Teachers: tech in the classroom — your take?

[Anonymous]

My classroom is full Harkness, no screens. Everyone comes to the table with what is in their head, their (paper) notebook, and the book we are discussing.

No phones, no computers out. I've also gone back to having all writing be on paper, in class, timed format because that is the only way I can beat AI.

[Anonymous]

I started teaching in the 1980s with textbooks and accompanying workbooks in elementary schools. The workbooks meant I did not have to copy worksheets and pass them out for kids to keep track of. It was also a record of work accomplished. Both were easy to send home for parents to see what we were doing. Without them, there is a huge burden on teachers to create lessons and present them.

Having the Smartboards let me show all kinds of related information for a lesson. They can bring topics alive.

Kids on devices is a huge hassle. They have trouble logging on, they aren’t charged, they break, etc. Kids lose work or are distracted by changing settings and so forth.

Imagine if kids had had textbooks and workbooks at home during the pandemic. Learning could have gone on if there had been an adult present to provide guidance.

Also, with textbooks, a sub can keep steering the ship.

[Anonymous]

This point about workbooks is right on.

My kids go to a foreign language school on the weekends, and all of their homework is in two books: a lesson book, and a corresponding activity book. It’s great… It’s easy to follow what the homework assignments are, they can easily reference what happened to the week before, and at the end of the year we have easy record of their progress.

I’m noticing the kids can also independently manage their workload better. They look at the pages and know what they need to read in that lesson because it is chapter bound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Textbooks are superior for learning. I hope people remember though, that handing a kid a textbook for the first time requires teaching them how to use it. So many kids never had a textbook in their lives. It's sad.

DS is in 6th grade and I have seen him use a textbook 1 time - 5th grade Social Studies. We are in a top 10 district in our state, it baffles me. SO MANY copied packets. Now in 6th grade they are piloting a program for Social Studies where the textbook is online. Not thrilled at all about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My classroom is full Harkness, no screens. Everyone comes to the table with what is in their head, their (paper) notebook, and the book we are discussing.

No phones, no computers out. I've also gone back to having all writing be on paper, in class, timed format because that is the only way I can beat AI.

Are you teaching in public schools in the region? I would love to understand how much of the decision is up to each individual teacher, and how much is prescribed by the county or school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reality of Chromebooks is that kids play with stuff other than the lesson.

When they had paper textbooks, they only could look at the textbook. Even if they were on the wrong page for some reason, they still were learning about that subject. Paper textbooks are better.

It’s so sad. We’ve lost so much.

When did the shift away from textbooks happen? And have you seen a difference in kids learning and performance / outcomes?

Chromebooks meant learning results dropped off a cliff.

[Anonymous]

Would also love to hear more stories about how local teachers are able to resist or make adaptations to be more low tech

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would also love to hear more stories about how local teachers are able to resist or make adaptations to be more low tech

A teacher might not have say about grants or tech provided to them, but they are not required to use it as they can adapt the curriculum to suit their teaching styles.

Usually only lazy teachers use more tech to glitz up their presentation and wow the rubes.

[Anonymous]

Usually only lazy teachers use more tech to glitz up their presentation and wow the rubes.

That's not true.

[Anonymous]

Our app usage is tracked and if our kids don’t use certain ones 45 minutes each week, admin comes down on us. One teacher refused to use them and was dinged on her professional responsibilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our app usage is tracked and if our kids don’t use certain ones 45 minutes each week, admin comes down on us. One teacher refused to use them and was dinged on her professional responsibilities.

This. In many schools, teachers will get in serious trouble if they so not use the provided tech. And the usage is tracked by most schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would also love to hear more stories about how local teachers are able to resist or make adaptations to be more low tech

A teacher might not have say about grants or tech provided to them, but they are not required to use it as they can adapt the curriculum to suit their teaching styles.

Usually only lazy teachers use more tech to glitz up their presentation and wow the rubes.

Says someone whose admin doesn’t do drop in observations on a frequent basis. Technology use is at the very top of my principal’s list, and I care to keep my job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Textbooks are superior for learning. I hope people remember though, that handing a kid a textbook for the first time requires teaching them how to use it. So many kids never had a textbook in their lives. It's sad.

DS is in 6th grade and I have seen him use a textbook 1 time - 5th grade Social Studies. We are in a top 10 district in our state, it baffles me. SO MANY copied packets. Now in 6th grade they are piloting a program for Social Studies where the textbook is online. Not thrilled at all about that.

You can buy the textbooks. We do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Textbooks are superior for learning. I hope people remember though, that handing a kid a textbook for the first time requires teaching them how to use it. So many kids never had a textbook in their lives. It's sad.

DS is in 6th grade and I have seen him use a textbook 1 time - 5th grade Social Studies. We are in a top 10 district in our state, it baffles me. SO MANY copied packets. Now in 6th grade they are piloting a program for Social Studies where the textbook is online. Not thrilled at all about that.

You can buy the textbooks. We do.

A lot of the textbook titles schools choose are garbage, though. As if the person who is selecting them is either incompetent or getting a kickback or something.

[Anonymous]

Amplify science (website) is required by my dcps admin and has many factual errors. I try to push back but keep getting in trouble.