For my COETAIL course, I have been asked to reflect on the use of laptops in my classroom. I know that I'm lucky to be at a school that has a 1:1 laptop program (each student has their own laptop to use in class and at home) and a great IT support department that deals with problems efficiently and effectively. I also know that there are a lot of teachers out there that can't even imagine what it would be like to have a classroom in which every student had their own laptop. However, as an ICT teacher, I've never really had to teach classes that didn't have computers. Though this is the first school that I've worked at that has had a 1:1 program, I've always had a computer lab as my classroom. So for me, I find it hard to imagine my students not having access to computers.
For those that might just be entering a 1:1 environment or for those still not at ease with managing this in their classrooms, I will try to talk about a few of the challenges I've had and strategies that I've used with students having laptops in the classroom.
Probably my biggest annoyance of a 1:1 program is that most modern laptops are not designed to keep their charge through a full day of tetherless working. This means that there are typically cords running around the classroom so, strangely enough, I tend to manage more safety issues than you would likely think necessary in a regular classroom. It's not a huge problem but I recommend you have an adequate number of power points available to prevent the number of taut cords around the room just waiting to trip students (or teachers).
A challenge that most teachers face with a 1:1 program is maintaining students' attention when those glowing screens are just so enticing for students to looks at. Why should they listen to their teacher when they have access to the whole world right at their fingertips? I have a few different ways that I deal with this. Firstly, make sure that you give clear instructions. If you don't want the students to have their screens active, tell them so.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by Jenser (Clasix-Design)"]
[/caption]It's gotten to the point for me that as I'm giving the instructions, some students will finish the instruction for me. "Everybody, let's take a break. Close your screens..." I say, with the students then taking over, "right down to the keys." It seems childish but if there is even a centimetre of space between the screen and the keyboard, I'll see students slowly pry open their laptops without realizing it, like a junkie looking for a fix. Once you've got their screens off, say what you need to say then shut up. Despite my opinions to the contrary, I do not spew forth with endlessly entertaining things to say. Laptops or not, say what you need to say and then either let the students do the talking or get them back to their work. This leads me to another point about laptop management: organization and resources.
I find it essential to have all relevant information available in one central location. In my case, our school's portal (Microsoft Sharepoint) is the hub that binds all the information for my courses together. Whether the content is hosted on the portal, as a Google Doc, or some other external website, my students know that they can get to all the information from that main wiki page. Also, just as you would in a classroom sans laptops, having expected outcomes for the lesson can help keep your students on track. For example, if students know that they need to have two designs for their project finished by the end of the lesson, then they're less likely to be off task with other websites or Skype, etc. until they've completed the goal. This isn't 100% effective but, be honest with yourself, when you're doing your own work, do you completely ignore email or Facebook or Twitter? Yes, there are programs, like DyKnow, that can block access to sites like these but personally, I think it's best to teach students how to deal with these distraction effectively rather than trying to pretend like they don't even exist.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Don't Accept That Digital Dogs Ate Their Digital Homework (Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by zoomar)"]
[/caption]Another challenge with laptop use, and the subsequent increased dependence on digitally produced assignments, is the range of different excuses that have replaced, "The dog ate my homework." This may be tough for some teachers to do but it's OK to have a zero tolerance policy with students about losing their work or not being able to find their file. Every program has a save option that, if not automatic, can easily be used in less than two seconds. And every file can be backed up. Get your students using cloud storage solutions like Dropbox or Google Docs. I remind my students at the end of every lesson to back up their work; especially when deadlines are fast approaching. Expect students to take care of their digital work just as you'd expect them to take care of their tangible (paper, etc.) work.
Finally, some teachers may be threatened by the fact that their students have access to a whole world of information and could, at any time, prove the teacher wrong. If you consider a student showing enough initiative, inquisitiveness and ability to prove you wrong, then it's time for you to choose another career because you obviously don't understand the point of being a teacher. There could be no greater experience in a classroom than having students use their inquiry skills to seek out information and challenge an opinion rather than simply regurgitating facts.
I'm sure that this doesn't even cover a fraction of the questions and concerns teachers might have about managing a 1:1 laptop program in their classroom but hopefully it helps you understand that its not as unmanageable as it may seem. When it comes down to it, having laptops in the classroom doesn't really change classroom management strategies. If a teacher already has difficulty with classroom management, then the presence of laptops in the classroom may magnify any holes that previously existed but if a teacher is well planned and has a good relationship with their students then laptops can take learning outside of the classroom and open it up to the rest of the world.
This is a well thought out reflection of a 1:1 school. I especially agree with the distraction laptops can bring when you are speaking to a class and some students will literally be typing despite the screen being nearly closed. You are right though, I would say most of my teacher training was concerned with behavioral management. This I would say is generally not thought about in the same way as when I taught in the UK but yes students must learn appropriate and respectful use of the technologies they have in a classroom just as we as educators need to show a consistent front. i.e. NO LAPTOPS OPEN when teacher or students talking. It sounds so simple right?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post, I am sure it will help to guide new teachers to the 1:1 classroom.
Natalie
Thanks for your comments, Nat. Classroom management is definitely a different beast in the UK compared to an international school. But to whatever degree of control a teacher must maintain, it's all about clear expectations to help foster as much learning as possible.
ReplyDeleteJesse, this post is good on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteIt is honest. So many people that 'fear' the transition to 1-1 laptops in their classrooms need to really think about where that fear originates. Is it from the technology or from their own concerns about general classroom management? Your mention of digital technology amplifying the issue may be the real concern for most. Bottom line teachers need to be organized and consistent with how they plan to manage their classroom, with or without laptops.
It notes some of 1-1 shortcomings. Battery life is going to be the next big issue for most laptop users if it isn't already (I think the next issue will be bring your own technology). It is absolutely unacceptable that a laptop cannot keep a charge for 6 hours, minimum, after a year of ownership. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks this might be by design as part of planned obsolescence. Besides being hazardous, the laptop cords are unsightly!
It has some good advice. The lost digital homework issue is one I often overlook. Solution: there is no such thing as lost digital homework, just someone who didn't back-up. Zero to all those foolish enough not to back-up. The learning curve would be steep but quick.
Thanks for creating an insightful and worth reviewing post.