support
When we were planning for 1:1 at Bolivar High School, we had numerous community meetings and invited feedback and questions from our stakeholders. One of the questions that was raised went something like this, “How can you be sure student achievement will increase as a result of every kid having a device?”
And that’s a very good question, at least on the surface. It would seem reasonable that if a school is going to spend thousands of dollars on devices, there should be a direct correlation, even causation, in the research to demonstrate a positive effect on measurable learning outcomes.
That question comes up again from time to time. Our middle school is now also working toward implementing their own version of 1:1.
The research on the impact of 1:1 programs is mixed. Some studies point to flat achievement or even declining achievement, especially with low-income and minority students. Other studies, like Project Red for instance, have found that schools implementing a 1:1 student-computer ratio along with key implementation factors outperform other schools.
But I’m a bit skeptical of studies on either side of this issue. It is very difficult to isolate any single factor or group of factors to show direct impact on measurable student achievement outcomes. There are so many moving parts in what students learn and to what extent they learn it.
I do believe that technology implemented properly CAN have a positive impact on student achievement. But I would also argue that there are many, many reasons to go digital in schools besides student achievement. And I mean student achievement in the narrowest sense. Everything we do is related to student achievement in my view, but researchers and bureaucrats usually examine this factor through a narrow lens of standardized test results.
Since I believe so strongly in the benefits of technology for students, I asked my PLN for feedback on what they believe are the most important reasons to go digital beyond strictly academic outcomes. I summarize the ideas below, and you can also check out their responses in the Twitter Moment embedded below.
15 Reasons #EdTech is Valuable Beyond Student Achievement
1. Essential to learning in a modern world.
Technology is just as essential to learning in today’s world as the school library. To be an effective learner in today’s world means you’re going to be using digital tools to learn.
2. Encourages lifelong learning.
Our school’s motto is Learning for Life. We believe in the importance of developing skills that will translate to life. If we want our students to be lifelong learners, they need to understand the role of technology in that.
3. Connects students and schools with the outside world.
These tweets from Ellen Deem and Kevin Foley summarize it nicely. Technology allows us to bring the world into our school, and take our school into the world.
@deem_ellen @DavidGeurin Technology has taken the world into my small school.It has also brought my small school to the world @TheSTEAMakers— Kevin Foley (@FoleyKev) February 25, 2017
4. Reflects how work gets done outside of schools.
Almost every career, project, or activity will involve technology in some way. Having stronger skills related to technology brings value to most every area of life.
5. Allows for practicing digital citizenship.
How can we expect students to make good decisions and develop into responsible digital creators and consumers if we don’t give opportunities for practice in school?
6. Important for teaching digital literacy.
Students need to understand digital literacy as part of overall information literacy. It’s not enough to be able to read and write. You need to know how the digitally connected world works.
7. Important for practicing the 4 C’s.
If we are serious about teaching communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, technology is a great vehicle to explore those skills.
8. Kids like it.
I love this response from Melinda Miller. If we are serious about kids becoming independent learners, then learning needs to be exciting and fun.
@DavidGeurin kids like it!— Melinda Miller (@mmiller7571) February 25, 2017
9. Improves communication.
We gain opportunities to communicate and connect within and outside our school through the use of email, social media, shared documents, etc.
10. Improves student engagement
Technology can play an important role in increasing student engagement and creating more student-centered learning opportunities.
11. Provides an authentic audience for student work outside the school.
Student work shouldn’t be destined to finish in a trash can. It can be saved forever and shared with the world using digital tools.
12. Allows new ways to differentiate learning.
Technology is great for meeting individual learning needs.
13. It can personalize learning.
Technology can create opportunities for students to pursue passions, make choices, and have their voice heard.
14. It creates efficiency.
With technology, we can use less paper, save time, and overcome the limitations of when and where we learn.
15. It supports curiosity.
Students have questions. A connected device provides the means to search for answers. Someone made the comment that tech has made us less curious. I don’t necessarily think that’s true.
Question: What are your thoughts on ways #EdTech impacts learning beyond student achievement? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
Also, be sure to check out all the tweets from my PLN in response to this topic. Thanks everyone for contributing!
