Devices In and Out of the Classroom
Compare and Contrast Devices
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- Smartphones: There are a lot of uses for smartphones in the classroom setting. They could be used for taking notes, doing quick internet searches, they could download different educational apps and games that can be used to further their understanding, use the calculator feature, using maps or google maps for geographical purposes, use for Ebooks that can be read on smartphones, watch tutorials and YouTube videos easily, and so on. There are some advantages to using smartphones in the classroom. They are mobile and easy to get from class to home and back to class again. Also, they are very accessible these days in the society that we live in today. Also, the size makes it easy to hold in your hand. There are also some disadvantages in using smartphones in the classroom. Not every child has a smartphone, making the children without it seem left out. Also, they can be easily broken and all smartphones are programmed differently, making it harder because everyone has different set ups. They also can be very distracting and they are harder to manage and control in a classroom because it is not as easy to monitor. One way that smartphones could be very helpful is in a situation when we need clickers for a smartboard activity. You can download an app and connect it to the screen so that the students can answer the questions on the screen.
- iPads: IPads have a ton of educational purposes that are extremely similar to those of a smartphone. You can download apps onto it that are educational and help to further the learning of the student, you can take notes pretty easily on it, nice to use for researching on the internet, use as a calculator, use calendar to keep track of assignments and tests, use maps, use Ebooks, watch informational videos, easy to share information with others. There are some advantages to using iPads over smartphones. First off, the size is bigger so it is easier to read off of but it is still small enough to be mobile and easy to take from place to place. It is easier to monitor the students’ usage because the teacher can put on privacy settings since the school will own these iPads. They are easier to monitor activity as well because the screen is larger and more visible to the teachers. Also, sharing information between people is extremely easy and they do not require internet to do most things. There are some disadvantages to using this device. They can be distracting because there are apps to play with or they can search stuff on the internet during class. There is no physical keyboard attached to the iPad, which may be harder for some students. There are so many functions when it comes to an iPad that it will be difficult for students to begin learning how to make it work and to get all of the settings set up. A good circumstance where iPads would be awesome to use in a classroom is when the students are learning about the human body and you can use the iPad apps to play interactive educational games and/or simulations to show how it works. Very hands on learning.
- Chromebooks: Chromebooks can be very good for teaching and educational purposes. The system is very good for children because it is nice and simple, there really is not much to it or to set up in order for it to start working. They are good for taking notes, It is a look up and research tool. They are good for watching tutorials, sharing information with each other, and using the calendar to keep organized just like the iPads and smartphones. There are some advantages to using a chromebook. Compared to iPads and smartphones, they have a good sized screen that will make research and reading much easier to do. Also, it is very light and relatively small, making mobility easy. It is a great researching tool for beginners, making it great for children. Also, it has a very efficient keyboard, unlike smartphones and iPads which do not have a physical keyboard. Also compared to smartphones and iPads, they are relatively inexpensive. There are also some disadvantage to using chromebooks in the classroom. They are very thin, making it more likely to get broken or snap. Also, they are not able to download education apps like the smartphones and iPad can. The screen is bigger than iPads and smartphones, but not very big. They are also pretty much worthless without the internet because they are pretty much a browsing tool. They are not as “hands on”. A good circumstance where a chromebook would be good in a classroom is if students had to research about World War Two because chromebooks are great research tools.
- Laptops can be very useful in the classroom because it combines pretty much all of the aspects of the iPads, smartphones, and chromebooks. They are able to do internet searches and research, take notes on, use a calculator, use calendar tool to keep organized, can use maps, can be used to take quizzes or tests on and so on. There are some advantages to using laptops in the classroom. They are really good for researching because unlike iPads and smartphones, they have a physical keyboard like the chromebook. They are nice for note taking because there are different tools that can be used like microsoft word, pages, notes, and so on, unlike chromebook which cannot. Also, computers do not require internet connection to use their function except for the internet. Unlike the iPads, smartphones, and chromebooks, the size of the screen makes it much to read and do research on. There are also disadvantages to using laptops in the classroom. Every type of computer is different, just like smartphones, where they have different programs. The screens are in the way of communication, creating a barrier between the student and the other students. Also, they are hard to monitor because the screens are put up so the back is facing the teacher, so you cannot see what the students are doing. Unlike iPads and smartphones, laptops cannot download the same educational apps that make learning more beneficial. Also, depending on the size of the laptop, the size can take up too much room on the desk, making it hard to have more things on the students’ desks. A circumstance where laptops during class would be a good idea is if students were doing powerpoint presentations where they researched information, put all of the information into slides, and then plugged their computers in so they can present.
