The transition from a device being a "toy" to something that is invaluable in terms of education, is not always a smooth one. On a daily basis, teachers in my building struggle to keep out the games, streaming music, and email conversations that try to distract the students as they use their 1:1 device. The battle is the same, no matter the device.
One aspect of this process that has made the students seem to buy-in a bit more on the technology as an educational tool is the idea that their computers make their lives so much easier. With this being our first year for a 1:1 setting, students still have vivid memories of life before a laptop in the classroom. They remember taking notes and having to hand write papers if there wasn't a computer lab available. They remember having to go to a teacher to ask a question, instead of just emailing like they can now. This newness will wear off, of that I'm sure. Hopefully, though, this will give our teachers some time to get ahead of the curve in terms of technology integration. The students are still getting used to the device, so the teachers can fool some of them into thinking they are using more technology than is actually the case.
Technology gives students the opportunity to interpret assignments in a way that was not possible in previous times. For example, our 8th grade LA teacher is having her students write persuasive essays. They are doing research and gathering data. She did not give them clear directions on this, so students are really trying to find different ways to gather their information. Some are using Google Forms, others are using Survey Monkey, still others are using the Internet or online books. At any rate, the excitement is there and they realize that the learning is taking place as well, even though it might actually be fun!
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