Read More 15 Reasons #EdTech Is Valuable Beyond Student Achievement
When we were planning for 1:1 at Bolivar High School, we had numerous community meetings and invited feedback and questions from our stakeholders. One of the questions that was raised went something like this, “How can you be sure student achievement will increase as a result of every kid having a device?”
And that’s a very good question, at least on the surface. It would seem reasonable that if a school is going to spend thousands of dollars on devices, there should be a direct correlation, even causation, in the research to demonstrate a positive effect on measurable learning outcomes.
That question comes up again from time to time. Our middle school is now also working toward implementing their own version of 1:1.
The research on the impact of 1:1 programs is mixed. Some studies point to flat achievement or even declining achievement, especially with low-income and minority students. Other studies, like Project Red for instance, have found that schools implementing a 1:1 student-computer ratio along with key implementation factors outperform other schools.
But I’m a bit skeptical of studies on either side of this issue. It is very difficult to isolate any single factor or group of factors to show direct impact on measurable student achievement outcomes. There are so many moving parts in what students learn and to what extent they learn it.
I do believe that technology implemented properly CAN have a positive impact on student achievement. But I would also argue that there are many, many reasons to go digital in schools besides student achievement. And I mean student achievement in the narrowest sense. Everything we do is related to student achievement in my view, but researchers and bureaucrats usually examine this factor through a narrow lens of standardized test results.
Since I believe so strongly in the benefits of technology for students, I asked my PLN for feedback on what they believe are the most important reasons to go digital beyond strictly academic outcomes. I summarize the ideas below, and you can also check out their responses in the Twitter Moment embedded below.
15 Reasons #EdTech is Valuable Beyond Student Achievement
1. Essential to learning in a modern world.
Technology is just as essential to learning in today’s world as the school library. To be an effective learner in today’s world means you’re going to be using digital tools to learn.
2. Encourages lifelong learning.
Our school’s motto is Learning for Life. We believe in the importance of developing skills that will translate to life. If we want our students to be lifelong learners, they need to understand the role of technology in that.
3. Connects students and schools with the outside world.
These tweets from Ellen Deem and Kevin Foley summarize it nicely. Technology allows us to bring the world into our school, and take our school into the world.
@deem_ellen @DavidGeurin Technology has taken the world into my small school.It has also brought my small school to the world @TheSTEAMakers— Kevin Foley (@FoleyKev) February 25, 2017
4. Reflects how work gets done outside of schools.
Almost every career, project, or activity will involve technology in some way. Having stronger skills related to technology brings value to most every area of life.
5. Allows for practicing digital citizenship.
How can we expect students to make good decisions and develop into responsible digital creators and consumers if we don’t give opportunities for practice in school?
6. Important for teaching digital literacy.
Students need to understand digital literacy as part of overall information literacy. It’s not enough to be able to read and write. You need to know how the digitally connected world works.
7. Important for practicing the 4 C’s.
If we are serious about teaching communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, technology is a great vehicle to explore those skills.
8. Kids like it.
I love this response from Melinda Miller. If we are serious about kids becoming independent learners, then learning needs to be exciting and fun.
@DavidGeurin kids like it!— Melinda Miller (@mmiller7571) February 25, 2017
9. Improves communication.
We gain opportunities to communicate and connect within and outside our school through the use of email, social media, shared documents, etc.
10. Improves student engagement
Technology can play an important role in increasing student engagement and creating more student-centered learning opportunities.
11. Provides an authentic audience for student work outside the school.
Student work shouldn’t be destined to finish in a trash can. It can be saved forever and shared with the world using digital tools.
12. Allows new ways to differentiate learning.
Technology is great for meeting individual learning needs.
13. It can personalize learning.
Technology can create opportunities for students to pursue passions, make choices, and have their voice heard.
14. It creates efficiency.
With technology, we can use less paper, save time, and overcome the limitations of when and where we learn.
15. It supports curiosity.
Students have questions. A connected device provides the means to search for answers. Someone made the comment that tech has made us less curious. I don’t necessarily think that’s true.