Managing Devices and Integrating into Classroom
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- Managing devices in classroom can be pretty difficult because devices can seem like brand-new toys that the students get to play with. Teachers need to make it clear that this is not the case. The webpage called “Five Steps for Implementing a Successful 1:1 Environment” talks about how there are 5 main steps that need to be put in place in order to successfully integrate technological devices into the classroom. The first step of the process is defining the goals of having this program implemented. The website talks about how this should not be all about how they now have devices, but it should be about the information that they have access to. It is important to know the entire goal of this system. The second step in this process is defining the role of having these devices in your classroom specifically. How will using these devices in your classroom further their learning, what activities will help them on these devices? The website talks about how this only works if the teachers are welcoming the device like teachers have welcomed devices such as chalkboards and smartboards. The third step discuss how to save the battery life of the device in order to get as much usage out of it as you can. The website discusses how it is important for students to display the functionality of the device as well as examples. The fourth step is talking about when to put the device away. This part is more into implementing rules about when to use the computer. The website talks about how it is important for students to know what the objectives of using the device are and that they are to go along with the objectives of the teacher, meaning if the teacher does not want devices out, they go away. The last step to implementing this system successfully is to teach the students about information literacy. It is important to teach students how to navigate through information on the internet and to teach students to know what to look for. I also found this webpage about things that teachers should do when it comes to implementing this system into their classroom. After reading both of these sources, this is what I would do to manage my students with their devices and also effectively using their devices.
- First, before the students were to get their devices, I would spent a lot of time learning everything there is to know about the device so that I am able to help the students with learning about the device.
- Once the students get their devices, even before they use their device we will sit down and talk about a few things. We will start off with the purpose and goals of having these devices. How these are for school-purposes usages. We will then proceed to talk about rules about the device inside and outside of my classroom: how to only use school-appropriate websites, how to put them away when I say we are done with them, to stay on task, things like that.
- After we talk about rules and goals about what the devices are for and how to use them appropriately, I will talk about how to keep them safe and to keep from getting broken. Having them know about how to care about their devices is extremely important in keeping these devices around.
- After we discuss all of this, students will be able to look at their devices and we will do simulations of how to do activities such as do google searches and simple actions like that so that they are able to do basic functions on the device.
- Some management strategies is that there will be a control setting on to block from certain non school-related webpages and inappropriate sites. Also, I will give some sort of healthy incentive to use in order to have students be rewarded for using their technology correctly and listening to directions. In the book Taking Cues from Kids, it talks about that it is healthy to give students a minute or so extra of recess time to do something educational as a reward for all of the students cooperating. So this is what I would do to manage the class. Strategies that I would use to make learning effective is that I will have students only have the apps/program that we will be using for that class on their devices so that they have less distraction. Also, for effective learning, I will demonstrate each instruction in order for students to be able to follow along and maximize their learning.
Top 3 Educational Apps at High Levels of Thinking
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- iMovie: This is an app where you are able to make and edit videos and sound recordings. This would be an awesome app to use with students because it allows them to create something new (which is the highest level in bloom’s taxonomy) and is considered redefinition (which is the highest for SAMR). Students are able to use this movie maker in order to express new ideas and what they have learned in class. This is a challenge to students because this is a high level of thinking and it is something new that students will have to learn, but in the end, the results will be amazing and they will create something new.
- Student Interactive Timeline: This is an app where students are able to generate their own timelines. This is a great app for students to show what they have learned or what they have researched because it involves making it from scratch. This meets the highest level of bloom’s taxonomy, creating, because the students make their own form of a timeline. It also meets the second highest level of SAMR, modification, because it is enhancing the traditional classroom with the use of technology.
- EDNA: This is an app where students can create organized mind maps and flowcharts in order to keep their information organized. This is a great app for students to display the information that they have learned from class or from research. This meets the highest level of bloom’s taxonomy, creating, because the students will generate their own charts out of their own information that they learned. Also, this meets the second highest SAMR standard, modification, because it is enhancing the traditional classroom by creating these charts through software on technology devices.
Top 3 "Fun" Apps in the Classroom
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- BrainPOP Featured Movie: This is an app that would a great “just for fun” but also educational app because it is an app with over 750 different animated videos about every different subjects that have different games, quizzes, and activities to do. I would have students use this app during free time so that they can research information about things that they like to learn about and still doing something educational.
- Quizlet: This is a great app for students to be able to use as an optional study tool. This app is where you can make flashcards with a word on one side and the definition on the other. This can help with classroom management because it can be used as a time to study in the classroom.
- Visual Manipulatives: This is an app that helps students with math by having visuals, representations, and explanations. This is a great tool to help with free time because students who are having trouble in math and want to learn how to do what they are struggling with, they can use their free time to help themselves. I think this is an awesome idea because it is making free time productive and educational.