@TechAndTeaching
Latest posts by Brian Rock (see all)
- Setting Responsible Limits on Technology Usage in the Classroom - February 3, 2013
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“Texting” by Jhaymesisviphotography.
We’ve all seen it. Students consumed by technology.
Walk into the back of a college lecture hall, and you’ll see a dozen laptops open to Facebook or Twitter. Walk into a high school classroom, and you’ll spy some kids trying to text on the sly.
Trying to ban technology from classrooms is futile; students are going to sneak devices in. It’s also shooting yourself in the foot. As a teacher, I want my students to have access to technology, and I want them to be able to use cell phones, tablets, netbooks, or some other kind of mobile computing device to enhance their learning.
The key is to establish norms about productive and acceptable uses of devices, and to help students recognize what are not acceptable uses for these devices. This is a group effort. It begins with parents, it needs to be built on by teachers, and ultimately it needs to be owned by students, so that when they grow up and go off to college they can monitor their own behavior and use their technology responsibily.
So, whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or a student, here are a few examples of productive uses of technology, acceptable uses of technology, and unacceptable uses of technology in a classroom.
Examples of Productive Uses of Technology
Technology use is most productive when it is used directly to support a student’s learning. Either it’s being used to find information, to save information, to create a product for class, or to communicate about a course. Here are three examples of what productive uses for technology look like.
- Classrooms used to be stocked with dictionaries and encyclopedias. Now we don’t need them. If you’re reading a book and you get to a word you don’t understand, pick up your cell phone or tablet and use an online dictionary to find a definition for the word.
- Good students are curious. Feeding that curiosity leads to learning. If you have a question, you might raise your hand and ask your teacher. If you don’t think it’s really relevant to the rest of the class, though, a better solution would be to pick up your tablet and do a quick Google search.
- You’ve set up a study group with some students in another class period. While you’re working on a project in class, you need to ask one of your study buddies something that you were studying the night before. It’s related to your project, and it’s on task, so you pick up your cell phone and text your friend for a quick answer.
Examples of Acceptable Uses of Technology
Some teachers try to strictly enforce the “no cell phone, no exception” rule. I think that’s silly and self-defeating. My guiding principle is that cell phones, tablets, and mobile devices are ok, as long as they’re not a distraction. With that in mind, there are some cases where a device isn’t necessarily being used productively, but it’s also not being such a distraction that it warrants disciplining a student or confiscating the device. Here are three examples.
- You’re sitting in class, listening to a Power Point presentation. Your phone is on vibrate and it buzzes in your pocket. You quietly take your phone out to check if it’s an important message. It’s just your friend saying “Hi,” so you say you’re in class and put the phone away.
- Your phone starts ringing, and you see it’s your mother. You ask the teacher if you can answer to see if it’s an emergency, and you step outside in the hallway to pick up the phone.
- You’re working on an independent assignment, and you like to listen to music. So you put one headphone in and you listen to some music on your iPod or your tablet. You keep the volume low enough that you can hear when someone is talking to you.
In none of these cases are you using a cell phone or tablet in a productive way to help you learn. However, you are doing so discretely and respectfully, and the technology is not causing an undue distraction to you or to other people in the classroom.
Examples of Unacceptable Uses of Technology
Unfortunately, students don’t always recognize these boundaries, and it’s up to teachers and parents to help them realize when technology use is not appropriate. Just because you are allowed to use a mobile computing device in class doesn’t mean that you’re allowed to do anything you want with it. In some cases, it is not only not productive but it is also extremely distracting – to you and to your classmates. Here are a handful of real examples from classrooms that I would consider unacceptable uses of technology. Any of these actions would prompt me to discipline a student in class.
- Your friend texts you. You hold your phone out on top of your desk and carry on a full conversation for several minutes, never looking up from your phone to make eye contact with the teacher. You are clearly distracted and not paying attention to the teacher or to your work.
- You feel like checking your Instagram or Twitter newsfeed. You whip out your tablet, open up your app, and absentmindedly start scrolling through the recent posts. This is something you do when you have nothing else to do; you should never be “killing time” in class. That means you’re not engaged in whatever you’re supposed to be doing.
- Your phone rings while you’re in class. You pick it up without asking, and you start talking to the person on the other end. You’re not too loud, but you’re still distracting the teacher and other students from what they were doing.