Question: What are your thoughts on ways #EdTech impacts learning beyond student achievement? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
Also, be sure to check out all the tweets from my PLN in response to this topic. Thanks everyone for contributing!
Read More 15 Reasons #EdTech Is Valuable Beyond Student Achievement
Technology is playing a bigger role in classrooms and schools in this country and around the world. Here are a few thoughts to keep technology in perspective. Share them with your team and discuss how to best implement technology in your learning culture. I hope these ideas help guide you to more effective use of digital tools with your students.
1. Your learning goals should drive your tech goals, and not the other way around.
Just because you have access to iPads, Chromebooks, or some other device in your classroom doesn’t mean they must be the center of learning in your classroom. Not every lesson can be made better with technology. Allow your goals for learning to lead you to the most powerful ways for tech to further support those learning goals. Keep your students at the center of learning, not a device.
2. It’s not enough to think tech is important for students. You must be willing to learn it yourself.
To deny that tech will be important to students’ futures seems unthinkable. But it’s not enough to recognize students will need tech to be successful. Your students also need to see you as a willing learner of technology. They need to see you as a learner period. And it’s a shame if you aren’t leveraging your skills as a teacher because you aren’t willing to learn technology. All of your teacher skills are priceless, but they can be even more relevant and powerful if you know how to effectively use technology for learning, too.
3. Tech can make kids want to learn more, but more importantly, it creates opportunities for more learning.
Lots of kids like to use technology. But using tech because it is engaging isn’t as important as using it because your students are engaged. If your students are curious and motivated learners, they will have questions that need answers. They will want to create and share new knowledge. You know your students. You inspire them as learners and that relationship will ultimately lead to more learning. Technology can then create unlimited opportunities to create, learn, and share.
4. Being an effective learner in the modern world also means you are an effective digital learner.
Readers of my blog know I believe adaptable learners will own the future. The ability to learn, to be creative, to see possibilities, to make something new, will be a huge advantage for future success. But in today’s hyper-connected, digital world, being an effective learner also means you are effective in using digital tools for learning, solving problems, and creating knowledge.
5. If you change the technology but don’t change your lesson, nothing really changes.
Adding technology to the same old lessons doesn’t automatically make them better lessons. Work to create a better lesson first—one that is meaningful and authentic and causes deeper thinking and greater understanding—then consider how technology can make it even better. Technology won’t improve learning if that worksheet is now in digital format. It won’t inspire learning if students are just looking up answers online instead of in the textbook. Your lesson design is always more important than your digital tool.
6. For students who don’t know how to use social media appropriately and effectively, who knows what opportunities they might miss?
If you want to be successful, do what successful people do. And some of the most successful people in our world are using social media and blogging as a platform to network, share their message, and improve their work. How many kids have the chance to practice these skills in school? As digital footprints replace traditional resumes, will your students have anything to show for their work? Even worse, will their digital record disqualify them to employers?
7. Google doesn’t have answers; it has information.
Learning and inquiry involves more than searching for right answers. Students make meaning of information through good thinking. The most interesting questions don’t have one right answer and require students to think in ways that lead to understanding. Access to a web-connected device is a powerful tool for learning. It creates agency, empowers learning, and puts students in the driver’s seat, but only if we allow it, support it, and facilitate it.
8. Tech should make us more human, not less.
It’s not hard to see ways technology is both a blessing and a burden. So we need to be thoughtful about how we use technology for good and limit the negatives. We’ve heard a lot about how social skills are deteriorating as a result of attachment to mobile tech and addiction to device notifications and so forth. But technology can help us connect, do more good, and be more human, not less. In the classroom, technology should lead to more conversations, not less. Students are going to use technology. We need to help them use it in ways that are healthy and productive.
9. Anyone who wants to be a leader needs to be a digital leader too.
We are past the days where leaders could just count on the tech department or that one teacher to take the lead on technology. Every person who aspires to lead should expect to be a digital leader too. Leaders don’t have to have better digital skills than anyone else, but they do need to model the use of technology and constantly be willing to learn. Working to stay informed, learning new tools, and being future-driven are critical to digital leadership. And every leader should strive to be a digital leader too.
