Just Press Enter...

I've done a lot of looking around lately. I've worked in the business world, and I've worked in education for quite some time. What I've seen as I've stopped, and sometimes stared, are people using their smartphones, laptops, desktop computers and now tablet devices to be productive in their jobs, communicate, and make collaborative decisions about work and family life.

People live their mobile lives connected to mobile devices and mobile people. That's how we all work, play, and learn. If that is how we work, play and learn the question truly becomes why should technology not be integrated into the classroom? Why should it not mirror business so students can become work-ready, and mirror society, so students can become active civic participants?

I fully understand in tough economic times that technology in the hands of students are equity and money issues, but look around away from your schools and you'll see students from elementary ages through adulthood already using devices of their own, working and participating in online endeavors, living online lives. Like any other tool, technology in the classroom has to be integrated from not just a functional perspective, but also a safety and ethical perspective. Otherwise, the issue becomes a double-edged sword. It can be an avenue to truly engaging learning experiences, or a trail leading down some very negative paths with potentially some very serious consequences.

A research report entitled "Teens Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites" released November 9th by The Pew Internet and American Life Project stated "95% of all teens ages 12-17 are now online, and 80% of those online teens are users of social media sites." Students are weaving their way through the world wide web wilderness with or without guidance or education about safety, ethical, and health issues. Knowing this, we cannot afford to stick our heads in the sand.

Our students need to come out of schools not only knowing how to use technologies, but also how to participate appropriately as informed global digital citizens who can filter the masses of information with which they are bombarded. Media literacy is essential so it should be woven into every lesson using any type of researched resource.

So what does technology integration look like in a well-functioning classroom? As I see it, technology offers three exceptional benefits - the ability to explore, the ability to inform and reform thoughts, and the ability to create responses to what is explored and learned. It's a reciprocal relationship centered around the content. The tools just become part and parcel of the content we are teaching.

Tools will change as technology changes, but the ability to use it to acquire and manipulate information quickly, prompt to think, rethink, analyze, synthesize, and create will always be part of the human experience. We are curious and social by nature, and technology has tapped into those human drives. Successfully integrated technology into classroom learning experiences doesn't make the devices invisible, but they're not the centerpiece of the learning experience. (Photo by Brad Flickinger via a creative commons license)

How to Keep Kids Engaged in Class

Many times teachers are looking for ways to help students focus and stay on task. Here is a list of ten smart ways to increase classroom participation with a short example for each.

1. Start class with a mind warm-up.
   a. Ask students to find the mistakes planted in material written on the board.
2. Use movement to get students focused.
   a. Have students join in simple choreographed physical movement.
3. Teach students how to collaborate before expecting success.
   a. Prior to an activity, create a teamwork rubric with students that reviews descriptions of desired norms and behaviors.
4. Use quickwrites when you want quiet time and student reflection.
   a. Have students do short journal-writing assignments to calm down.
5. Run a tight ship when giving instructions.
   a. Before speaking to the class, require (1) total silence, (2) complete attention, and (3) all five eyeballs on you (two eyes on their face, two eyes on their knees, and the eyeball on their heart).
6. Use a fairness cup to keep students thinking.
   a. As part of classroom management, the teacher should create a supportive environment, where students are encouraged to take risks without fear of being put down or teased, then its easier to use your fairness cup.
7. Use signaling to allow everyone to answer your question.
   a. To ensure that all students are actively thinking, regularly ask questions that every student must prepare at least one answer -- letting them know you expect an answer.
8. Use minimal supervision tasks to squeeze dead time out of regular routines.
   a. While passing out papers, ask students to do a quickwrite or to pair up and quiz each other on vocabulary words.
9. Mix up your teaching styles.
   a. To keep students involved and on their toes, try to move from teacher-centered learning to student-centered active learning, and vice versa.
10. Create teamwork tactics that emphasize accountability.
    a. By insisting that students "ask three before me," you make it clear that they are expected to seek assistance from all members of their team before they turn to you.
    
    

To gain more insight into these tips please read the entire article at Edutopia:http://www.edutopia.org/classroom-student-participation-tips