“Twenty-first century learners are always
on, always connected. They
are comfortable multitasking. They
are multimedia
oriented. Their world
is Web-based. They want instant
gratification. They are impatient,
creative, expressive and social.
They are risk-takers who thrive in less structured environments.”
Partnership
for 21St Century Learners
Markville’s iPad program continues to expand and
thrive. At first, the devices were
primarily used by the “tech savvy” teachers who were, in general, already
familiar with their own personal iPads.
As more and more teachers have become aware of the iPads here at
Markville, the demand for them has increased. We currently have over 23 teachers using them. This has created a two prong problem: supply
and demand and, secondly, meeting the instructional PD demand. Not bad problems to have!
The use of any new technology is a test of
perseverance for every teacher, tech savvy or not. There are always glitches and students are sometimes overly
excited and off task at first.
As educators, we have an opportunity to model perseverance for our students by using technology, revamping
our plans when they don’t go well and trying again. This is simply good pedagogy. Our students will thank us for it and respect our efforts.
Part of the success of the BYOD initiative will
depend on all teachers’ comfort levels with technology; if a quarter of the
staff is not comfortable with technology, then the program will not
thrive. A measure of success for
this initiative will be how often and, more importantly, how effectively
teachers are asking students to use their personal devices in class. The
more we can do this year to get tablets and computers in the hands of all
teachers, the more likely students will be asked to use their personal devices
in their classes next year. The
learning curve for many educators will be steep. The climb is in motion for most but, for those who haven’t
started, next year might be tough.
Lastly, the above raises an important question
regarding the grade 9 teachers’ consistent access to a tablet/laptop so that
they can plan their lessons/programs accordingly. What is the best way to get tablets into the hands of our
grade 9 teachers who do not have their own to bring? It comes back to helping and supporting all teachers to
increase their comfort level and familiarity with tablets and the potential
they offer to enhance programs.
Overall, the iPad program is a great segway to
the BYOD initiative because it exposes teachers and students to a tablet’s
potential to enhance learning. This journey, first with iPads and then with the
BYOD initiative, is a step in the right direction when it comes to meaningful
engagement of our 21st Century learners.
Below is a mind map made created using an app called
Popplet. It outlines some of the
many meaningful ways tablets can be used to enhance student learning.
