We all agreed that technology is a very beneficial and essential tool for learning--a definite friend of the classroom. Unfortunately though, when technology is implemented poorly and not used with intention, it can earn a bad reputation, possibly lead to bad press and generate misconceptions and doubts about its overall benefits. We also discussed some of these ways that technology in the classroom can become a foe.
One of the topics we discussed was the need to start small when implementing new technology programs or devices. For example, I spoke about our 1:1 iPad program in Minnetonka, which we began eight years ago by starting with just half of our freshman class of students for six months before deciding to slowly expand it one or two grades each year thereafter. In comparison I have seen some 1:1 technology programs implemented all at once which have struggled--instead of being able to learn, adjust and make changes with a small amount of users, schools have sometimes stumbled, flailed and failed in their efforts, such as the notorious Los Angeles 1:1 iPad debacle years ago.
Related to this need to carefully plan and deliberately execute a technology roll out is the important and sometimes overlooked need to provide continuous professional development for teachers around successfully integrating technology and using the tools and software. I talked about how this can also sometimes give technology a bad name. One of the phrases I mentioned and have heard over the years of this not being done well is called the "Spray and Pray" philosophy, in which technology is distributed (sprayed) all over the place and then the staff hope (pray) that it gets used well.
We also discussed the difficulties of determining if technology is having a positive impact on student achievement. There are so many other factors within any given classroom that play into changes in students' scores, from home life to student behavior to other other variables such as new curriculum being implemented, differences in teachers or perhaps other interventions also being implemented. It is often quite difficult, if not impossible, to singularly isolate technology and determine its impact. When we first began our iPad program we did try limit almost all of these variables by giving half of our students in ninth grade iPads while the other half were in a control group with no iPads. Students had the same teachers, the same curriculum, and we purposely had a variety students of backgrounds and abilities in both groups. After looking at the students' scores on the same assessments with the same teachers and curriculum, we were able to positively show that the students in the group using iPads benefited from that technology and scored higher than their peers without it. But often times it’s not possible to run these controlled experiments to determine the effects of technology which this can give technology a bad name.
As a panelist I also talked about the slowly changing understanding by parents and educators about the difference between educational and entertainment screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics had long suggested limiting a child’s total screen time per day. Then in 2015, the AAP revised their screen time recommendations. They now encourage parents consider the content on the screen itself before deciding whether or not there should be any time limits. The AAP recommends limiting recreational/entertainment screen time to one to two hours per day for children over age two. There is no screen time limit for educational content and use, but many parents still don't understand the difference and have the older limits in mind, which can make them think that technology in the classroom is a foe.
Related to this I discussed the need to continually share great examples of how technology is a friend in the classroom. A lot of what we need to do is storytelling; educating parents and our community about why we bring technology into the classroom and how the classroom is different from the parents' experience is an ongoing task. As one of my colleagues described it, we need to keep repeating these important key messages because our parents are like a passing parade moving through our system with their children. Giving a message once and hoping it has been heard, changed minds and we're done isn't enough.
I found the panel to be a great experience and thoroughly enjoyed discussing these topics with the other panelists. Hearing about the challenges they are facing in education in Europe and Asia was fascinating, too. Each of us believes that technology is a friend of the classroom and is working hard to help others recognize this, too, and not view technology as a foe. Other topics for panels and presenters at the conference were great and globally varied. One I found especially interesting I wrote about a few weeks ago on The Future of Blockchain in Education.
Related posts:
One of the topics we discussed was the need to start small when implementing new technology programs or devices. For example, I spoke about our 1:1 iPad program in Minnetonka, which we began eight years ago by starting with just half of our freshman class of students for six months before deciding to slowly expand it one or two grades each year thereafter. In comparison I have seen some 1:1 technology programs implemented all at once which have struggled--instead of being able to learn, adjust and make changes with a small amount of users, schools have sometimes stumbled, flailed and failed in their efforts, such as the notorious Los Angeles 1:1 iPad debacle years ago.
