The night before open house, I started panicking about the kinds of things I wanted to tell the parents coming into my room. What kind of classroom was I going to have this year? Was I absolutely sure I wanted to assign that book (Native Son, by Richard Wright) to my American Lit students?
And finally...how much money was I prepared to ask my students' parents to spend on supplies? Was it even fair for me to ask such a thing?
I started thinking about all of this and something I tell technology-reticent students all the time came to mind: It has been the 21st century for most of their lives, going on 15 years now. And then I thought, "Why would I still require the supplies I needed in high school to be purchased by my students?"
Thus, the supply list for my class was born.
And finally...how much money was I prepared to ask my students' parents to spend on supplies? Was it even fair for me to ask such a thing?
I started thinking about all of this and something I tell technology-reticent students all the time came to mind: It has been the 21st century for most of their lives, going on 15 years now. And then I thought, "Why would I still require the supplies I needed in high school to be purchased by my students?"
Thus, the supply list for my class was born.
Here is what it takes to build such a supply list if you so desire.
The students who got this were a little taken aback, but rollout of the use of these apps has been easier since a lot of the students in my classes came with them ready to go.
1. You need your own accounts in the apps you plan to use. My favorites (and thus the ones included on my supply list) are Evernote, Canvas, Remind (formerly Remind101), and Google Drive. I've included Socrative on the list because I hope to use it this year and explore its connection with Mastery Connect.
It is important to point out here that these apps met two key requirements: they are absolutely free and have web-based versions as well. Students without smart devices can establish an account and use them on a laptop. This blog post was drafted on Evernote's laptop version.
2. You'll need a QR generator of some kind and your Windows Snipping Tool. I prefer simple QR codes, so I use Kaywa's generator, found here. The snipping tool allows me to take a screen shot of just the QR code and move on to creating a new one.
3. To create the links for the QR code, I Googled "_____________ app store" and "______________ Google Play," with the blanks filled in with the app's name. This allows students to go directly to the Google Play store or App Store to download the apps they need. Again, NONE of this has cost the student a dime more than it costs to have a smart device.
4. The willingness to let go of paper and pen(cil) as the primary medium used to demonstrate their learning. Of course, I would never stand in the way of a student who wants to or has to use paper and pen(cil) in drafting assign
BUT, what if my students don't have a smart device?!
In a poll of my students this year, just under 1 in 5 of my students reported not having a smartphone or tablet to bring to class. This is not something I as their teacher can help them overcome. I am a Sprint customer, but that's too huge a Framily! I simply keep this in mind when designing lessons, class time, and due dates. Build enough time into your lessons between assignment time and due date to allow for students who can't access their own personal technology to access someone else's (like your school library's or maybe your school has a roving laptop cart).
Also keep in mind the two requirements for the app: they must have a web-based version as well AND be free.
A side note: The US Census included in a May 2013 report that at-home internet use in the United States was at 71.7% of homes overall. The usage varies drastically across ethnic lines. This is something else to keep in mind when you think about technology implementation.
The students who got this were a little taken aback, but rollout of the use of these apps has been easier since a lot of the students in my classes came with them ready to go.
1. You need your own accounts in the apps you plan to use. My favorites (and thus the ones included on my supply list) are Evernote, Canvas, Remind (formerly Remind101), and Google Drive. I've included Socrative on the list because I hope to use it this year and explore its connection with Mastery Connect.
It is important to point out here that these apps met two key requirements: they are absolutely free and have web-based versions as well. Students without smart devices can establish an account and use them on a laptop. This blog post was drafted on Evernote's laptop version.
2. You'll need a QR generator of some kind and your Windows Snipping Tool. I prefer simple QR codes, so I use Kaywa's generator, found here. The snipping tool allows me to take a screen shot of just the QR code and move on to creating a new one.
3. To create the links for the QR code, I Googled "_____________ app store" and "______________ Google Play," with the blanks filled in with the app's name. This allows students to go directly to the Google Play store or App Store to download the apps they need. Again, NONE of this has cost the student a dime more than it costs to have a smart device.
4. The willingness to let go of paper and pen(cil) as the primary medium used to demonstrate their learning. Of course, I would never stand in the way of a student who wants to or has to use paper and pen(cil) in drafting assign
BUT, what if my students don't have a smart device?!
In a poll of my students this year, just under 1 in 5 of my students reported not having a smartphone or tablet to bring to class. This is not something I as their teacher can help them overcome. I am a Sprint customer, but that's too huge a Framily! I simply keep this in mind when designing lessons, class time, and due dates. Build enough time into your lessons between assignment time and due date to allow for students who can't access their own personal technology to access someone else's (like your school library's or maybe your school has a roving laptop cart).
Also keep in mind the two requirements for the app: they must have a web-based version as well AND be free.
A side note: The US Census included in a May 2013 report that at-home internet use in the United States was at 71.7% of homes overall. The usage varies drastically across ethnic lines. This is something else to keep in mind when you think about technology implementation.