Research Project: BYOD (Bring Your
Own Device) Project Pocket Technology
1.
A brief introduction to, and rationale for,
the project including reference to a sample of the existing literature on the
topic of interest (5 or so articles) :
This
project is critically exploring, designing and developing technology
integration lessons and activities, as a means of, meeting the needs of
students, in a multimodal Grade 2 level classroom Cisco Group (2008) found the
following:
Students engaged in learning
that incorporates multimodal designs, on average, outperform students who learn
using traditional approaches with single modes. (p. 13)
In order
to change teaching for the 21st Century learner teachers must begin changing
the strategies and techniques that they have been using since the industrial
age (Tapscott, 1998). Students already
see the value of meaningful work and see the need to change how teachers
traditionally do things. Students are
saying, 21st Century skills such as, collaboration, communication,
critical thinking, and the use of technology for meaningful learning are
essential. Teachers need to be willing
to make the change and begin teaching 21st Century skills (Larmer &
Mergendoller, 2010, p. 3). Using 21st
Century methods including Web 2.0 tools will equip students with the necessary
skills to be competitive in seeking future careers. Using technology that is connected and
meaningful to students is highly motivational. Teachers can leverage student
learning by the effective use of technology and the ability to scaffold the
learning to meet each student’s needs (Cisco Group 2008, p. 14). Teachers can maximize this learning by
integrating pocket technology (PT) into their teaching practice. From the moment a learning project begins to
the creation, sharing, analyzing, presentation and publication, students will
use their PT which is highly motivational and makes learning fun encompassing
the new 21st Century literacy skills. Not all students have access to a PT which
connects to wifi. Thus, in order to ensure all students have equal learning
opportunities, the teacher provides access to classroom computers and classroom
devices such as tablets, enabling all students’ involvement in the
learning. In addition to the lack of devices,
there is the struggle of integrating BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) into the
classroom. Using different devices, for
example iPad, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7 do not behave the same. These devices all do basically the same thing
but you have to adjust how things are done and the way that the program or app
behaves with the different operating systems.
Each device has its own unique characteristics, strengths and operation
procedures. The
multi device classroom has many different types of devices challenging the
teacher to create assignments that will work on different platforms. It is the teacher’s role to create both
multi-platform and multimodal activities which will attain the same learning goal. This multimodal learning is to be scaffolded
for the multilevel classroom
A New Mindset: BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
The pocket devices will become the Swiss army knife of digital learning
tools (Kolb, 2011, p. 42). Teachers may
know little about using cell phones or other pocket devices (IPods) however;
these devices which are able to connect wirelessly serve as access points for
many Web 2.0 activities. Examples such
as, social media collaboration, inquiry searching, higher-level thinking
analysing content, creating content collaboratively all belonging to the
participatory culture (Varlas, 2010). It
is also realized, teachers must teach appropriate use of this technology. Furthermore, these pocket devices can replace
several tools currently used often needed in today’s classrooms. This is where my project will be most
effective. The lessons and activities
contained in the project will assist the teacher in integrating technology in
their classroom. My students access this
technology such as, a portable calculator, timer, stopwatch, a level, a book,
slideshow creator, voice recorder, video recording device, QR Code reader and
creator, and endless more functions found in their pockets and backpacks (Varlas,
2010). Using cell phones or other
portable connective devices as teaching tools provide great opportunities for
learning. I feel that designing good
lessons, by using the many tools offered in the PT, is an effective way to
connect, motivate and maximize student learning.
It is evident that wireless devices in the elementary classroom can
create quite a bit of distraction. What
I did was control the amount of time the students had with their PT in hand.
One strategy I used was to collect their PT at different points during
the day when they were not going to use them for learning. This procedure was also used during recess
and lunch breaks. The PTs’ were gathered, placed it in a basket and then locked
in my office for safe keeping.
I was able to integrate the PT successfully into my teaching in many
ways there by eliminating the need for paper and pencil. I did have several discussions with my
students concerning appropriate use of their PT regarding picture capture and
transmission. I found one discussion was
insufficient to ensure students understood the importance of this topic.
Distraction is an additional concern which can be controlled by
limiting access to the wifi. There are
many ways of controlling access to the wifi, whether by cutting the wifi
signal, no one has a wifi connection. As
examples this method would be used during a special presentation or a school
assembly. It is also possible to limit
the access by setting up passwords for only certain users to connect. Another way to control or manage student access
is through filtering the wifi content broadcast. Limiting the student access to content on the
web seems to be a step backward. You
limit their access and students are not always able to find or search
completely. The 21st Century
Learner has been known to take this limiting as a challenge and seek ways
around the filters. Students could spend
time on this task and not at the designed lesson outcome, again learning how to
manage their access is not the greatest use of time for classroom work. Luckily restricting access can provide a bit
of reassurance for teachers as it is very difficult to manage a classroom of
free searching on the internet.