- You’re supposed to be working on a writing assignment. You put both headphones in, crank up the volume, and “rock out” to some music. Your pen never touches the paper, and you’re just listening to music. You don’t even realize when the teacher says something to you from the other side of the room.
In each of these cases, you’ve crossed a line. Some of these actions – reading a text, listening to music, answering the phone – would be acceptable in one form or another. However, the way they are done here is extremely distracting and potentially disruptive to the class. As a teacher, I need to set clear boundaries so that students know where this line is. But as a student, you need to also be aware of these boundaries, respect them, and internalize them. Some day, there won’t be a teacher to look over your shoulder. And no one wants to fail out of college because they spent every lecture class staring at their Twitter feed.
Share Your Stories: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
What about you? Have a good story to tell about using technology in the classroom?
I’d be interested to hear them – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sound off in the comments below and let me know.
Twitter: turtlers_com
yea ! thumbs up author there has been very much use of technology now a days really more than the required days ! and more over we dont really value time now as tech as taken the world into its hands
harshi recently posted..Water Proof Phone Xperia Z also Pool Proof
Twitter: sorensjogren
Whenever studens start to use technology in what is called an unacceptable way in this articles I would focus on myself as a teacher. It is instant feedback.
What can I do to engage the students?
How can I make my classes so interesting that they forget twitter for a while?
A discussion defining acceptable use of technology is great but focusing only on the student is too easy. Engagement is a cooperation between student at teacher. They share the responsibility.
Soren Sjogren recently posted..Lead from the front: the single leadership trait that characterizes a great combat leader
Twitter: TechAndTeaching
True, engagement is an important issue. And focusing solely on the students and their behavior can be a typical way to shift blame from teachers.
That being said, I would still argue that quality of instruction (leading to engagement) and classroom management are two separate and distinct issues. You need to have both to have a good classroom, but you can develop each separately.
The same teacher with the same lesson will not engage all students in all situations equally – and part of that has to do with norms of behavior within the classroom. So you need to explicitly work to establish those norms and procedures. How hard this is depends a lot on the larger school environment.
Brian Rock recently posted..Create a Lightroom Preset to Automatically Resize Photos for Facebook
Twitter: techupdatesorg
The most interesting part of this article I loved is ” Unacceptable Uses “. The First and third are the main unacceptable uses of Technology that I used to do during my college time.
Narender Chopra recently posted..Redirect First Time Commentator to Thank You Page
Twitter: TechAndTeaching
Yup, these stories are pretty funny when you can step back from the situation and laugh at it later. Instagram (and formerly Twitter and Facebook) is a real killer these days. Kids will just sit and stare at that newsfeed all day long if you let them…
Brian Rock recently posted..Canon Digital Photo Professional: How to Download DPP for Windows 7
Twitter: pathaderavi
Every coin has it’s two sides. So you just have to handle it According to the Ideal Conditions
Ravi recently posted..Tips to make Torrent Downloads Faster
Twitter: turtlers_com
well said ravi !! !! i really appriciate the resemblence of this to the sides of a coin !!
harshi recently posted..Projector for $5 for any phone !
Twitter: WinAppleWorld
I am very addicted to my iPhone 5. I use it even when lectures are going on in my college. I have been caught twice for it and only thing that makes your heartbeat faster is the teacher should not ask to give away my iPhone
Anchit Shethia recently posted..Ultimate Ways To Increase Your Laptop Performance
Twitter: googlefaceboook
absolutly, these days a small guy and little girl and a contract worker every 1 have phone. not only that they dont us that they addicted that.
ajay kumar recently posted..about google tools
Twitter: bitdoze
You’ve sum up really nicely some scenarios that happen daily in schools these days! It is great that you pointed the good sides of technology and only after, the bad ones. I think it should start with the teacher- if he/she has the charisma to make the students go with a set of common sense rules it will be just fine. If you simply insist there should be no gadgets in the classroom- this forbidden thing will be only more interesting and desirable for the students. Also, the teacher should give a personal example and make sure he uses technology in the limits he establishes for his class.
Dragos recently posted..Best Free and Premium WordPress Pricing Tables Plugins for 2013
Twitter: TechAndTeaching
That’s a great point and a personal example and modeling. You’re never going to get your kids to use their phones responsibly if your phone rings during class and you stop everything to pick it up! I’ve heard of it happening, and it just makes me shake my head…
Brian Rock recently posted..DIY Photobooth: A First Look and Some Ideas to Get Started
Twitter: dennisknows
I remember I use to shop on Ebay with my sidekick while I was in class. It was a class I had given up on and didn’t need to graduate.
