One of the many benefits of my new positionB is the exposure toB tons of new perspectives. There are 460+ teachers in Bonita USD, and I follow roughly 160 on TwitterB from around the world.
(The overlap is about seven people. I’m working on that.)
Conferences and trainings expose me to people from other districts I would never have met otherwise.
But there is no substitute for teachers.
Except… a substitute teacher.
At some point on October 20th, I had a conversation with a teacher in my district that led to this:
Today’s Epiphany: 2:1 that promotes student discussion is better than 1:1 that promotes student isolation. #edtechchat#edtech
That appeared to resonate with some other teachers.
Here’s a theory:
WhenB students are paired up on devices, they’re engaging the material, the technology, and each other. The few occasions where a grabby student bowls over a shy student and hogs the device are rare.
This is probably due because–in a 1:1 environment–the grabby student would be playing Angry Birds in the back row and the shy student wouldn’t have anyone to answer his/her question when s/he got stuck.
Further, a 1:1 class where students are silentlyB working on their device is relationally no different from a class where are diligently working on a packet of worksheets.
As teachers, we’re reaching a tipping point where we must create relational experiences for our students to discuss and wrestle with the material and other perspectives.
One of many things I like about the #mtbos is the math conversations that happen one line at a time.
It just so happens, I have a lot of thoughtsB on this particular topic, more than I could share on a tweet.
On SmartBoards
While it’s not the focus of this post, I had one of these. As with most technology, it’s tempting to drop it in someone’s lap with little to no preparation, and be disappointed when the individual doesn’t produce Nobel-Prize winning lessons after a week. Every classroom at my school had a SmartBoard, and I never saw a lesson that did anything more innovative than I did.
And I wasn’t doing much.
Tina, if you can afford both, great. ButB if you’re between the two, spend the money on tech that promotesB student creativity, insteadB teacher creativity. I loved my SmartBoard, but the stuff that my students created in an hour was much more satisfying than anyB cool lesson design.
And speaking of that…
On AppleTV in the Classroom
I had one in my 8th grade Math class for two years. Here’s the quick version:
Loved:
Students (on the same network as the Apple TV) can quickly and easily share their work with the whole class. My struggling students suddenly became the star as they showcased their problem-solving on the wall and walked the class through their reasoning. Below, you can see two students teaching the class from their iPads duringB Teacher 4 a Day.
Students who found new apps or iPad tricks can teach the class about it on the big screen wirelessly (from their seat if they’re shy).
Andrew, a timidB 8th grader, wrote his name using computer commands during theB Week of Code and taught his classmates his tricks.
I had my AppleTV with open access, no password, no confirmation; anybody could just hop on. The first week of school, Adrian (from his desk) bumped my iPad off the projector during a demo and showed the class a picture of a bunny from his iPad.
Take a moment to think of what he could have shown. I’m glad it was JUST a bunny.
Immediately, I knew it was him (the usual signs of middle-school mischief, furtive glances to classmates, frantic motions to hide what he was doing, chortling, etc.) and pounced on him.
“Adrian. That’sB not okay. If we’re going to work well with iPads in class this year, we have to be respectful of each other, and it’s not your turn right now. You’ll get your turn later. Ask me first.”
He was surprised. I was going forB firm and kind, but he was also surprised about my declaration for the year. I was laying the groundwork for our class and what we would do with these new fancy tools, and he–and, more importantly, the entire class–heard me say, “You will all have a chance to share.”
“But, why not just protect the AppleTV with a password?”
Yup. That would solve the problem, but it would also show students that I am the Chieftain of Class Culture instead of the Guide.
I was confident in theB class culture that wouldn’t need a password, and the openness–I feel–gave the students some autonomy and respect. They would casually ask, “Can I show this to the class?” and my answer was always “Yes” or “In a minute”.
I never had that issue of AppleTV control again, with Adrian1 or anybody else.
In the Math Classroom
My class had an unusual situation; the iPads were used as an intervention tool in conjunction with a bonus hour of time with me andB no curriculum.
That’s right. An unsupervised hour with low-performing students and iPads.
That free hour allowed us to explore other pseudo-core-curriculum exploits, such as the 20 Time project, Estimation 180, Visual Patterns, and Would You Rather?. Also, training the students in how to best use web-based tools like Google Drive (with whom, I have an inappropriate infatuation) and introducing them to computer programming with HourB of Code.
In short, the AppleTV provided opportunities for my students to get excited about Mathematics, art integration, and a collaborative learning environment. Yeah, I did those things before, but that little black box provided access and confidence for students who were usually silent, lost, and confused.
Worth it.
~Matt “Not sponsored by Apple, just satisfied” Vaudrey
1. Adrian eventually flunked out of 3rd period and joined my 1st period, which did not have iPads. He was surprised by this, after three parent phone calls, two conferences, and three failing report cards.b)
