Hi Everyone,
We are officially ok to move forward on our PD: Student Learning in an Electronic World. The PD is for 18 hours.
The readings are below. They are all online. Once the blog is set up you will get an email with the link for the blog. It will be much the same as the first semester if you participated in that. There will be questions to answer about the readings.
We also need to set up a few meetings to discuss these. Is there a day/time after or before school hours that will NOT works for you for a Zoom meeting? Please send me an email with the times and days that will not work for you and I will try to schedule something so we can all touch base.
I am also confirming final due dates for this.
Thanks and let me know if you have any questions.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karyn_Neuhauser/publication/241739366_On_the_Use_of_Cell_Phones_and_Other_Electronic_Devices_in_the_Classroom_Evidence_From_a_Survey_of_Faculty_and_Students/links/5582d21408ae1b14a0a28ac5.pdfhttps://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/just-give-distance-learning/610222/https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-through-pandemic-mindset-moment
The central ideas of the articles surround two different topics. One topic was the use and effectiveness of technology, such as cell phones and lap tops, in the classroom and online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both topics are pertinent in the educational world today. They have affected many avenues of life from personal to economic for both the teacher and the student.
ReplyDeleteTechnology use in the classroom can be both effective and can also pose many problems. Certainly, technology can help in narrowing learning gaps, can engage students through different learning platforms, can supplement lesson, and can provide easy access to additional information. Parents along with students want to be constantly in touch and view the use of cell phones, in particular, as a means of safety.
Big technology companies desire to promote their latest program as a technological fix for the educational system. While many of the materials available today may do wonderful things, research is showing that they may also stunt metacognition or the ability to solve problems. Often students cannot use judgement when dealing with information that is so readily available. They must be able to think, compare and contrast, evaluate what they are reading. Literacy has been on the decline but students still need to be able to read.
The numbers involved in the readings were astounding to see such as the fact that more than 56% of the students ages 10-13 have a smart phone. This age group is just the age where they need to be able to learn to make judgements, interact with each other, experience differing opinions than their own, and learn from these experiences. However, it appears the majority of the research has been targeted on the high school and college age students. I feel that additional information will be needed in the coming years on the middle age child and cell phone use.
Young people often think that they can multitask. However, this is indeed a false assumption as the brain can only do one thing at a time. The research supports the idea that the more a student is on a device during a class lecture/lesson, the lower the grade attained. Students are often fearful of missing out on things thanks to social media. This possibility can lead to feelings of insecurity. Cyberbullying continues to be an issue along with issues of cheating through use of such apps as Photomath. Distractions and interruptions from use of devices in the classroom at inappropriate times continues to be a problem at all levels. Students constantly on a device are losing the face to face connections which are so important.
Certainly, use of technology has its’ place in education. During this pandemic of Covid-19, educators would be at loss without it. However, it has not been an easy transition nor do I believe that the teacher will be replaced in the near future. It has been a mindset shift for many educators during this time. It has posed many challenges which require time and professional development which was not given as we were thrown into the online learning situation. Parents, students, and teachers have been trust into this unknown world where we have been given very little support. Needs of students are extremely different depending on the grade level, subject area, or the home life and school district attended.
While many challenges have been presented to educators, good teachers have and will continue to do what is right for their students. Reducing the workload, not assessing all standards, working with families are all examples of the things that good teachers do on a daily basis whether there is a pandemic or jut merely on the day to day basis. Whether or not a school has a cellphone policy, good teachers will find a way to utilize technology in an appropriate way and it won’t infringe on the daily instruction. Good teachers will make good choices regarding curriculum to teach, will decide what matters most and how to deliver good instruction.