Technology is great and very powerful but only if used at the right time.
Dennis Marshall recently posted..Why Rich People Suck & 10 Reasons Why You Should Wanna Be One
Twitter: MarkMorphew
We home school our daughter, so thankfully we don’t face these problems, enjoyed reading your post – how the times have changed since I was a kid!
Thks,
Mark
Mark Morphew recently posted..Ultimate Demon
Twitter: TechAndTeaching
Yes, it is amazing how times have changed! It’s only been ten years since I started college, but back then phones were for talking (and maybe a little texting), relatively few students brought laptops to class, and none of these web 2.0 services (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, you name it) even existed. And now, it’s everywhere.
Good luck, home schooling, too. One of my education professors homeschools his kids, so we talked about it a lot at Rutgers. Always intrigued me, although my wife would never go for the idea.
Brian Rock recently posted..Colonial America Webquest: Experiencing the Life of a Colonist
It was quite funny to read it being an Indian.
Rohan Shankar recently posted..BigRock Review 2013 : Buy a Cheap Domain Name
Twitter: turtlers_com
harshi recently posted..Projector for $5 for any phone !
Very informative post ! The most interesting part of this article I loved is †Unacceptable Uses “. The First and third are the main unacceptable uses of Technology that I used to do during my college time.Thanks for the share.
Taswir Haider recently posted..Theme Check: WordPress Theme Checker Plugin
Twitter: prabhatrayal
hey brian you rock.
laughing at the last “unacceptable” use of technology. i am an engineering student and i always use mobile and laptop in the class to access facebook and google an answer. i use my mobile to text my friends. this is not a good thing.
prabhat recently posted..List Of Best Mobile Phones Under 10000 Rs in India
Twitter: TechAndTeaching
Hey Prabhat, thanks for the comment. Googling answers isn’t so bad… but using Facebook might be! Might want to get that under control.
Brian Rock recently posted..Learning Through Games: Mission US and US History Adventures
Twitter: CPAReviewYaeger
Hey Brian.Thanks for this great post.I have to say, example # 2 of unacceptable technology is one big truth. I agree that you should never be killing time in class with twitter, instagram or other social networks. You gotta remember that You will not be in school forever. And Your brain wont be always as good as it is in school age. Learn while you can.
armix recently posted..Five Reasons Why Everyone seems to be Choosing CPA Review Yaeger.
Twitter: TechAndTeaching
Hey Armix, thanks for the comment. That one really kills me. Either you’re checked in or your checked out, and if you’re sitting there staring at Twitter you’re definitely checked out. Yet some kids think they’re just “multi-tasking…”
Brian Rock recently posted..Animal Farm Webquest: Peeling the Layers of Allegory with Matryoshka Dolls
A very controversial topic I think. It has both sides of the medal. From one hand it is bad to allow students to have devices in class, from other hand it influence the educational process, i mean influence in a good way, like you said – good students use devices for good. I can’t tell if it’s good or bad to have phones/laptops in class, but I truly believe that a good teacher has a decent way to solve this problem
Evan recently posted..Medical WordPress Themes Best Showcase 2013
Yes, education should go with the time. Technologies can become a distraction or a booster on the way to improved learning. It’s up to us to make a reasonable choice. That’s why I am on your side – technologis can and should foster learning. Thanks for your thoughtful review.
David Tucker recently posted..Types of Writing: Learn about the Variety, Choose Your Own Style
Well, its hard to say something now, when e-books come out, but i remember in 2006 when i was going to school so technologies (mobiles) really disturb my attention to studies.
. Cheers!
Sorry if i maked mistakes writing, im not from english
Justas recently posted..Finding Main Meal Recipes For Your Family
Call me an old fart but I miss the old days before mobile phones, very one is way to consumed with technology.
Twitter: julidarmaputra
I think this is good policy in the class room to educate the student more focus and disciplin
Julidarma recently posted..Three Natural Ways To Fight Kidneys Stone
Awesome article, Brian! I am an instructor myself, so I feel this post raises a very important topic: how does the spread of technology influence students?
Fair warning: I am traditional in my beliefs on how people, especially young people, most effectively learn, retain and reinforce new information.
