Thursday, January 19, 2017

Blog #1 Pros & Cons of Devices in the Classroom

After reading the assigned article for Tuesday 'Modern Technology Is Changing the Way the Brain Works," post to the blog what you think are two pros and two cons to having devices in the classroom. Post by class time Tuesday and respond to each classmate by class time on Thursday, Jan. 26th.

15 comments:

  1. Pros:
    1. Using websites like GoFormative and ClassKick allows for teachers to have all of the students work immediately and are able to give feedback almost instantly.
    2. If students are answering questions through devices and typing their responses, it is easier for the teacher to grade because it is easier for them to read their handwriting. This is helpful because then there is no misinterpretation of what the student was trying to get across.
    Cons:
    1. Students could only want to focus on more of the game side of the apps and not truly understand the processes of what they are supposed to do.
    2. The technology sometimes may not work and if the teacher does not have a proper back up plan a whole lesson might be ruined.

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    1. On your pros, I really like number 2. I never thought about reading handwriting. I have terrible handwriting so I would have loved this as a kid. On your cons, number 2 is very true. We see this at WestMO everyday with wifi and technology so the teacher would need to make sure they have a backup plan.

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  2. Pros:
    1. Having devices in the classroom allows students to be hands on. They work on their devices and go interactive to a variety of different apps and learning sites.

    2. Allows students to stay on task (hopefully) but also allows teachers to monitor students use incase they think that the student is not on topic. This will also help students who have anxiety of teachers standing over them. The teacher can track progress online instead of hovering over the student.

    Cons:
    1. Devices need to be provided by schools. Devices are not easily accessible to low income families as they are to higher income families.

    2. Teachers need to enforce rules. If teacher does not enforce the rules of technology use than many problems can occur. Example: viewing inappropriate things, not on task, resulting in the student getting in trouble, potentially parents getting mad, and or the teacher getting in trouble.

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    1. For your pros, I like how you talked about keeping students on task, because many of us think of devices as being a distraction in the classroom. For your cons, I totally agree with your statement that the schools should provide the devices to the students. We are sort of experiencing this in our class right now where some of us do not have access to a tablet, making it harder for us to fully participate in the class.

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  3. Pros:
    1. Allows for teachers to be more organized and allows them to rely on other things besides there own personal knowledge.
    2. Interactive and allows for different types of learning to be done.
    Cons:
    1. Technology doesn't always work so you always have to have a back up.
    2.Some kids are more advanced when it comes to technology so it could really make a kid feel they are not doing as well because of their lack of knowledge of the technology.

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    1. I like all the points you made. I especially like one of the cons that you mentioned about how lack of knowledge about technology can make a student feel left out. i think it can be a big problem in low SES schools where students may not have access to different types of technology. That''s why it is important as a teacher to be aware of what is going on in your students lives

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  4. Pros:
    1. Having devices in the classroom allows the teachers to give and receive immediate feedback on assignments
    2. It can be a way that your struggling students can participate in class without feeling pressured.

    Cons:
    1. Students may be distracted with their at-home-apps and not pay attention to what is being taught.
    2. If the school does not provide the device, some students will not be able to afford one, therefore missing out on aspects of learning.

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    1. I agree with everything you said. The teachers giving immediate feedback is good for the students so that they can look over the assignment while it is still fresh in their brains. Also, the second pro is definitely true and feeling pressured is a big reason why some students do not do as well as others.

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    2. Those are great pros and cons for technology in the classroom. I really like the second con you listed. I think it would be sad as a teacher to see a child get bullying because they don't have the money to buy a device to fit in with the other students.

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  5. The Pros:
    1) Technology is very useful in allowing teachers to differentiate learning styles. It allows teachers to appeal to visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners. If a teacher has mostly visual learners in their classroom they can use a wide range of technology such as YouTube videos, apps that allow you to create mind-maps such as MindMeister, or even animoto where students can create their own videos. In addition to this technology is a great tool in aiding students with learning disabilities. Audiobooks are a great tool for struggling readers and there are many different apps that make learning fun and keep students engaged.
    2) It allows for more communication between students, teachers and parents, inside and outside of the classroom. Teachers can communicate with parents through class dojo or buzz mob that allows teachers to keep parents up to date with any event that are taking place at school. In addition teachers could have a class blog that is used to allow other students to communicate and discuss homework assignments, so that the teacher can also help if needed.
    The Cons:
    1) In classrooms that are 1:1 it can be difficult to keep students on task, and prevent them from doing other activities on their devices.
    2) It can replace useful skills like handwriting, in some schools where students mainly carry out work electronically, it can hinder the development of good handwriting because they will be so used to typing notes and homework on a device

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    1. I like how you brought up the negative of using too much technology in the classroom can take away from essential skills like handwriting. When I was thinking of positives I was going to mention how technology could be helpful to teachers for students who write illegibly. I think this is a scenario that can go either what because depending on the age some students need to learn to write while others we could possibly be looking for more of their understanding rather than how they actually write.

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  6. Pros:
    1. Information is readily available to the students in a classroom, it is faster and more interactive when all of the students have devices. It can benefit ELL students with all of the different types of apps.
    2: Kids are on devices all the time, they will be more willing to do work if it is on a device and something they enjoy doing.
    Cons:
    1. It is easy to become too reliable on technology. If something stops working or an error occurs, the teacher and students may not have anything else prepared.
    2. Students can become easily distracted while on devices with other apps or texting.

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    1. I completely agree I like how you brought up ELL students because the technology today is just amazing ways to help them. It has really opened the things you can teach those students and allows for new ways to communicate.

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  7. Pros:
    1. The are many online resource that help kids learn more and make it more fun.
    2. Using technology in the classroom can prepare your students for a future deeply rooted in technology.
    Cons:
    1.Technology can be a distraction if used the wrong way.
    2. It can be bad if it's the only thing your students know how to use. If it is not working for a period, students need a backup plan.

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    1. I liked how you pointed out that technology should not be the only thing students should be using. There still needs to be writing with pencil and paper and reading actual books. Not sure if it is proven or not, but looking at screens all the time probably is not the best for your eyesight!

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