Restricting access is forcing these digital natives to function in an
unfamiliar setting. Sometimes the restricted
access does not allow the full features of the Web 2.0 capabilities and some
web sites are simply not attainable for school based work for collaborating
online. Today’s students have grown up
fully digital and expect the internet to always be at their finger tips. This restrictive method to the problem of
distraction is creating an airplane mode effect where the 21st
Century learner is expected to sit tight, don’t say a word, and listen to the
lecture. This is a more traditional view
of education from a broadcast or push style of teaching, which is not the way
these students live and learn. 21st
Century Students are more familiar with finding and creating their own learning
where they have input and a say about their content.
Secondly, this may also cause a negative relationship between the
teachers and students, causing a teacher versus student mentality of
thinking. Students may feel as if they
are not trusted to act accordingly if while searching they discover something
inappropriate. With filters on servers
at school there are still incidences of accidental pornographic images that pop
up in a search. Rather than restrict why
not engage student learning by having an abundance of access and choice? Teach students how to use the technology in a
more appropriate manner and how to react accordingly to the accidental porn pop
up advertisements. Furthermore, another
challenge for teachers to work with is the use of a filtering application to
limit the use of many programs at one time, switching networks on and off. Another approach for a teacher is to create a
contract with the student outlining the expectations of the usage of the
technology giving responsibility to the student for appropriately using the
technology. Learning contracts are a
part of school curriculums and students are familiar and comfortable working
with this model. It provides
responsibility and power to the students with consequences.
In conclusion, it is the teacher’s role to develop and plan controlled
creative activities that engages the students learning using their PT aligning
the learning materials or outcomes with 21st Century literacy skills
(Fang, 2009). In my opinion it is
essential to discuss the appropriate use of the technology with our students,
the 21st Century Learners. By
putting these devices
in the hands of students we can begin to increase active learning, rather than
seeing distraction as a problem, teachers can see it as a way of developing new
teaching methods and new lesson designs.
2. A
clear statement of the nature of the project:
The nature
of this individual project is to create Project Based Learning opportunities
implementing the students BYOD (Bring Your Own Devices) in the classroom. This project will develop and design a series
of lessons and activities using BYOD technology available to students. The project will take a close look at the
development of meaningful learning activities focussing on using PT to maximize
student learning, in this case, a Language Arts unit of study - developing
writing skills in the area of sentence fluency.
The students will use their devices for a range of 21st Century
digital literacy activities focusing on the development of their expressive
language and writing fluency. This
project will develop and design a framework of lessons and activities
integrating PT to maximize student learning opportunities. It is important to note the many
opportunities for teachers to use the PT for their own professional learning. For example, by incorporating the video
capture feature available on most pocket technologies to take impromptu videos
of students engaged in learning provides opportunity for teacher reflection. I was able to design and implement many
literacy skills with the use of the PT engaging the students and making
learning fun. I was able to create
lessons mixing the 21st Century skills with the outcomes students
are required to learn creating a series of activities and lessons meeting the
requirements for 21st Century skills as well as the Provincial
Curriculum.
3.
A brief overview of the method to be
used in the project (i.e., workshop, teaching guide, paper etc.) The
method of this project will be in the format of the production of a teaching
guide, designing a series of lessons, activities, and assessment pieces to
align Provincial Curriculum Outcomes with the concept of BYOD, PT, and portable
technology. I was successful in mashing together 21st Century digital
Literacies with the Curriculum Outcomes creating 21st Century
lessons and activities that were meaningful and connected to the students’
interests and experiences both inside and outside of school.
4.
An indication of any other partners
to be involved (i.e., is this an individual or group project?) This is an individual project, there
are no partners or other groups involved in this guide development and project
design.
5.
A brief overview of the ethical
considerations that may be necessary-
No
ethical issues as I will not be having the students participate in this
design. However if I was implementing my
unit with students I would have to think of the ethical issues revolving the
use of picture/video capture in the classroom as well as the transmission of
these images through the Web. I would
need to have a consent form giving permission to the teacher to perform these
Web 2.0 activities.
Ethics of use in the classroom
·
capture of images and video
·
transmission of images and video
·
involving consent
6. A
projected timeline for
implementation and completion of
this unit of study is 3-4 weeks. This is usually the timeline that a Grade 2
teacher plans for sufficient time to explore and expand knowledge of the
students while maintaining student interests.
I found that the activities took longer at times to complete as some of
the students were just getting to know how to use the their PT and the new apps
that I was asking them to try out. I
experienced difficulty using the multi devices.
Some devices were not as easy to use as others. I frequently used the IPod 4th gen
as the activity platform, as this was the most common PT. There were 9 out of a possible 21 students
using the IPod 4th gen. The
activities were integrated according to the Time to Learn Strategy as part of
the Curriculum Outcomes for Language Arts.
