For students, cellphone plan has a nice ring to it
As the debate over the use of cellphones in the classroom continues, some private schools have found a way to incorporate them into the learning environment while upping the engagement quotient of their students.
Take Robert Constanzo, an English teacher at Crescent School for boys in North York, Ont. Constanzo piloted a bring-your-own-technology (BYOT) project in class eight years ago. “The best way to nurture better writers and readers is to expose them to more,” he says. “I needed quick access to a diverse range of literature without having to photocopy pages and pages of documents; for students to be able to edit their own writing and that of their classmates using a shared platform; and the ability to manipulate, annotate and synthesize the multiple pieces we were working on. Connectivity in the classroom and BYOT allowed all of those things. It made English and writing about the students and material, not about me.”
Since that time, Constanzo and his peers have found more and more ways to incorporate BYOT into learning for the benefit of both teachers and students.
At Havergal College for girls, also in North York, technology is used to help enhance and deepen learning in a host of ways, says Keith Townend, the school’s director of IT. In math class, for example, quadratic equations are taught using collaborative tools and annotation software. “Students are invited to contribute steps in the problem- solving process using their own connected technology,” he says. “The annotated pdf can then be saved, posted to the school’s digital learning systems, and used as a future resource.” Gamification, coding and hackathons also contribute to learning in fun and engaging ways, Townend adds. “Additionally, anonymous polling software used with BYOT devices helps teachers immediately gauge the level of understanding of a topic as lessons proceed.”
However, as cellphones have become ubiquitous some teachers are, once again, becoming technology wary. In some instances this has meant a ban on classroom use.
“The current dichotomy is stark. Cellphones have polarized classroom management situations and in some cases have made difficult classes even more challenging. Cellphones can also make bullying and cheating easier for those inclined to do so,” says Constanzo.
That said, he and others have looked for, and found, more ways to harness the power of the cellphone as a learning and engagement tool, seeing it as a resource rather than a distraction.
“Cellphones have some fantastic applications in the classroom. We have the power to teach students how to use them properly to become disciplined technology consumers. The students of today are the professionals of tomorrow. They need to learn the life skills of resisting distraction, being productive and multi-tasking without the device taking over. This is the critical learning now,” he says. “In my opinion, to ignore the technology for the sake of classroom management would be irresponsible. It is about exciting students and opening them to new opportunities that lie ahead. With discipline, balance and careful pedagogy they can have an environment in which to become deeply engrossed in their work and reading.”
It is not only inside the classroom environment in which students can benefit from the use of cellphones, however. “We are at a level of sophistication in digital technology that gives us a learning environment where teacher and students can synchronize and collaborate in real- time,” adds Havergal’s technology integrator Paul Shuebrook, citing a recent field trip involving students. The girls were looking at architecture and public spaces across the city. The teacher wanted each group to record their thoughts and ideas in a central way and comment on each other’s ideas, he says. “Using the school’s social media feeds, students were able to use their smart phones to an- swer questions about socioeconomic differences and post photos and videos while studying various neighbourhoods. We use this as evidence of learning, understanding and engagement with key concepts.”
When it comes to BYOD, “the power available in the learning environment, from an acquisition point of view, is formidable,” adds Charlotte Youngson, parent of three Crescent School boys. “When our eldest, who is now 21 and at university, began at the school it was all about penmanship. As the younger children move through the approach has changed. Technology is an integral part of the learning experience. The challenge for any school now is what to bring on board and what not to.”
It is important to note that it is not always the teachers who bring new technology to the school, says Townend.
“It is a two- way street as to what technology lands in the classroom,” he says. “If a student comes up with a valuable idea we act on it, because that is what motivates them to come forward with more.”
How do teachers ensure students stay focused on classwork rather than checking social media accounts or playing with their devices? “The work has to be so compelling that they put them away on their own,” says Costanzo. “It goes back to teaching discipline and accepting varied approaches. If a teacher brings technology into the classroom yet fails to change their teaching methods, it is a recipe for disaster. If you are going to embrace technology, you have to embrace it lock, stock and barrel.”