SMUHSD Edtech

If I tell them how to complete a project, then 1) they haven’t had to struggle, problem solve, or learn how to learn and 2) I’ve only shown them my way (not necessarily the best way) of completing this project.

Instead of giving them access to that Google Document full of information and instructions, I asked students to investigate RSA animation to find out what it is and how they are created. Then groups worked together to write a project proposal explaining how they were going to execute this project. It required them to think through the purpose, strategy, and process before beginning their work. It asked them to do the work that most teachers do for them.

What I like about RSA is that students are developing a whole host of skills by working collaboratively to create the films. They conduct research, collaborate on a shared script to take their research and turn it into a story, design a storyboard, and edit/publish their films. There are so many important skills cultivated with this one assignment that go beyond simply understanding the causes, realities and impacts of the actual genocide they are researching.

we lose sight of how important it is to attend to what kids are actually doing when they're using those screens.

Put simply, the content itself matters more than the time spent looking at the screen. With this in mind, the point of whether or not to have the technology—or to limit its usage to, say, two hours a day—is less relevant than the idea that all screen time is not equal. There are some extremely positive uses of technology that empower kids at all different ages, but there are also some very disempowering and upsetting uses of technology.

we find that the amount of screen time question is not nearly as helpful as the question about what students are doing with the screen time they have. For example, if a student is clicking through a digital textbook or doing the equivalent of digital worksheets, I would hope that she would have very little screen time. If, on the other hand, she was using technology to problem-solve, collaborate, and engage with peers around the world, then I would hope that she would have much more screen time.

Learning is social and always happens in the context of other people and other people's ideas. That piece can be strengthened and bolstered by well-designed and well-executed technological programs, but when you start saying, “Let's hand it all over to technology,” you really can’t envision a future that isn't dystopian.

As a huge proponent of technology, even I'm saying that it’s right in its place, in the right dosages and with the right intentionality and thoughtfulness. But technology is only one arrow in a quiver—it's only part of the tapestry. We need to keep a balanced approach and keep our sanity about it.

When educators have appropriate professional development and the time to develop meaningful and engaging learning experiences for students (where tech plays a role), then the benefits can be incredible. One of the biggest issues in education today is the fact that teachers come to a digital classroom with digital natives and are not prepared to jump in with clear goals and an understanding of how to appropriately use tech in learning.

I think about the positive uses of screen time in terms of creation, connection, discovery, and joy. Creative uses of technology include audio and visual recording and mixing, coding, web and app design, word processing, drawing, robotics and 3D modeling. Connective uses of technology are for communication purposes, which range from gaining fluency with social media, to composing an essay or a presentation, to writing an email. Discovery means accessing the internet, or some educational software, to learn things, practice new skills and answer questions. And “joy” covers the joy of being a fan and appreciator of music, video, and written content, as well as playing games. I believe in a balance of all four while trying to drive down the mindless, pointless or negative uses of technology to fill time, fight boredom, displace other needed activities or foster hostility, depression and other negative feelings.

Regardless of the school’s resources, the most important part of tech implementation is an investment in the teachers, not the devices. Even schools with limited technology can create amazing tech-enabled learning experiences when teachers know how to use tech effectively.

Handheld devices are about as ubiquitous as television in the lives of all students so the focus should be on helping students use tech to pursue their own learning goals.

training to help teachers foster creative and constructive learning opportunities with screens

I see passionate teachers uniting on social media to exchange creative ideas for using the engaging properties of technology to hook their kids into lessons.

technology is never going to erase the relationships that we desperately need to foster and strengthen, or just the sheer energy and work that's required to raise the rising generation.

digital devices are not magic beans that transform the classroom experience and enhance student learning all by themselves. These are essential elements of the way that we live and work today. I hope that there's a growing awareness which requires very human virtues such as empathy and creativity to instill tech into the classroom in a productive way.