I imagine hearing the words, “a laptop based school,” is an absolute dream for all Cohort 21 facilitators! I will admit that while it’s pretty awesome, it can also be a little daunting.
“Am I getting students to use their laptops enough? Am I getting students to use their laptops in a way that is meaningful? Are their laptops enhancing their learning, or are we just using them because they’re there?”
Every time I ask my students to use their laptops, these questions all come to mind. Sure, students have them in their possession so it would be silly not to use them; however, these devices have the power to take students’ learning in directions I could not have dreamed of.
Last week, my students were creating timelines on an interactive program using their computers. Some found the program a little tricky to navigate, while others dove right in and thought this was the greatest thing ever! The vibe in the classroom was similar to the one I felt at the first Cohort 21 F2F last weekend. You had some teachers who seemed very comfortable using the toolkit, and others that were less so. I feel like I was somewhere in the middle. Once the session started and I replaced my ‘teacher’ hat with the ‘student’ hat, I became much more confident in navigating my way around the different applications introduced to us in our four branch-out sessions.
We as teachers are learning just as much from our students as they are learning from us. I will admit that when I first started teaching, I felt that I had to know all the answers; now, I’m okay with learning together with my students to find solutions to problems we don’t know the answers to yet. I am fully aware that some students are going to be far savvier in terms of their tech skills than I am, and that is okay. I know that I can teach them a lot; but I am also learning so much from them by the questions they ask and the ideas that they come up with. Technology is one of those ‘beasts’ that we are never going to be able to conquer fully. It is constantly evolving, which means there is always something new that we can learn. Cohort 21 has given me the confidence as a learner to develop a toolkit of meaning applications that I can now teach to others. Some of the best teachers I know are the ones that are willing to take risks alongside their students to try out new ideas, teaching methods and technologies. It is having that open mindset that we can better our own teaching practices, thereby providing a meaningful educational experience for all our students. Cohort has helped me, the teacher, feel confident in my role as both an educator and as a learner.
Diane –
What a wonderful post with which to begin your blogging journey! Being comfortable with not knowing the answer is such an important first step, and one that I think our students appreciate. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the journey so far! I look forward to reading more about your experiences “being the student”.
Jen
Hi @drutherford
Thanks for sharing your reflections with the community. I think that a lot of other teachers are thinking what you are, and it’s great for others to read and feel like they are ok with – and in fact should embrace – being a learner alongside their students.
Your first questions about how much and how you are using tech in your classroom made me think of the TPACK model of evaluating the use of technology in the classroom. Here’s an overview. http://tpack.org/ If you’re not familiar, it’s a great framework for looking at tech integration.
Looking forward to seeing you on Nov 19th! As we move into the day, you might want to start thinking about where you want to focus your energy for your action plan. We are going to walk you through an exercise that will help you uncover a challenge to focus on, but in the meantime just be observant in your work and make notes of anything that you think needs improving in your school/classroom. This will help you come in with ideas for your action plan.
Thank you @lmcbeth for your thoughtful insight. I’ve had a look at the TPACK model as well as SAMR. I am definitely looking at the integration of technology in a new light now as a result of these two models. Using these to help frame my lessons makes for a more authentic relationship between technology and the learning going on in the classroom. Thanks again!
Hi Diane,
Thanks for a thoughtful post that shares some of the key questions on your mind after our first session. These thoughts and ideas will frame your Cohort 21 experience as well as the impact this PD will have on your teaching in the classroom. Technology is a key component of Cohort 21 because it can meaningfully and purposefully impact the learning in classrooms today. I applaud your mindset for engaging in these learning opportunities alongside your students as well as a group of peers. How did the timeline projects turn out? What was the take-away for the girls after engaging with this tool? I look forward hearing more and working with you on your action plan this year!
~ Christina
Hi @cschindler,
Thank you for your response. The girls reflected on their timelines in their digital portfolios, and I posed the question of how they felt the technology either did or did not enhance their learning in this task. It was a bit of a mixed response, where some felt they enjoyed using technology as it allowed them to edit and manipulate their timeline in a way that was meaningful to them. However, some said they would’ve preferred to have laid out their information on a big piece of paper and simply write or glue on text and pictures. It was definitely interesting to see their varied responses and comfort levels with using the tech tools. I look forward to introducing them to different technologies over the course of the year!