Question: What essential #EdTech idea would you add to this list? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
Technology is playing a bigger role in classrooms and schools in this country and around the world. Here are a few thoughts to keep technology in perspective. Share them with your team and discuss how to best implement technology in your learning culture. I hope these ideas help guide you to more effective use of digital tools with your students.
1. Your learning goals should drive your tech goals, and not the other way around.
Just because you have access to iPads, Chromebooks, or some other device in your classroom doesn’t mean they must be the center of learning in your classroom. Not every lesson can be made better with technology. Allow your goals for learning to lead you to the most powerful ways for tech to further support those learning goals. Keep your students at the center of learning, not a device.
2. It’s not enough to think tech is important for students. You must be willing to learn it yourself.
To deny that tech will be important to students’ futures seems unthinkable. But it’s not enough to recognize students will need tech to be successful. Your students also need to see you as a willing learner of technology. They need to see you as a learner period. And it’s a shame if you aren’t leveraging your skills as a teacher because you aren’t willing to learn technology. All of your teacher skills are priceless, but they can be even more relevant and powerful if you know how to effectively use technology for learning, too.
3. Tech can make kids want to learn more, but more importantly, it creates opportunities for more learning.
Lots of kids like to use technology. But using tech because it is engaging isn’t as important as using it because your students are engaged. If your students are curious and motivated learners, they will have questions that need answers. They will want to create and share new knowledge. You know your students. You inspire them as learners and that relationship will ultimately lead to more learning. Technology can then create unlimited opportunities to create, learn, and share.
4. Being an effective learner in the modern world also means you are an effective digital learner.
Readers of my blog know I believe adaptable learners will own the future. The ability to learn, to be creative, to see possibilities, to make something new, will be a huge advantage for future success. But in today’s hyper-connected, digital world, being an effective learner also means you are effective in using digital tools for learning, solving problems, and creating knowledge.
5. If you change the technology but don’t change your lesson, nothing really changes.
Adding technology to the same old lessons doesn’t automatically make them better lessons. Work to create a better lesson first—one that is meaningful and authentic and causes deeper thinking and greater understanding—then consider how technology can make it even better. Technology won’t improve learning if that worksheet is now in digital format. It won’t inspire learning if students are just looking up answers online instead of in the textbook. Your lesson design is always more important than your digital tool.
6. For students who don’t know how to use social media appropriately and effectively, who knows what opportunities they might miss?
If you want to be successful, do what successful people do. And some of the most successful people in our world are using social media and blogging as a platform to network, share their message, and improve their work. How many kids have the chance to practice these skills in school? As digital footprints replace traditional resumes, will your students have anything to show for their work? Even worse, will their digital record disqualify them to employers?
7. Google doesn’t have answers; it has information.
Learning and inquiry involves more than searching for right answers. Students make meaning of information through good thinking. The most interesting questions don’t have one right answer and require students to think in ways that lead to understanding. Access to a web-connected device is a powerful tool for learning. It creates agency, empowers learning, and puts students in the driver’s seat, but only if we allow it, support it, and facilitate it.
8. Tech should make us more human, not less.
It’s not hard to see ways technology is both a blessing and a burden. So we need to be thoughtful about how we use technology for good and limit the negatives. We’ve heard a lot about how social skills are deteriorating as a result of attachment to mobile tech and addiction to device notifications and so forth. But technology can help us connect, do more good, and be more human, not less. In the classroom, technology should lead to more conversations, not less. Students are going to use technology. We need to help them use it in ways that are healthy and productive.
9. Anyone who wants to be a leader needs to be a digital leader too.
We are past the days where leaders could just count on the tech department or that one teacher to take the lead on technology. Every person who aspires to lead should expect to be a digital leader too. Leaders don’t have to have better digital skills than anyone else, but they do need to model the use of technology and constantly be willing to learn. Working to stay informed, learning new tools, and being future-driven are critical to digital leadership. And every leader should strive to be a digital leader too.
Question: What essential #EdTech idea would you add to this list? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.