Related to this need to carefully plan and deliberately execute a technology roll out is the important and sometimes overlooked need to provide continuous professional development for teachers around successfully integrating technology and using the tools and software. I talked about how this can also sometimes give technology a bad name. One of the phrases I mentioned and have heard over the years of this not being done well is called the "Spray and Pray" philosophy, in which technology is distributed (sprayed) all over the place and then the staff hope (pray) that it gets used well.
We also discussed the difficulties of determining if technology is having a positive impact on student achievement. There are so many other factors within any given classroom that play into changes in students' scores, from home life to student behavior to other other variables such as new curriculum being implemented, differences in teachers or perhaps other interventions also being implemented. It is often quite difficult, if not impossible, to singularly isolate technology and determine its impact. When we first began our iPad program we did try limit almost all of these variables by giving half of our students in ninth grade iPads while the other half were in a control group with no iPads. Students had the same teachers, the same curriculum, and we purposely had a variety students of backgrounds and abilities in both groups. After looking at the students' scores on the same assessments with the same teachers and curriculum, we were able to positively show that the students in the group using iPads benefited from that technology and scored higher than their peers without it. But often times it’s not possible to run these controlled experiments to determine the effects of technology which this can give technology a bad name.
As a panelist I also talked about the slowly changing understanding by parents and educators about the difference between educational and entertainment screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics had long suggested limiting a child’s total screen time per day. Then in 2015, the AAP revised their screen time recommendations. They now encourage parents consider the content on the screen itself before deciding whether or not there should be any time limits. The AAP recommends limiting recreational/entertainment screen time to one to two hours per day for children over age two. There is no screen time limit for educational content and use, but many parents still don't understand the difference and have the older limits in mind, which can make them think that technology in the classroom is a foe.
Related to this I discussed the need to continually share great examples of how technology is a friend in the classroom. A lot of what we need to do is storytelling; educating parents and our community about why we bring technology into the classroom and how the classroom is different from the parents' experience is an ongoing task. As one of my colleagues described it, we need to keep repeating these important key messages because our parents are like a passing parade moving through our system with their children. Giving a message once and hoping it has been heard, changed minds and we're done isn't enough.
I found the panel to be a great experience and thoroughly enjoyed discussing these topics with the other panelists. Hearing about the challenges they are facing in education in Europe and Asia was fascinating, too. Each of us believes that technology is a friend of the classroom and is working hard to help others recognize this, too, and not view technology as a foe. Other topics for panels and presenters at the conference were great and globally varied. One I found especially interesting I wrote about a few weeks ago on The Future of Blockchain in Education.
Related posts:
- Tip #1 for a Successful 1:1 Implementation: Execute the Rollout Carefully and Deliberately
- Tip #2 for a Successful 1:1 Implementation: Differentiate Teacher Training
- The Difference Between Educational & Entertainment Screen Time
- The Importance of Repeating Messages for a Passing Parade of Students & Parents
- Great 1:1 Program Evaluation Questions for Student, Parent, and Teacher Surveys
- Free iBook about Minnetonka's 1:1 iPad Apple Distinguished Program: Four+ Years Transforming Learning
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- Minnetonka Top 100+ Ideas for 1:1 Integration in 5th grade, English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Language
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- Six Years with Schoology: Setting Expectations for the Future
- Tonka Teacher Talks at ETT San Diego iPad Summit 2015
- Beyond SAMR Ladders & Pools: A Framework for Teaching & Learning
- Free iBook about Minnetonka's 1:1 iPad Apple Distinguished Program: Four+ Years Transforming Learning
- Mt. Rushmore 2- Beyond Four Presidents
- One Year Later, Green Screens Are Everywhere in Minnetonka Schools
- Minnetonka Students Create Green Screen Videos with Do Ink
- Math: An Overlooked Subject in Non-Tablet 1:1 Programs
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- Technology Speed Dating Professional Development
- My Christmas Ed Tech Moonshot Wish: A Marriage Between Apple & Google
- Bigger, Better, Faster: New iPads Coming for Year Six in Minnetonka's 1:1 Program; First Devices Cost $0.38/school day
- More Than an Hour of Code: Tonka Coding & Computer Science Programs Now in Year Three
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