Digital Device Decisions

As teachers, we have an enormous responsibility.  

     To teach children and
     To use the best practices we know to do that. 

In the past decade alone, new information has come forward about how children learn, and what they will need to know to be successful in the future.  In a video "Understanding the Digital Generation" (2013), Ian Jukes references the book "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink (2006).   Jukes lays out Pink's view of what our students need:

In our left-brain society...do you understand that almost anything that involves predominantly left-brain thinking is either going to be automated, its going to be turned into software or hardware, or its going to be outsourced.  And as a result of that, if our children are going to survive, let alone thrive in the culture of the 21st century...if they are going to be prepared for their future, not our past, then we as educators need to help them learn how to use both hemispheres [of the brain] effectively to be able to use a whole new mind (2013).

To me, this means that we can no longer teach the way we were taught.  Our instructors gave us information and we took it in.  We were expected to have a specific set of knowledge that could be regurgitated back out whenever it was needed.  There were those great teachers that really made us think, and that is what we need more of now.  But today we also have the added dimension of living in a digital world.  So, how do we get our children to use the information they have in new, creative ways that will help them achieve success? 

We need to promote the use of technology in our classrooms.

I have been learning more and more about technology and I pretty much want to incorporate all of it into my classroom!  Of course, that's not realistic, or even possible.  So, how do I get the most "bang for my buck" from technology within my normal lesson plans?  If you know about the SAMR model by Dr. Ruben Puentedura for technology integration, you know the S stands for substitution (2013). 

http://www.schrockguide.net/uploads/3/9/2/2/392267/5805548.jpg?579

 

This is where we all start as we get our feet wet in technology and in new ways to teach.  However, eventually you need to move on to Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. In other words, you need to think like you want your students to think....creatively and outside-the-box.  How do you make those decisions on what and how to incorporate the technology?

Usually, financial considerations keep most of us using devices we already have access to.  There is nothing wrong with that because there are numerous ways to use the technology you may already have.  Ask yourself what content you want to teach your students.  How about asking your students what they would like to learn?  Putting the two ideas together could definitely inspire you.  Pinterest is another great resource.  As you gain new ideas on how to use the technology, you still need to ask some specific questions.  For instance,

 Will the technology...

• Help the student learn or will it distract or get in the way?
• Engage the student in the content?
• Allow the student to explore the content?
• Allow creative input to the student and output from him?
• make the student think, reflect, and connect?

Since I am an elementary music teacher, my answers to these questions may be different from a regular classroom, but I would like to give you a couple of examples of how I process whether a technological device would be worth a try in my classroom.

http://musicappblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Garageband-new-logo.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                    
When my district first starting obtaining iPads for student use, I was chomping at the bit to integrate them into my classroom.  I was sure the technology would help the students.  I knew how much technology engaged me, so I hoped it would engage my students as well.  Now would the iPads really allow my students to explore music in a creative way that would not only teach my content, but make the students really use their brains?  I ended up finding "Garage Band" to be a great tool, and I'm sure many of you have used it too.  Luckily, it was already loaded onto our iPads.  Unfortunately, it takes up a lot of room (because it's so great!) that our classroom teachers end up deleting it, especially during testing.  Despite the storage problem, iPads together with Garage Band end up being a great device and application to use in my classroom.  I can answer all of my decision-making questions in a positive way.

http://cmhslearntech.pbworks.com/f/SmartResponse.jpg

Another technology device that I have access to are "Clickers" or specifically,  a "Smart Response System" to use with our SmartBoard interactive whiteboards.  Clickers allow students to respond individually to questions without using pen and paper.  (More info here on clickers.)  Teachers can present students with a formative quiz, summative assessment, or a poll or survey.  This provides results that can be anonymous or not.  There are also great ways to use clickers in a game format.  See this Smart Exchange search result for more info. 

To answer my first question, I believe that clickers are better used as information gathering for the teacher.  In that way, teachers can adapt their lessons to help students learn better, but the clickers themselves do not help the students learn. The clickers are very engaging for students, but technology issues can be a distraction.  Do the clickers allow the students to explore content? No, not really.  Do they allow creative input or output?  Input is basically multiple choice or short answer, so not very creative.  However, they could get creative in interpreting class results which is a plus.  It could also create very interesting discussions.  In that way, it can make the students think, reflect, and connect.  Will this be a good choice for my classroom?  Probably not.  It would be a lot of fun, and engaging for the students, and a good formative assessment tool.  However, the setup alone for each of my 17 classes can be time-consuming.  If I was in a regular classroom, this might be a better tool, especially if I could have a set permanently located in my room.  However, since ours need to be signed up for, set-up, and then packed away, it just doesn't seem worth the time.  

As teachers, we need to use technology to help our students develop into adults that can handle the 21st century digital culture.  But, we can't just hop onto the next "shiny" thing that comes along.  Take the time to think about your choice of device, how you can use it, and what the benefits are for your students.  The time spent up front, will save time and frustration later.  At the same time, remember technology is meant to be fun too, so allow yourself some time to play!