Good morning again to those who were chatting about equity just a few minutes ago! Good morning to everyone else! Alex, 21st Century Teaching and Learning Coordinator in Freeport, Illinois! #sunchat
Hi there! I'm Jim McClain, a 7th grade math problem solving teacher in Elkhart, Indiana. I teach in a school that just went one-to-one with iPads and I can't wait to talk about it today! #sunchat
What if the focus was on doing what is right 4 all kids? Giving them the properly trained teachers who provide appropriate instruction + accommodations? What if schools had that mindset? #sayDyslexia All students deserve 2 learn 2 read. #edchat#education#sunchat#mapoli#MAedu
Good Morning #SunChat - Meredith joining from SW Florida. I am anxiously awaiting my marvelous husband who went to get me a cinnamon role that I have been dreaming about for three days!
GM everyone! Telannia Norfar from Oklahoma City. I teach students how to achieve their potential through math subjects assigned to 11 and 12 grades. #sunchat
If any of you haven't yet voted for the #BookCampPD Winter/Spring focus books, two minutes of your time to do so would be greatly appreciated! https://t.co/S9Ahi4qfgc <-- Just click the link and return to it when you have a minute #SunChat
A1: I see positive and negative. When it comes to research, Ss have access to so many more resources. Especially primary sources & making connections to the past. The negative I see is obsessing over Snapchat and more intense social drama. #sunchat
... not to be negative ... but ... Go @Patriots ! #sunchat I believe we can set aside our football differences and be good participants in the chat. LOL
Awesome to see preservice Ts jumping in on EduTwitter chats. Thanks #barbersclass@barbersclass for promoting the use of Twitter for our future Ts! #sunchat
In reply to
@Hannah11515557, @barbersclass, @barbersclass
I’m chewing on whether the social drama was always there; we are just more keen to it because it is no longer compartmentalized to the cafeteria and school yard. #sunchat
My school went 1:1 this year - each 5th and 6th grade student getting their chromebook to carry with them all day. They are OBSESSED with it, and spend so much time consuming games, not producing! Frustrating how much time I spend redirecting. Novelty for them. #sunchat lol
Just want to start with my own gladness for the digital age. Allows you to celebrate with the world. I am officially a national board teacher as of yesterday!!!!! Took me 6 years to do it but so worth it. #sunchat
A1: Also, I see less doodling! Instead of doodling or reflecting in between note-taking, students are checking their messages (much like adults during meetings.) #sunchat
I worry about parent engagement. Watching a family have dinner together in a restaurant the other day - both Ps were on their phones while their little 4-ish yr old girl played with the napkin and kicked the chair. Sadly, this seems to be common #sunchat
I keep reminding them that the Board of Education, when deciding to spend the funds, didn't have in mind that they were purchasing game consoles.... #sunchat
A1 Providing digital media can mean flexible learning. Students who struggle with print become engaged using leveled supports and toolbar accessibility aids that stand to keep them on grade level. Many free digital tools to try at https://t.co/XH1B2I70Aw via @CAST_UDL#sunchat
I’m reflecting (with my own kids) if this is because they are ultimately disengaged with our current educational system and the chrome books provide a distraction from boredom. Not sure, but something I’m observing #sunchat
I’m chewing on whether the social drama was always there; we are just more keen to it because it is no longer compartmentalized to the cafeteria and school yard. #sunchat
Oh dear! But .. the novelty will wear off. I remember when my father purchased one of the first laptop computers for me as a gift back in 1993 - oh yeah .. I've come one heck of a LONG way! #sunchat
My wife just wrapped up a massive community showcase our church was sponsoring. Knowing how stressed she'd been for the past week, I ran out early in the morning to get a couple of freshly-made donuts for her. Gotta support our spouses! #sunchat
I agree that most of what is bad about digital was always there. I think it is a combo of it not being able to be contained better and since you feel slightly protected more people who wouldn’t do it in person are now doing it. #sunchat
Timing is everything -- sometimes in in Tweets, definitely in communication & parenting. #sunchat
p.s. I'm Brian. I teach middle-school students English in Colorado, so sharpening digital & analog communication skills is our leading priority.