It is important to note that I was able to meet multiple Outcomes in the
areas of Language Arts, ICT, Health, Math, Social Studies, and Visual Arts by
just one activity/lesson. This approach really maximizes the learning in the
classroom and at home.
Reflection Project Pocket Technology BYOD
1. Description
This is a project designing and developing a cross curricular unit of
study focussing on lessons and activities created for multi use Pocket
Technology (PT) such as iPod’s that many of the students have and use in Grade
2. My experiences’ creating this unit was quite positive, as I have been able to connect
current research to improved learning. Cisco Group (2008) found that
technology and multimodal curriculum design can be used to significantly
maximize student learning, and that effective teaching practices combined with
the integration of the technology can provide a richer learning experience for
the student. As students use PT and
other BYOD in the classroom they are highly motivated and excited to do the
work with their own devices and following clear expectations (Cushman,
2010). This is important because the students are willing and motivated to
learn, I noticed that each time the student’s were given a specific task using
their PT they were very motivated and willing to try harder to fully complete
the task and they had fun.
2. Analysis & Impact
I have learned that integrating technology into my classroom can be very
difficult, as there are many issues I as a teacher need to be ready to problem
solve. Such as the challenges of
appropriate use of their device, how the device works so that I am able to help
them connect to the wifi, the problem of distraction, engagement, making
activities meaningful and applicable to students. Furthermore, the challenge of multiplatform
application, ensuring students have access to the types of apps they need to
use to complete the assigned learning.
One of my first hurtles was to find a quick and efficient way to send
all students the needed information. I
needed an ability to broadcast to everyone.
The solution was to use the QR Code generator app. I feel that I have learned many useful tips
and tricks to developing and designing lessons and activities integrating PT
into the 21st Century learning community known as a classroom. I recall how the students reacted to the
ability to totally recreate themselves by digitally altering a picture using a
program called Glow Draw. They were very
motivated to do this picture altering or customizing and then to create a story
based on the picture. I did feel
defeated and frustrated when the students were not able to share their
creativity because we were not always able to make the sharing work. This failure was due to all students did not
have email accounts.
One problem I feel worth noting is the challenges to help the students
use email. I found that if the child was
not familiar with email, that using an email account for them was difficult,
they were unsure of the language and the options and functions such as adding
an attachment to a file. I did however
find it very easy to share their pictures, videos, and writing with me and the
other students as many of the apps have a built in share feature that made it
easy if they had already set up an email account. I have learned that the students who in fact
have their own multifunction PT were definitely more willing, prepared, adapted
more quickly, as well as worked a great detail into their content. These skills flourished as they were
comfortable with the technology. Due to
this the students who had the technology were more comfortable and more successful
than the ones who did not have their own PT.
I would like to state however that I was able to easily connect the
Curriculum Outcomes with integrating the technology in fun and meaningful
ways. Students did learn these 21st
Century skills which they are going to need for their future successes. The use of the PT and its portability
strongly impacted my ability to bring their portable PT to the project instead
of having to bring the project to the computer.
As mentioned by Vahey and Crawford (2003) due to the accessibility of
the internet and the portability of these devices, students were able to access
technology and the internet anywhere, anytime there was access to wifi. This portable internet means that students
did not have to stay in one area of the room.
They could bring their PT with them on a field trip, as well many of the
students willingly continued to work on projects they started in school out of
school at their own pace.
3. Intent
As a result of this challenging
unit design and development process I intend to begin to provide opportunity
for email time and access during the instructional day. Based on the guidance in the literature that
I have read there are many ways to offer secure internet usage and to provide
learning opportunity for students to use email as a useful means of
communication. My intention is to go
back to the design and development of my unit and add a lesson and activity
pushing the students to use their personal email. The issue was students were having difficulty
sharing their work digitally because they were not all familiar and confident
using an email account. Furthermore to
stop this division of the have and the have not’s, often referred to as the
digital divide. I will continue to
instruct in this way integrating the PT in the classroom to avoid a greater
digital divide. I intend to continue to
develop activities that integrate their PT, as well as, the PT that I have in
my classroom. I intend to expand the
opportunity and availability of multifunction mobile device PT in my classroom. I intend to further develop my instruction so
that I may continue to differentiate between integrating technology for what is
good for teaching and learning and what is simply technology for technology’s
sake. I have discovered many uses with
the PT that are applicable in so many ways at reaching and engaging many of my
students facilitating the scaffolding of lessons to meet each students learning
based on their individual needs. I
intend to further develop implementation of this PT to my students with special
needs so that I may provide focused instruction of the development of essential
skills for the future.
References
Cisco
Group. (2008). Multimodal Learning
Through Media: What the Research Says.
Tapscott, D. (1998).
Growing up digital. Montreal: McGraw-Hill.
