I’m beginning to sense a concerning trend.
I’m starting to wonder:
Can schools only work with certain tools, certain conditions, and certain mindsets?
Why’s this concerning?
The way some schools are using technology at the moment makes it seem more about what adults need to teach, than it is about what kids to learn.
Take digital devices.
Last week, I left school, and with an absent mind, left my “school bag” next to my desk. If you’ve done this you know, it’s frustrating. Ironically, I forgot it because I was distracted. I was helping a teacher who’d misplaced her car keys, distraught at the notion she’d never find them.
Relatable. Right?
(Spoiler alert: She found them.)
This got me thinking.
One cannot drive a car without a car key.
Is this the case with learning?
Have we convinced ourselves that school can’t happen without a device?
What’s “the key”?
Reflecting on my student teaching experience, some three decades ago, I clearly remember the host teacher handing me the teacher edition of what he referred to as “the reading book”.
His instructions:
1. I was to read the words in bold print.
2. The students would respond, reciting the printed words in italics.
Disappointed to imagine my creativity was to be put on hold for five weeks, I respectfully accepted the assignment.
He was, after all, the teacher.
And as we all know, growing up and attending school, students don’t disrespect the teacher.
Doing this day in and day out for the first half of the semester, I’d decided early on, I would never read from the teacher edition again. So I didn’t.
Are we beginning to fall into this habit, this practice, with our device-use in schools?
Several years ago, schools far and wide adopted technology. One-to-one initiatives...roll-outs....
If you were fortunate, you were able to acclimate to using technology daily with students, pre-closure.
And if you weren’t among the fortunate, you weathered school closures with some or maybe, no technology.
Many of us saw how technology allowed us to continue to “run school” through a pandemic.
And we saw adults adopting technology tools and practices, out of necessity.
Well intended? Yes.
Effective? Sometimes.
Highly effective? Rarely.
In many, if not most cases, the technology (a tool) became the main event.
The purpose for the tool was at times, an afterthought. The work of Ruben Puntadora on the topic of the SAMR model had fallen by the wayside.
(Fortunately, a number of teachers had learned about this when we started our rollout, years ago.)
Maybe we need to start asking ourselves some crucial questions as we “lesson plan”:
Can we do this with and/or without a digital device? Sure.
With a notebook and pencil? Yep.
Without any tool at all, maybe by fostering meaningful and rich dialogue, teacher-to-students, or better yet, between students? Hmmm...
Is formative assessment possible without a device? No doubt.
Have we done this? Rarely. If ever.
The Reset
This school year, what if:
we gave ourselves permission, to ask why (and how) we use technology in schools?
we set created space for these kinds of conversations, and between all stakeholders?
Tell you one thing -- maybe worst case scenario -- we’d be swapping a chrome book crisis for purposeful learning and meaningful engagement.
PS
So my title, about a forgotten chrome book. How’d I write this post, and why?
I used NOTES on my iPhone, to extend my writing/posting streak.
How’s that for irony?
More ironic, though:
Could’ve borrowed my kid’s chrome book.
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