Reply to DCI: Too much focus on tablets/devices?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
"Unfettered" access means access to the internet and cell phones during school breaks throughout the day.  It also appears that students can access the internet during class time!  Who in the world thinks that this is a good idea?!?[/quote]

I do. I'm a high school science teacher and here are some reasons why I think this is a good idea.

First and foremost: text books are horrible. This is especially true when you are dealing with subjects that add new content all the time. They are out of date by the time they reach the shelves, so there is a constant need for revisions. They are expensive. My textbooks (required by the state) cost $90 each. Textbooks are written by standardized test writers to meet the lowest common denominator of needs in the largest number of markets possible. The only non-technology alternative is to create paper copies of collections of readings. Is that a good use of time or resources when the material could be read online without a copier?

The technology I use isn't just to read the assignments or to submit documents of answers they type. My google classroom creates a permanent, accessible archive of everything we've done. A kid who needed hospitalization? A kid who is sick from his meds? A death in the family? New student from another country just arrived? Went through a rough spot and need to review? A parent or a tutor or a big brother wants to help a struggling student? None of it could get done efficiently if at all without my google classroom and the rich, varied content I put on it. All of these situations and much more have happened to me in the past month, as they do (in one form or another) every year.

As for cell phones, I collect some of my best student data from a handful or apps that I use with them. My favorite by far is a cell phone app called Exittix. I create questions and the kids respond to them on their phones. It can be a quick quiz or a question or two to spot check for understanding. All of the student results are disaggregated so I know who/how many have mastered each question. It also tells me how long it took them to answer (if I think they cheated and looked it up). I can even arrange the questions to sort for common misconceptions. Kids also take pictures of projects, film presentations and check their grades with their phones. I send them assignment reminders and messages about things via a group text app. I flip the classroom whenever possible and I film myself with my phone sometimes.

These are just a couple of the things that happen in a technology infused classroom, but I have many more are part of my repertoire. Unfortunately, I don't have a computer lab or dedicated devices for everyone so it severely limits what I can do.

I should clarify that I do not support wild, unsupervised access to kids. As a professional, it is my duty to monitor them, guide them, help them choose properly and keep them involved in learning. As a future DCI parent I hope to see substantive training and support for the teachers to implement the technology well. Since our family isn't there yet I can't comment on whether or not that training is there. I would just caution people from interpreting ALL of DCI based on the anecdotes of a few 'tweens as filtered through their parents on an anonymous listserv. [/quote]

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