This weeks presenter was Chris Fredrickson! He is a Web Based Course Consultant with MB Education.
Bit.ly: bit.ly/2QRxWzh
Chris discussed technology supports for students:
- Classmate communication (text, email, etc.)
- Photos of Assignments
- Online Videos
- Social Media
- Mobile Apps for Organization
I think the biggest technological support available to our students is their cellphones.
Cellphones allow students to access all of the above supports. In my last placement (grade 8, Winnipeg) classmate communication happened via group chats, texting, email etc. My class of 17 students made a group chat on their own where they would ask each other questions about homework, find out what they missed if they were sick and share study questions for upcoming tests or quizzes. There were a few students in this class that struggled maintaining an agenda. They would take photos of assignments or a picture of the homework board before leaving for the day (whether or not they checked their photos that night was another story...) We would use online videos as learning tools every day and students used their cellphones to film their own video projects for their "Ancient Egypt Vlogs". My cooperating teacher had a few students who would contact her through her social media on her professional Instagram with questions about tests or projects (how do you guys feel about that? I feel like that would be a no-no in some divisions). I feel like, in a french immersion classroom especially, there is so much room for helpful mobile apps. *See bottom of page for a list of apps I would have my students download on the first day of school and why they would be useful in the French Immersion classroom.*
So with all that being said... what do you guys think? Obviously cellphone use policies are going to vary division to division, but what if it was up to you? I've created a brief survey because I'm curious to know where everyone's at. All responses are anonymous and I will be posting the results in next weeks blog!
If you chose one of the pro cellphone options, would you mind letting me know in the comments what regulations or expectations (if any) you would implement in your classroom? In theory, I like the idea of a classroom where students use their cellphones freely and responsibly. I'm just trying to figure out what that looks like in practice.
Thanks everyone,
-Mme. Lamont
Useful apps for French Immersion
(Or: Apps that save my butt as a french-as-a-second-language speaker)- French Dictionary - Offline - Great if not all your students have data, free, great for finding out if the word is masc. or fem. Great as a spelling reference. Awesome French word of the day feature for expanding vocabulary.
- WordReference.com dictionaries - Just the mobile version of the website that runs circles around Google translate. Provides multiple translations based on context.
- French verbs conjugation - Conjugation - It's embarrassing how much I use this. Just a quick, simple App to conjugate your verbs.
- Duolingo - Fun just for practice at home. Can build your students confidence. I'm using it to learn Spanish. Encourage all your students to learn Spanish. It's an awesome language. Plus it's a lot easier to learn if they already know French!
I think we should incorporate cell phones into our everyday classroom. our students have them in their hand and it may distract them for our lessons. By using technology like iPads or cellphones it breaks that stigma that technology is bad in education. we must use it properly though to get the most out of our students. technology is much part of our everyday life so why not use it in our classroom as well to teach our students.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, Ellen. I look forward to seeing the results of your poll next week!
ReplyDeleteHi Ellen,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. You have a great way of presenting your information and I am going to attempt to become more tech savvy. I liked your poll and your graphics. I find the apps you use interesting compared to the ones I use.
I chose the option for letting students use cell phones during explicit permission and for educational purposes only. I feel that technology is another area that we as teachers need to be helping students to learn about including self regulation. There are appropriate times to use technology and times that good old fashioned pen and pencil tasks must be conducted. I agree that technology has a place to be used in mathematics once a concept is mastered let's say. For example if students do not know how to multiply and they use a cellphone to complete answers at the grade 4 level, technology is not assisting a task, students are completely relying on technology. However, in complicated mathematical equations that have been mastered prior to the use of technology, technology may increase speed of the task at hand. Technology assisting a student who is unable to type (possibly due to a disability for example) and uses a computer's talk to text feature to type for the student, I consider that technological assistance. The student's life is enriched by this particular technology.
Steph
Hey Ellen, great blog! Even though my last practicum was plagued by cellphones in the classroom I am still a proponent of them. I think that it is not worth the constant conflict that trying to prevent them.
ReplyDeleteYour list of uses for cell phones is great. I totally agree that devices have a place and a function in the classroom. Finding new ways to use phones is always useful.
great post, very thoughtful and thorough investigation of the information. Like the poll too!
ReplyDelete