Adults are the worst with checking their media and not being "present". Have you looked around a faculty meeting lately? We all are wondering what's going on everywhere else except where we are. I see it with the kids, too. Hard to compete with "cookie clicker". #sunchat
A1: Also, I see less doodling! Instead of doodling or reflecting in between note-taking, students are checking their messages (much like adults during meetings.) #sunchat
A1- Although there are pros and cons to everything I believe this has many pros! The biggest thing being the kiddos love their technology, even if we may have to redirect their focus every now and then. Not to mention SO many more resources + activities. #sunchat
Lol. I reflect to when I was a 5th grader and how I would have responded; “just because adults are clueless doesn’t mean they don’t suffer consequences” #sunchat
First of all, I'm happy to not have to provide my students with calculators anymore. I'm literally richer for that. They went through calculators like hot knives through butter. #sunchat
I think the drama was always there but it has intensified with the ability to push it nonstop. The challenge for parents and educators is to teach proper use of social media and also healthy responses to negative triggers. #sunchat
Ha! I love this, Meredith! Now I'm thinking about how far I've come since having a Vic 20 in my room and playing paratrooper all the time...
We've come a long way, baby! #sunchat
In all honesty, I am not receiving anymore "engagement" than I did before everyone had email/cell phones. communication may be easier but real engagement is not greater. #sunchat
A1: Also, I see less doodling! Instead of doodling or reflecting in between note-taking, students are checking their messages (much like adults during meetings.) #sunchat
I just think digital has eliminated traditional power structures. Leaders have failed to adapt to their loss of power and their ability to control. Kids have more power. That’s good, but leaders are struggling to change #sunchat
A1: This article is perfect for our topic today. It explains the need for technology but the importance of elevating the human aspect of life as well. 📚 #sunchat
Perhaps, but I think the Fb, Instagram phenomena has caused many Ss (and adults actually) to feel depressed & left out. Social media lives don't match reality but lonely kids dont' realize this. I do worry about some of our fragile adolescents. #SunChat
Ohh. That is the one thing I wish all my Ss could buy. We use a combination of graphing and scientific. Scientific is on their phone so that is good but graphing the way I need is not :(. They also fall out when I tell them the cost. #schoolswithpovertyproblem#sunchat
I’ll share I have experienced the opposite. I am much more engaged. I think the problem is an either/or mentality, not both/and. Digital is designed to enhance face to face, not replace it. https://t.co/MFoOw1YbQr#sunchat
Right. I extoll the opportunities of engagement through tech, but it doesn’t do it for you. It’s a means— once engagement skills and efforts are already there. #SunChat
I disagree on the drama. The intensity of the process has been exponentially heightened by social media, with much manifesting as reactions to sm posts. #sunchat
In reply to
@alextvalencic, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
I also made all my students subscribe to my YouTube channel. I sometimes record daily instructions for them to follow and they receive notifications when I've uploaded a new video. By the time they come to my class, they already know what they should be doing on arrival. #sunchat
Changing assignments is so important to help our Ss. If you're giving the same assignment from 5+ yrs ago, have you Google-proofed it? They're no longer pulling information by analyzing text, they're Googling your Qs. #sunchat
Interesting, though, that the Parents who attended our recent conferences were not happy about 6th graders having their own device with them all day. "Too much time at home on computers" was the consensus. "Need them to not be staring at screens." Interesting. #sunchat
I feel like it's definitely intensified and more prevalent in the classroom. As @alextvalencic said, it is non-stop, and like you said it's no longer compartmentalized. I've seen students break down in tears &/or run from my room because of a post or text. #sunchat
If I am not going to be there that day, they can still receive my instructions directly from me, and can pause on the work if I've included it in the video. These are very nice positives. #sunchat
I went from a school that had weekly faculty meetings for the sake of having weekly faculty meetings to a district where they only happen if there is something everyone needs to discuss in person as a group; there's more engagement because we all know it is important. #sunchat
#sunchat The digital word is going to continue to expand, there is just no way we will be able to keep up. Is technology necessary, if so at what age does it become a need? If we are not using technology in the classroom they will still get it somewhere else
There's truth in what you say, Carla; there are also other sides to this coin as suggested by recent Pew Research survey: https://t.co/2RgcXTt93z#sunchat
In reply to
@carlameyrink, @thnorfar, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
This is such a dramatic shift in human interactions. It is extremely important that we lean back, take a moment and realize different generations now have different lenses in viewing the same topics. I highly suggest those who are working on climate issue buy this book #SunChat
A1: I think that technology is very helpful when it comes to using a book or looking up useful websites but it needs to be the appropriate amount. I don't think the entire class should be centered around the technology. #sunchat#barbersclass@barbersclass
That's great! I use Google Classroom in that same way - post video, text, messages that gives them a heads up a to what we'll be covering that day. #sunchat
We adults have failed to recognize digital and virtual being as real to our kids than face to face interactions were to us growing up. We’ve looked at digital as a “fad.” It’s not. It’s reality. #sunchat
It’s a hard truth, but I suspect devices are a distraction when engagement isn’t as strong as it could be.