There have been theories in the academic world that whilst technology does benefit kids in that they can obtain new information such as vocabulary much more easily than they could have 10 years ago, the literally effortless access to this information trivialises the learning process, leaving the learner with little to no incentive to retain the information, as it is only three Google punches away from them at any given moment. On the other hand, looking a word up in a manual dictionary and copying it down by hand is a much more involved process – slower yes, but more deliberate and lasting.
A psychologist friend of mine from Poland is actually working on a study which attempts to draw a correlation between calculator use (even more widespread with the advent of smartphones) and the drop in basic arithmetic competency of the young people of the west. It’s a very interesting idea, and I have as a result, without even knowing his outcome, begun to force myself to at least attempt to mentally solve basic addition/subtraction/multiplication/division equations in my head before moving to paper and eventually the calculator to proof my answer. Again, it takes an extra moment, but it is well worth it in my view.
Anyway, just providing you with a counterargument here. Technology IS terrific. I would not be a happy musician and recording artist were it not for technology, the internet and innovation as a whole. So I am right with you there.
I do however feel it is our responsibility to ensure that young people have the most effective learning tools around and do not just take what is quickest, easiest or most immediately satisfying. That does not mean “say no to technology”, but rather that we should be prudent about the degree to which we involve it in situations of learning.
Again, thanks for sharing this post. I really enjoyed it, and I would welcome your thoughts in return!
EVO
even though electronics and gadgets are useful today but sometimes too much exposure to this new technologies can have bad effects also..
Twitter: Techblowup
Bad effects must be avoided and this can be done by the limited use of technology. Ad in classroom it should be avoided.
Prakash recently posted..Fotor Photo Effect Studio App for Android, iPhone, PC, MAC
Twitter: khanna_08
even though technology has improved a lot for every product there will be good usage and bad usage. mainly the product success rate depends on the usage of the product nicely with out harming any one
sai recently posted..What are Concatenate Strings in C?
Twitter: Techblowup
Yes there are good as well as bad usage involved in everything. We should use in a good manner.
Prakash recently posted..Fotor Photo Effect Studio App for Android, iPhone, PC, MAC
Twitter: TpeBlg
Technology is essential in a classroom setting. But it should not be used in a way that disturbs other people in the class like you mentioned under Examples of Unacceptable Uses of Technology. I have see students watching videos, talking to friends on the phone, and playing games when they are not supposed to do that. Technology can in many ways can be used to make the whole process of learning more efficient and enjoyable.
Chang recently posted..HTC First to Launch Facebook Phone on Android
Twitter: Techblowup
Yes uses can be allowed but it should not be disturbed others. That’s the right point I think.
Prakash recently posted..Best Media Player for Android | Video and Music Player for Android
Twitter: Rohitkabdwal
nice article Brian..,
being a college student I can understand what you are saying.., most of the students refresh their Facebook page cheeking for new updates from their friends and sometimes the technology helps us to Digg about a particular topic in the class room but most of the times is spoils us..
you’ve written about very nice topic here… I really appreciate your writing..
Rohit recently posted..Top Budget Smartphones under 10K price range | 2013
Twitter: Techblowup
Yes the limitation should be applied over the use of technology in the classroom. Nice post thanks for sharing it.
Prakash recently posted..Best Media Player for Android | Video and Music Player for Android
Hey Brian,
Nice post and Thanks for sharing this post with us. Nowdays technology becomes an important part of or life and it really helps when ever we are confused with some topic but also lots of use of technology creates distraction.
Sudipto recently posted..Best Android Phone Under 10000
Twitter: santosh29
Brian what a post really based upon students like us as a student of engineering i m also use laptops and mobile phones in the class room and this is very intresting when class is carry on.
when i do not carry the phone in classroom then it is boring.
thanks Brian
santosh recently posted..New Micromax A115 Canvas 3D
Twitter: mchhimwal
Well …
Nice post with nice topic.As you said , it doesn’t matter how technology grow, but the roll if a teacher is always very important.It doesn’t matter how the technology advanced.Thanks for this nice sharing.
Mahendra recently posted..Most useful keyboard shortcuts-vlc media player:must know
Hi Mark,
i totally agree with the three categories of technology use and these do not only apply in the classroom setting but also in any other social gathering that has a common goal. when technology is abused and misused, it becomes more of a curse than a blessing. thanks for pointing this out.