Redirecting students' tech activities

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alice Mello on August 3, 2009 at 9:04am

One solution would be to channel this disruptive behavior into a productive and fun one. Perhaps building an activity where the students are supposed to watch videos regarding the theme (they could search for relevant videos and exchange text messages with each other and the teacher commenting on the relevance and topic presented by the videos).
Suggest a discussion on a given topic and let the students communicate via text message. The best scenario though is to be able to save all these messages on a server, so that the teacher could print and reflect on it later with the students. There is technology out there that allows such a thing, but off course the school needs to invest, install and support the effort.
Game playing is tricky, because to convince students to play a game suggested by the teacher might not be easy, unless the teacher ask the students to find games that could help them in some way with the subject matter, then write their rationale of why the game would help and how. Then the teacher would review all the games and pick a few for the students to play in class and perhaps organize some sort of activity around it...

I hope I am not saying what you all know already!!!
Alice

Permalink Reply by Doug Darfus on August 3, 2009 at 10:25am

I never thought I'd be the one to say such a thing, but here I am about to type it. We don't allow cell phones in the classroom. I don't have any problems with students texting because it goes against school rules. I also don't have problems with students playing games on their graphing calculator (the only technology allowed) because it is against my classroom rules. If the rule is broken I follow the procedure I would if any other rule is broken. It works.

I am all for technology. Especially technology that enhances learning. But all technology is not good. Just because something is being used in society does not mean we have to incorporate it into the classroom. In fact, maybe we should be teaching how it has it's place and where it doesn't. Ohio State just released a study that shows students who use facebook have lower grades and don't even realize it is effecting their grades.

Each year my school takes 450 8th graders to Washington, DC and they are not allowed to even bring a cell phone. (or wear jeans or anything not 'dress casual'.) People come up to us from other groups over and over again , year after year complimenting that our students look nice AND they are the only group actually looking at the monuments instead of their heads in their cell phones texting.

Permalink Reply by Karolee Smiley on August 4, 2009 at 11:33am

This is an interesting question Ronald...

I am in the same boat as Doug. The rules forbid the use of any personal tech, so if kids have it out, I confiscate it. On the other hand, the rule has been a problem for teachers who do want to use it. I know our art teacher wants students to have their ipods on while working. Music keeps creativity up and discourages conversations that distract others. Her practice has been frowned upon since it goes against school rules, even though it is an appropriate use of the technology.

Appropriate seems to be the word I really want to focus on here. I make a point of teaching kids that things have appropriate times and uses. Text and leet speak do not belong in a lab report just as you wouldn't want to wear a bikini to ski, or to a church wedding. But, there are times that a bikini and text are appropriate. Perhaps we need to draw more attention to the idea of appropriate uses at appropriate times.

I think the challenge here is finding a time that the tech is best for classroom use. I always try to look at whether the tech enhances a lesson/activity or not. Sometimes, the lesson is the same. A lecture is a lecture, whether the teacher writes on the board, uses and overhead or a powerpoint. Yes, the powerpoint is visually more engaging, but it is still passive learning. I think there can be a place for cell phones in education.... we just need to find that place. Students can pass info to each other via a cell phone just like they could on a piece of paper. We didn't outlaw paper just because kids pass notes, we have them use it for educational purposes. But, they still get reprimanded for passing personal notes, right?

I will admit that I have not tried a lesson that incorporates cell phones, but I can see applications using camera phones. I have allowed students to use their phones to take pictures during dissections. I having been thinking about having students take a picture of a part and sending it to a classmate who identifies the part. It goes along with what I do in the field. I take pictures of things that I do not always carry books for, like insects or footprints. It is far more accurate than any of my drawings. I place a ruler next to the object and photograph it. Then, when I return, I use the picture to look up the specimen in the field guides. What if students were paired up with a partner, one on site and one in the field (which may just be the soccer field). One finds a specimen, records it, and sends the info to the one behind who looks it up and texts back what it is. There even could be a text dialog asking questions for more information to assist in identification.

The hard part with cell phones is maintaining some accountability. Do students turn in the answer by showing the response to the teacher? Forward the culmination of their discussion or response to the teacher's phone? Or does the school need to invest in a technology to record texts, which may not even be used?

And what about the kids who do not have phones? Or have phones with the capabilities necessary? I'll admit... that is what tends to hold me up. I always figure if I can't supply it, I can't require it.

Permalink Reply by Diana (Charlie) AuBuchon on August 8, 2009 at 3:27pm

I agree with Doug. We also have rules about cell phones and texting in class. I have the discussion about appropriateness, but also confiscate the phones. Isn't always the case. Technology makes life easier and harder! Charlie