However... isn’t it about what they’re doing on the Chrome books? I mean, if they’re bored they may get distracted playing with a pencil (another learning tool). #SunChat
I’m reflecting (with my own kids) if this is because they are ultimately disengaged with our current educational system and the chrome books provide a distraction from boredom. Not sure, but something I’m observing #sunchat
Yes, it is easier to say something mean when you're not saying it to someone's face. And the audience for the mean comment is much larger than just the girl's bathroom (as in pre-tech days.) #sunchat
No doubt. Fidgeting is fidgeting. But I think chrome books have taken kids from content creators (doodling) to entertainment consumers (digital games) #sunchat
When my daughter went on a mission trip, all phones were outlawed by the leaders of the trip. She said she loved it! It was so great to really connect at a different level w/ her friends and others.
We need to make this happen more often. #sunchat
I'm glad to see the positives. As in anything, it's not all bad. But I do worry about my Ps who seem to use tech as a babysitter & engage much less with their kids. Maybe they never really engaged before either, but it was less noticeable? Could be.
#sunchat
In reply to
@brianrozinsky, @thnorfar, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
Some of my most enduring friendships are with people I have known online for decades but have never met in person once. Some of my most supportive colleagues are here on Twitter. If I can have such positive online connections, surely my students can (and do), too. #sunchat
Great point. But with all vices, aren't adults always saying the same? I love that my students are learning how to navigate a keyboard and I love watching them get faster and more experienced on it. Just need to find a way to keep them on task in class. My challenge. #sunchat
#sunchat parent engagement looks different depending of their occupation and the age of the child. Older children communicate with parents and they laugh and tell jokes. While others parents are always consumed by work and dont take time to listen or pay attention to their child
I think one of the gaps is seeing digital as a landscape/venue instead of it being a tool. We have not prepped our children to live digitally. We throw them to the Wild West of digital cities. #sunchat
I am really happy for my kids sake that there wasn't as much technology when my kids were really little. back in the day when kindergarten students didn't have their own iPhones. Remember that? #sunchat
In reply to
@carlameyrink, @brianrozinsky, @thnorfar, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
I love the digital age. I feel like for the first time it really makes everyone equal. I think if we as Ts realize it is the new civil rights then those of us who have given Ss access can truly help them change their situation #sunchat
Meeting a colleague who I’ve engaged with digitally at a conference face to face certainly is a bigger deal than meeting someone at a conference who I’ve never met before #sunchat
Yes! Tech tools can be a means of engagement in learning that’s not possible without them. It’s important not to have this conversation just from the standpoint of nondisabled students. BUT ALSO: If we believe in universal design, the tool is an asset, not the problem. #SunChat
A1 Providing digital media can mean flexible learning. Students who struggle with print become engaged using leveled supports and toolbar accessibility aids that stand to keep them on grade level. Many free digital tools to try at https://t.co/XH1B2I70Aw via @CAST_UDL#sunchat
We take kids on weekend hikes into the mountains where there's no cell phone coverage & although they're pretty nervous about it beforehand, they also like the experience. It's all about balance, isn't it?
