Shifting Focus

     The society we live in is technology-driven.  I think we all know that.  However, teaching students to use technology to learn can be tricky.  It is almost overwhelming for them at times.  When I taught AP chemistry, I would ask students to write the procedure for a specific lab.  I also told them they could utilize any online resources to do so.  They all looked at me with the "deer in headlights" look.  I realized that I assumed they knew how to research things and assumed that they were comfortable with their iPads (after all, they are on their iPhones, iPods, etc. all day outside of school).  I took a huge step back and started explaining things in baby steps.  I told them to first research  research what materials they would need, then how to write a procedure, and so on.  I was also sure to always use technology in my lessons.  This gave them the ability to become more comfortable and less hesitant with their devices.
     Students can show us mastery and understanding of a material while using their devices in multiple ways.  However, the way I found it most useful was to give them open-ended questions and to not limit what they can use on their iPads.  For example, the students had a project on careers in chemistry.  I gave them limitations and things that had to be covered, of course, but that was it.  It took them awhile to get started.  I would have one group raise their hand and say, "Can we make a keynote."  I simply replied, "yes."  Somebody else asked, "Can we use garage band?"  Again, "yes."  It got to the point where their realized the sky was the limit and their projects were unbelievable.  They included music, embedded movies, slide transitions, and anything else you can imagine!

Classroom Management Challenges

     According to the article, "Freedom, Digital Distraction, and Control", my classroom development atmosphere would best relate to control by technology.  In my previous job, every teacher had an iPad.  During "PD meetings," some teachers would present new material to the staff.  During that time, they would say, "Apples up," meaning, make your iPad go to sleep so you are paying attention.  If you did not, they would call you out and try to make you feel bad.  I HATED it. A lot of teachers were turned away and instead of listening to the new material, the teachers would zone out.
     I now work at a building where every teacher gets a laptop during faculty meetings.  The principal is aware enough to understand that as teachers, we can multitask.  He starts a blog every meeting from todaysmeet.com, and we are blogging to each other and emailing, etc.  He never once tells us to close our laptops.  I cannot even describe the climate in our meetings.  Everybody loves being there and we are not being treated like students.  It has actually made me want to pay more attention and give him the respect that he gives me.  I run my classroom the same way.  I make sure the technology students are using empowers them and drives them enough to where they do not have time or even want to stray (although, some still do).
     With all of that being said, I think moving my classroom to the self-control classroom atmosphere would be easy.  We all have to realize that students' attention spans are only as long as minutes in their age.  Therefore, even a high school senior will not want to pay attention to a single technology-driven assignment longer than 20 minutes.  Therefore, them giving themselves a "technology-break" and maybe playing a game for two minutes should not be that big of an issue, as long as they get back on task.  I think if students know exactly what is expected out of them, and they know the timelines, their work will still get done.  The worst thing we could do is drive them away from the technology at their fingertips.