Time for a Tech Check

As we continue to focus our work around student achievement, it’s important that our technology use supports our cause.  I’ve used this space to reference the SAMR model in the past and you will see a similar message in my “Tech Check”list below.

Before students use technology in the classroom, check this list:

TECH CHECKlist (All checked = great use)

• The technology is targeting a specific skill, within the curriculum, that will help the student achieve.  The targeted skill should be individualized to the student, not just one-size-fits-all activities.
• The technology is allowing the student access to content or collaboration that wouldn’t be possible without it.
• The technology is creating or housing student content that demonstrates their mastery of current curriculum.

That is it, it’s a pretty short list.  Technology use should be meaningful and purposeful.  Passive or consumption use (videos, game rewards, listening to music) really should be minimized.  Our students are consuming more and more technology every day.  According to CNN, students are spending between 6-9 hours a day on screens.  As a school district, I think it is important for us to tie student screen time to student achievement goals.  If the screen time doesn’t impact student achievement, don’t use it.  The American Academy for Pediatrics has provided tips for parents that I think easily transfer into the classroom.  Start with the tech checklist above, but also incorporate some of the AAP tips by modelling appropriate use, valuing face to face communication, setting limits and having a tech free zone in your classroom. Narrowing our technology use to purposeful use, not only will model appropriate behavior, but ultimately will impact student achievement.

Supporting Standards with SAMR

When we dig into our grade level or discipline standards (Common Core, NGSS, etc.) and identify what it is our students are expected to master, one of the next logical steps is to develop activities that support the mastery of the content.  As these activities are created, this is where differentiation has to be present.  If we create a “one size fits all” activity, our results will be equally as flat.  So, differentiate the activity for all students to grow in the mastery of the content. 

This brings us to SAMR, see a previous blog post for a reminder of what SAMR is, as we start designing the activities.  Can we create a learning opportunity that isn’t possible without the technology?  If not, we are just

substituting this with this

                  

Instead, what if we create an activity where students can practice the skill and explain their thinking.  

Click on the image to go to the video.

Wisconsin Academic Standard, Mathematics: 1.OA.A.1

ISTE Standards, Student: Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency,          Technology Operations and Concepts

This is perfect example of “R”edifining instruction on the SAMR model.  By using the app Educreations, the teacher is still having her students work on single digit addition, like the worksheet and app example above, but she is also asking her students to give a “math talk” that explains their reasoning.  Based on observations during universal instruction and assessments, we then can create a differentiated experience where all students can:

• Use academic language that supports mastery at their level as it supports the standard.

• Show their mastery by creating “How to” videos for an audience and creating an authentic purpose that wasn’t possible in the worksheet or skill and drill app.

Now let’s look at a 6-12 example.

substituting this with this

           

Again, instead let’s create an activity where students still identify the content, but can explain their understanding in their own words as well (using Shadow Puppet and Seesaw).

Click image to watch video

NGSS, Middle School Life Science: MS-LS1-2

Common Core Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4

ISTE Standards, Student: Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency, Technology Operations and Concepts

Technology can be a very awesome tool in our educational tool belt, or it can just be a digital version of the same tool.  A hammer is a hammer, whether it is real or digital.  Instead of just hitting the nail, lets have our students explain why they are hitting the nail and what strategy works best for them.  If we design our classroom activities in this frame, we will have a much deeper understanding of what ALL of our students know.

Playing in the Positive

This is a step away from my normal Ed Tech blog...Today's topic: Youth Basketball.  After a weekend of watching 4th and 5th graders play in a state basketball tournament, I was inspired to share some of my observations.

Disclaimer: This blog isn't directed at my son, his teammates, his coaches, or our group of parents, it is a reflection on multiple teams and supporters I witnessed at the tournament.

The reasons we participate in sports are numerous: love of the game, competition, camaraderie, community pride, etc.  All positive!!  However, frustration and anger were the two dominant emotions I witnessed this weekend from players, coaches, and parents.  My concern is that we are creating a culture of playing in the negative.

What is playing in the negative?

A player makes a negative play (turnover, missed shot, defensive mistake, failure to block out, etc.) and that play is immediately followed by a negative reaction.  This weekend I witnessed countless negative reactions from multiple sources, including the player involved, teammates, coaches, and parents.  These ranged from body language, to yelling (at the ref, teammate, parent, child, etc.), to pouting or giving up, or worse--retaliation.

As a result, that one negative play has now grown exponentially and has lowering the "negative bar" even lower for the next negative play, and so on, and so on.

Mistakes are part of the learning cycle.

Basketball is a game where players constantly have to learn and evolve, and mistakes or negative plays are a natural part of that learning cycle.  In my 30 plus years as a player, coach, and spectator, I have never witnessed a "perfect game,” mistakes and negative plays happen.  We can't control when mistakes happen as there are too many variables from the play of another player, the ability of the opposing team, or a missed call by a referee.  What we CAN control is how we respond when a negative play happens.  The teacher in me always likes to compare the basketball court to the classroom.  Imagine if the "playing in the negative" scenario happened in that environment. I would imagine it would look something like this:

• A 4th grade student is reading in class and mispronounces a word.  The reading specialist in the classroom identifies the error to the student.
• After being corrected, the student shows their frustration by flipping their book over and gesturing towards the regular classroom teacher with their hands up.
• At the same time, the classmate next to the student slams their hands on the desk and shouts "Really?!"
• Then the student's parents yell at the student, "Come on!  You are better than that!"
• Finally, the classroom teacher stands up, walks towards the reading specialist and yells, "Now you are going to call that?  The other kids mispronounced the same word and you didn't call anything!"

I think we all can agree that this isn’t a culture of learning in the classroom, so why is it ok on the basketball court? We need to play in the positive.

What is playing in the positive?

A player makes a negative play (turnover, missed shot, defensive mistake, failure to block out, etc.), realizes that mistakes happen and concentrates on making a positive play on the next possession.  At the same time, the player thinks about what caused the negative play and how it could be avoided next time.  Teammates respond by supporting their teammate with positive play in the next possession as well and reflect on how they could have changed their play to positively impact the situation.  Coaches encourage the player to respond with positive play.  When the time is appropriate, ask some constructive questions or give good feedback.

• Why do you think the negative play happened?
• What could you have done differently during the play?
• Give specific skills or activities that you will work on in practice to help.

Parents also encourage the player to respond with positive play.  Focus on positive play, not the negative play.

Model positive responses to officials.

We need to stop complaining to referees.  When we do this, we are modeling to our kids/players that this is acceptable behavior.  Has anyone ever witnessed a sporting event where somebody has argued or complained to a referee and the referee changes the call? When a call doesn't go our way, we need to let it go and model how to handle it positively.  This weekend I referenced a handful of technical fouls, a few flagrant fouls, and one coach ejection...in a 4th/5th grade tournament.

Change the culture!

Where do we go from here?  Well, we need to change the culture one play at a time.  "Playing in the Negative" didn't happen overnight, it has been learned by our kids/players over time.  Getting our kids/players to "Play in the Positive" will take effort, but ultimately will produce players we all will be proud of.

Play in the Positive!