#SunChat
If students have devices and aren't becoming content creators, something needs to change in 1:1. Creating is the top of Bloom's. How do we make that happen more? I don't know if many Ts understand this. #sunchat
I am NOT playing Devil's advocate with this question. (Satan does need anyone advocating for him!) Do we *need* more f-2-f connections? Or are our connections changing and we need to adapt to that? #sunchat
There needs to be a balance of both unplugged and plugged-in learning. We have to provide time for play, face-to-face interaction, and freedom from a device but balance that with digital learning because it’s a necessity in today’s world.🌎#sunchat
I do have some negatives, though: Monitoring what every student is doing on their device at all times while engaging a single student meaningfully to try to help them through a complex problem has proven nearly impossible. #sunchat
Love your question. Perhaps, right under our noses, these connections have shifted. If you ask that question of a 15 year old, 25, 35, 45, even 80+ I bet you would get completely different answers. #SunChat
I am NOT playing Devil's advocate with this question. (Satan does need anyone advocating for him!) Do we *need* more f-2-f connections? Or are our connections changing and we need to adapt to that? #sunchat
In the 90's in the Dom Rep we had very little electricity (one hour in 30) for several years. My kids grew up without t.v., video games, etc. & they hated it. But now they say it was one of the best things for developing imagination. However, I do like electricity!
#sunchat
In reply to
@Lisa42Slp, @brianrozinsky, @thnorfar, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
Getting staff to agree on universal standards for appropriate use has been impossible as well. We rolled out the iPads way too soon. I have colleagues trying to ban things that are absolutely essential to effectively using them. #sunchat
This is the final slide from my Open House presentation to all parents. Making sure they understand that we use a LOT of tech at @Marian_Catholic but more importantly, we keep a balance w/ the physical world. #sunchat
In reply to
@carlameyrink, @susankotch, @Marian_Catholic
Biggest thing I see from Ss and adults is not putting parameters on it. I personally disconnect at certain times. I make my students do it too. Their phones get put in jail if they have it during certain times of the class. #sunchat
Yeah, I would prefer electricity too. However, you got to give limits to things so that you cultivate other things that are important. I think we are at the time where we are not knowing that quite yet. #sunchat
In reply to
@carlameyrink, @Lisa42Slp, @brianrozinsky, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
I’m not sure how many kids understand the nuance of this. We used to (some still do) teach citizenship in school, do we need to teach digital citizenship? How are we preparing kids to enter a world we ourselves struggle to navigate #sunchat
I disagree with "cell phone jail" as the world we live in - the one they will be functioning adults in - won't have life without technology. Why should a classroom? Now is the time to teach students how best to capitalize on the gift they have before them. #SunChat
Agreed! But we should be doing it at the appropriate time and place. Not during work, not when we are eating dinner with family... The kids also need to know and respect those boundaries. #sunchat@alextvalencic
Some of my most enduring friendships are with people I have known online for decades but have never met in person once. Some of my most supportive colleagues are here on Twitter. If I can have such positive online connections, surely my students can (and do), too. #sunchat
I see differentiation opportunities, which gets to hard work of addressing various needs: alternatives to tech as baby sitter, invitations to visit tech landscape (H/T, @3_DLeadership) for reluctant adopters, extensions for families ready for new avenues to explore. #sunchat
In reply to
@carlameyrink, @thnorfar, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D, @3_DLeadership
People, not things, take kids from one place to another. If Chrome books (or anything) are a means of distraction, they are also a means of learning and growth. It’s a new challenge, but how do WE (people) use tech to teach? Chrome books don’t do one or the other for us. #SunChat
No doubt. Fidgeting is fidgeting. But I think chrome books have taken kids from content creators (doodling) to entertainment consumers (digital games) #sunchat
That is still crazy to think about to me. I just don’t see why anyone thinks they should even add a bill like that to their lives. Don’t think it is necessary for anyone 10 or under #sunchat
In reply to
@Lisa42Slp, @carlameyrink, @brianrozinsky, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
I see your point. But I do really believe f-2-f relationships are important. Ex: when our individualized PD was mostly on Google classroom, our Ts complained. They said they learn more by meeting in groups & sharing.
