Teachers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area are exploring the use of technology in their schools by students.  About 80 teachers from the school district spent six months researching and analyzing the use of electronic devices by students and how technology could best help their learning.  They presented their findings last month.

The hope was that by using teachers for this research, ways to incorporate technology so that it was the most beneficial for students would be a top priority, as opposed to simply how to use technology to teach.  I was impressed with their guiding question -- "What concepts and skills have historically been difficult to teach?"  They began there and built on how to use technology to assist teachers in areas they felt there was the most need.  For example, helping students learn math facts seems to be universally difficult.  These teachers discovered that using iPads for this purpose boosted scores significantly.  The students were engaged and learning, despite the "fun" aspect to it. 

Another teacher uses a tablet to record her students' fluency, allowing them to listen to themselves.  Their reading rates have improved.  There are many instances cited where students have been helped by technology.  While every school can't possibly supply every student with a personal iPad or laptop, we seem to be moving in that direction.  Technology is here to stay, so isn't it wise to use it to our advantage?

Read the entire article at http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_22743548/burnsville-eagan-savage-schools-teachers-assess-technologys-role

--  B.Y.O.D.  --

 

 

Have you ever seen this notation on an invitation?  Lots of students have in the state of Alabama!  The letters stand for "Bring Your Own Device" and refer to personal electronic devices.  The idea is catching on in Mobile, Alabama, and other nearby cities.  Students are using their own tablets, smartphones, laptops, iPods, and reading devices in their classrooms to access information and make lessons more engaging.  This is an alternative to buying laptops for all students.  They bring in any device that has wireless access to the Internet to conduct research.

 

 

The participating schools must have laptops available for those students who are unable to bring in their own device, making sure nobody is left out.  Surveys in Mobile County indicate that about 75% of students, regardless of income, have these devices at home.  BYOD has reportedly been a huge hit with the students. 

 

 

Security has been beefed up at participating schools in order to prevent inappropriate access to the Internet by students.  More filters than normal have been put in place. 

 

 

With technology becoming so prevalent in our lives, BYOD may become more common in schools as they strive to keep up with the technological demands of students.

 

 

To read the article for yourself, visit http://blog.al.com/live/2013/03/more_mobile_county_students_on.html

Are you technologically challenged, or just want to become more proficient?



These are the latest two books I have purchased and I absolutely love them!  Lori Elliott does an excellent job of explaining how to use many, many types of technology.  With each section, she introduces the technology, tells how it can be used, and gives the reader a step-by-step tutorial on what to do.  She leaves nothing out!  I like the fact that I can use her book to try something new and she teaches me how to do it, assuming I know nothing at all about it on my own - which often is the case!  Secondary students would be able to follow the directions on their own. 

After giving very explicit directions on using the tool, Elliott includes a "Look What You Can Do" section where she actually walks you through a way she has used it.  Included are color pictures of each computer screen you will see as you move through the process.

I have begun to use more technology over the past year, but admit that sometimes figuring out how to use something seems like more trouble than it's worth.  With this book, I've established an Animoto account and made an Animoto video.  I also learned how to use Glogster and made a poster with it.  Using Edmodo is my next challenge!