Learning to Teach - An Ed Tech Reflection

In my year as a teacher candidate, I’ve tried nearly every gadget out there and can say with all confidence that if you are going to jazz up your class and make an investment in technology, its best to start with the below tech tools and your options are limited only to your imagination.

Great Tech to Use inside the Classroom

Internet Access
Computers, Laptops or Tablets (to Share, yes, I said it, to Share)
Stereo, speakers or mP3 player and sound dock
Digital Projector
Document Camera

With internet access you can access, connect, create and share:

Google

YouTube

Class blogs

Backchannel

Interactive Math Manipulatives

Games/ Puzzles

WebQuests Web 2.0 Tools - Bitstrips, Timetoast, Popplet, Pearltrees, Delicious, Livebinders, Voki, Storybird, Glogster, Prezi, Soundcloud, Dipity

It goes without saying that students should have access to computers in class.  They shouldn’t have to go to another class or pod or lab to get on one, when most have a veritable computer inside their backpacks (in the form of a smartphone).  Those vocal students who aren't afraid to share how “boring” and “lame” school can be will always emphasize how much easier/ better/ more interesting a lesson might be using tech - they can guide you - harness their tech knowledge and outspoken nature!  While I winced every time I felt I could have had a better lesson had I booked the computer lab or borrowed the digital projector instead of using 19 transparencies, I do agree with the kids, they shouldn’t have to feel like coming to school is stepping back into the stone age.

Computers are needed for a variety of things -word processing is a big one - giving students time in class to work on good copies and print them is just ONE of them.   Looking up facts or queries on Google for research, students can also collaborate using computers and can connect to other students around the globe.  Finally, students are BOTTOM line, much more productive and enjoy writing more if they can TYPE what they feel.  Editing writing compositions after editing is also a biggie.  Nothing is worse that having to re-write something, cutting and pasting - and not using glue and scissors to do so - is what the kids want to do.  Also, yes, using a dictionary and a thesaurus is a skill, but the “student” versions in schools are missing many words we use on a daily basis.  Why not let them have access to online versions built in to many word processors?

Having speakers and the ability to play music is key in class, and not just during Music class either.  Low in the background can be nice (not for everyone, granted) but occasionally, can really set a mood for writing or artwork.  Some students really enjoy listening to music on their iPods and I think this is okay too.  The reason speakers are so essential is that you can get all the students’ attention - using an FM system or Sound system/ microphone is great.  Playing YouTube videos where kids can hear the dialogue and sound effects is critical.

Gone are the days of having to wheel the giant rear-projection TV on a rolling cart into your room.  Gone are the days of needing to find something on VHS.  Most everything is avails online and with a digital projector and VGA cable - you can stream anything from your computer up onto a white wall or projection screen.

Teaching a unit on Space and being able to watch National Geographic and NASA videos has been invaluable.  

Finally a document camera - You don’t waste transparencies, you can project a book for a read aloud or shared reading (you don’t need a “Big Book” copy any longer)  You can actually put anything underneath like math manipulatives and model things like fractions, ratios, anything really using any of the math manipluatives.  It really brings students to the front row of the action and they don’t have to huddle around a desk and you don’t have to do 1 million mini-lessons because everyone can see.

There are many more tech tools that have great functionality inside the classroom, but these 5 (if you want to call bandwidth "technology") are my necessities to reach today's learner.  And "reach" has many meanings....

Not Done

It happened. I assigned something. Gave class time to work on it. Conferenced on individual progress. Gave descriptive feedback. But when the good copy was due, very few handed it in. I asked them, “Did you think I was joking? We wrote it in your agenda every day this week!” I was devastated. In that moment when most kids were looking at their shoes rather than at me, I suddenly found myself questioning everything about my competency as a teacher. Did I not offer enough choice? Did I not explain the assignment properly? Was the assignment too hard or did I not offer enough time? Not interesting enough? Could I have provided a better critical path and more tools like graphic organizers and checklists? Did I not chunk it? Perhaps it was my scaffolding of concepts? Should I have done mini lessons? What happened? I went into reflective practitioner overdrive all in the span of 30 seconds when I, standing before the class, basically empty handed (re: 2 completed assignments), felt like a failure. I was speechless.

My brain whirred. What should I do? How should I handle this? If I get mad and shout and make them feel bad will they ever do anything for me again? Will they shut down? On the other hand, if I don’t react, they’ll have gotten away with being completely disengaged and disrespectful. Where is the accountability if I don’t react? I asked my associate teacher, in front of the students, “What would you do in this situation? I’m stumped!” “Detention.” she said coldly. “Tomorrow, first nutrition break.” At that point, many students stood up and started complaining. The excuses started to flow. “I forgot.” “I left it at home.” “Can I hand in my draft copy?” “My printer is out of ink.” Others rushed to hand in what they had and claimed it was a good copy. “Is this your best work?” I asked as I collected crumpled paper. One had a dusty footprint on it.

I don’t want to make a grand sweeping statement about student engagement here. But I am tempted to blame something on a societal level other than myself and other than my students. They are typically okay. A bit chatty and easily distracted, but they generally try (most things) and do complete assignments (when its toward their report card mark).

Maybe I didn’t consider my students enough when creating the assignment. It was to write a song about a social injustice. We did a whole class on injustices in society and we listened to protest songs and then analyzed them. They were to work in pairs. They had 200 minutes to write a short song. Nada.

On their way out to gym I asked a few of them - put them on the spot really, and for that I feel a bit guilty - why they hadn’t completed their good copy. “I don’t know,” they said. “It was hard and I didn’t like it.”

I am not looking forward to detention.

Photo via Flickr http://bit.ly/gtP6JI