#sunchathttps://t.co/2zXvyAg6WN
I'm not saying there isn't value to in-person or face-to-face connections; there absolutely is! I do think that we have many adults who think that the in-person connections are more valuable than the virtual ones and that is the mindset I want to push against. #sunchat
Like the camera? That's my favorite complaint from people who don't understand. What's even worse is when a network guy decides what everyone has access to. A friend of mine is dealing w/ that now. Ss aren't able to access essential tools b/c of 1 person. #sunchat
I think digital connections that lead to face to face engagement are what I’m talking about. For example; I start a new job in January. I’ve already made micro-connections digitally before I’ve arrived. I’m engaged with my staff. I couldn’t do that without digital #sunchat
I know. My kids didn't get one until middle school and that is because I needed to get ahold of them after sports practice etc. more for safety reasons. They thought I was cruel. lol Now you see them have them so young. #sunchat
In reply to
@thnorfar, @carlameyrink, @brianrozinsky, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
I get your poiint and I agree - the opportunities in tech are amazing. But I think it's about balance. Those Ps who never look up from their phones to speak to their kids are showing a lack of balance that I find negative. And I believe the consequences are devastating.
#sunchat
Yes, I'm using Classroom. But I can't use it effectively when I'm engaged with a student in a difficult multistep problem. I may actually need up to five minutes where I'm not looking at screens! LOL #sunchat
Such a struggle! I learned quickly that if I was going to help guide students with whatever piece of technology, I needed to be the best of friends with that network guy to help him understand. #SunChat
Were responses broken down by age or was that a unanimous response? Is it a generational thing? Is there a happy medium that balances online and in-person? #sunchat
I am worried about it too. I wonder if it was something we always lacked and now it is more visible. I also wonder if it fosters it even if parents could do it. Wondering if schools should start talking about the need for setting parameters around it. #sunchat
In reply to
@carlameyrink, @brianrozinsky, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
Absolutely, because (a) I’m a big advocate of digital citizenship and (b) when kids don’t understand something, I’m pretty sure that’s why they’re in school to learn. #SunChat
I’m not sure how many kids understand the nuance of this. We used to (some still do) teach citizenship in school, do we need to teach digital citizenship? How are we preparing kids to enter a world we ourselves struggle to navigate #sunchat
I LOVE learning with all of you this morning in #SunChat - such an important conversations! So many passionate educators sharing their thoughts and exchanging idea. You're da best!!
I like the term "micro-connections" ... I have micro-connections (some deeper than others) with many ... waiting for their engagement opportunities. I ask and they respond. #sunchat
A2: I think that parent engagement doesn't have to do with technology, it has to do with the parent. If a parent wants to be engage with their child than they will be. Technology isn't going to stop that. #sunchat#barbersclass@barbersclass
Ugh, I hate generalizations like that. I'm 54, and I'm faster at picking up and adapting to technology changes than the "kids" in my building. #sunchat
In reply to
@alextvalencic, @carlameyrink, @susankotch
I see meaningful difference between "jail" idea -- something done *to* students -- and Bored & Brilliant parameters that could be implemented *with* students. Older students might even opt into some themselves when they feel device use crossing uncomfortable boundaries. #sunchat
Our kids see those micro-connections on the same level (sometimes moreso) as face to face connections. That is where we need to have some conversations and not judge #sunchat
A2: Also, based on experience, I have found technology to be helpful for the parent to be engage. My mom was constantly checking my grades and seeing when my upcoming assignments were. #sunchat#barbersclass@barbersclass
That's gotta come from admin - online courses, PD, PLC's, etc... We just finished having Ts self-assess where they are with tech. Using that to build the PD they need. #sunchat
In reply to
@3_DLeadership, @JohnnieTysklind, @susankotch, @JeremyDBond
I'm so glad that I am finally done with all of my weekend travels so that I could join in these chats again! I don't know if all y'all missed me, but I've definitely missed you! I gotta go take care of my pupper doggo! Until we meet again! #sunchat
It was unanimous. Many of my Ts are very young (mid-20's). We do balance online and in person, but they much prefer small groups doing book studies, sharing ideas, etc, than the online studies they were doing.
