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Eight Educational Uses for Personal Electronics in Class

5/27/2012

7 Comments

 
There is one thing I've seen with my flipped class that is so impressive EVERY visitor comments on it: my students are all engaged all the time.

Now, I always have had decent classroom management and my lessons are generally engaging, and when they aren't, my personality and persona carry me through. But in a flipped classroom, I find that my students don't need me to motivate them to shut up and sit still. Some need help staying on task and finding their own motivation to do their work, but there is high engagement.

There are lots of reasons for this, but let me give you two reasons that I think they've stopped fighting and learned to love the flip:

1. They are using technology in a way that reminds them of their own personal technology habits and it subverts their need to text, tweet, Facebook, etc. They are learning using in their primary mode of communication and it gives them the freedom and confidence to take risks. It's a little like being at home with their phone learning about their friends dinners or bathroom tendencies on Twitter...but they're learning about English instead.

2. They can listen to music while working. People of my generation don't all have the ability to work while listening to headphones (or slapping, as my kids say). But my kids barely function WITHOUT their music. When I give instructions they can't wear them. But concentration goes up when I don't fight their need for music.

I am going to try to convince you that you should allow and utilise personal electronics in your classroom, not because it's easier, but because it helps them learn and it gives them the access to the tools they already have to teach themselves.

Here are some ways to use personal electronics in your classroom:

--> backchannels for live discussion during a novel or movie. A twitter environment makes no comment or question too insignificant

--> socrative, group texting services, or SMS for quick-checks for understanding, exit tickets, and warm-ups

--> using music to keep them focused on solitary tasks. With headphones in, they will stay on task more easily than without

--> taking video of lectures, discussions or instructions on their own devices during class so they can review it whenever

--> using camera phones to capture notes, info on boards, or to create a response to a topic in pictures

--> to keep track of assignments with a calendar (ideally synched with yours)

--> enhance learning by finding information or videos that relate to the class work and show them to classmates

--> to connect with students across periods, classes, subjects, schools, and even countries. My kids are using Edmodo and Twitter to write and share stories with an Australian class.

If you have more that I missed, let me know!


Anyone, but particularly an educator, who believes that you can ignore the culture our students are engaged in and helping to create is a fool. You can't fight this. But you can choose to accept it and learn from and with your students.

You will be amazed at the changes that happen in your room.
7 Comments
Kari
5/30/2012 01:00:29 am

I am so intrigued by this idea and have been trying to convince our board of education to allow BYOD. There one argument is that then kids will be off task checking their personal twitter, email, or facebook or texting their friends. Do you find this to be an issue? Also, I know right now twitter and other such sites are blocked on our wi-fi network. Do you have any words of wisdom (besides the wonderful ideas above) to help me convince them? Thanks!!

Reply
Cheryl Morris (admin)
5/30/2012 04:36:39 am

Oh yeah, and if the regular sites are blocked, try the secure mobile sites (usually you just "s" after the http and add "mobile" or "m" before the address, like this: https://www.m.twitter.com). They aren't always blocked. :-)

I'm a proponent of a completely open network (except for porn...obviously) and teaching students how to use it appropriately. But my DO doesn't agree, so there are TONS of useful resources blocked to students - YouTube, Twitter, etc.

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Cheryl Morris (admin) link
5/30/2012 04:33:24 am

Hi Kari!

There are two ways to approach that argument:
1. As adults, we are constantly asked to multi-task. During the school day, and certainly in many class periods, I frequently check email, text messages, change music, etc. When I hide it, it takes longer and SO much more attention to accomplish the task. When I can freely just send a text or reply to an email and get back to whatever I'm doing, it doesn't interrupt my workflow. I try to model that for my students, because many of them aren't great multi-taskers...at first. Often it's the most productive students who check their texts most frequently. The great thing about the flipped model is that students take responsibility for their own learning. It doesn't work any other way. So instead of banning them from ever switching over to SMS/email, I show them the point they need to get to, then trust them to get there (often with nudging or encouragement). With that mentality, I have had literally ZERO issues in my classes with students off-task. That wasn't the case before I flipped. And post-flip, the grades are higher, the kids are learning more, and they're far more focused.

I know some people won't buy that argument. So here's the second argument:
2. When students are engaged in learning using their technology, the feeling of instant gratification they get from Twitter/etc. will transfer. They feel like they're in constant communication with other students and with me, and so they don't need to break the rules.

I also use Twitter enough in class that my students started tweeting about the learning they were doing while in my class. That is AMAZING and I would hate to lower the ban-hammer on tweeting during class when it's about their learning.

The thing is, they really won't know if it works until they see it or try it. And if grades and engagement are going up, there are few arguments that will stand.

The best analogy I have is this: Imagine going back to college and they would not allow you to use computers at all - for research, writing, email, nothing. That's what it's like for our kids - they love the internet and social media, and we're forcing them to conform to the paradigm of the previous century when we tell them that those tools are not useful to their education.

I also think about one of my student's answer to the question, "Where do you go and what do you do when you need help making a decision?"

He said, "Google. It has the answers to every problem in life. Yahoo answers is often where I start."

If his teachers are asking him to move from getting instant answers for everything, to having to wait 20 minutes to answer his question in the designated "question time," then it's obvious why he's disengaged. He's probably forgotten his question and zoned out after the first minute.

Now, that's not a GOOD thing...instant gratification isn't something he'll have in every situation. But once he's confident that he can get help when needed, and his skills are built up slowly, he will be able to work through frustration and learn those vital critical thinking skills.

I hope that helps.

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    I'm a math teacher masquerading as an English teacher. I write about my classroom, technology, and life. I write in British English from the Charlotte, NC area.

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