#sunchat
I get what you are saying. I think you are misinterpreting my use. I only teach them or give instructions for what to do for 5 or 10 min, during that time only do the phones go into jail IF they get on it. If they don’t get on it, we are good. Part 1 #sunchat
Do kids know what that means? And not incidentally, were schools ever really set up for students to be producers and not consumers of information? Why are we frustrated with the tech? Why not demand supports to uproot a system that failed to prepare for the inevitable? #SunChat
If students have devices and aren't becoming content creators, something needs to change in 1:1. Creating is the top of Bloom's. How do we make that happen more? I don't know if many Ts understand this. #sunchat
Thought I'm having: We are our habits. We can change those habits, of course, but it's a lot more work the more ingrained those habits become.
For more research in this direction, see Power of Habit by @cduhigg#sunchat
In reply to
@thnorfar, @carlameyrink, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D, @cduhigg
HUGE issue is that P are sending kids into this world w/no oversight. 20% of my S's (6th) tell me that P's never check their history yet have unlimited access. #sunchat#nothinggoodaftermidnight
In reply to
@polonerd, @Ms_Jackson_20, @carlameyrink, @susankotch
Thanks for joining this morning! Continue the conversations, and enjoy your Sunday! Have a great week, and see you next Sunday! #sunchat Enjoy your FOOTBALL!
I have found in the past they don’t know how to regulate themselves to be successful. Nothing worked I tried. Trying this for the 1st time this year and it is working beautifully! They are learning and doing it on their own more and more. Part 2 #sunchat
Yup! This isn’t a situation of teaching it and then them “getting it” (if that ever really exists). For digital citizenship, and so much more, we need continuous teaching and learning. #DigCit#SunChat
Start small. What can they 'create' to demonstrate they understand? Even it it's just videotaping themselves using physical objects to solve a problem like "If there are 3 people and 12 grapes, how can each person get an equal number of grapes?" #sunchat
Oh they know what I mean. I talk to them about them being "zombified" by video games when they can be using programs to code, write, draw, blog, connect.... I give them time to "consume", but they know they need to produce as well. #sunchat
I think it’s a wonderful problem to have. Get teachers, families, students, and the larger community together and learn from one another. Give all, particularly the students, the opportunity to teach and lead. #DigCit#SunChat
I totally get the need once a lot of events happen where it would be harder to get ahold of them. However, why would anyone need to get a hold of a 6 year old. Pple I know said it was the reason why they got it for them at their age. I was like aren’t they with you. #sunchat
In reply to
@Lisa42Slp, @carlameyrink, @brianrozinsky, @3_DLeadership, @Mrs_W_D
Acutally, this brings up a parrallel. When I was a child, my mum fought against my book worm habit the same way many Ps now fight against tech habits. Hmmmm......
#sunchat
This is a critical thread. There needs to be an adherence to the research on how to use different devices to achieve the desired learning objectives. In addition to @iste, I recommend looking at the work of Mishra & Kohler & the #tpack model #PedagogyFirst#sunchat
In reply to
@polonerd, @3_DLeadership, @JeremyDBond, @iste
I see a spin-off here, in terms of teaching device users to empower themselves by, say, turning off some/all notifications. Instead of gradual release of responsibility, this is like gradual acceptance by establishing productive parameters. #sunchat
In reply to
@thnorfar, @mjjohnson1216, @susankotch
A2: I think that parent engagement doesn't have to do with technology, it has to do with the parent. If a parent wants to be engage with their child than they will be. Technology isn't going to stop that. #sunchat#barbersclass@barbersclass
Part of the problem is that the city I live in has become much more dangerous (a lot of muggings) & Ps don't feel safe sending their kids outside. It's not easy.
#sunchat
I don’t want to lose this question. Our connections need to be human to human. Tech is a means to do that. We don’t really think of telephone conversations as less connected. #PeopleSkills#SunChat
I am NOT playing Devil's advocate with this question. (Satan does need anyone advocating for him!) Do we *need* more f-2-f connections? Or are our connections changing and we need to adapt to that? #sunchat
I don't think we can generalize about age. I have young risk takers and old risk takers, young risk averse and old risk averse. Personality? Confidence? Up bringing? So much goes into it. My job is to support them so they begin to feel comfortable with risk-taking
#sunchat
In reply to
@JeremyDBond, @TheJimMcClain, @alextvalencic, @susankotch
