Finally - what every student, teacher, and parent has been waiting for...
Online learning, or tech integration, has significantly increased student motivation and engagement.
Online platforms eliminate the guess work for everyone.
An abundance of data accompanies online platforms, allowing teachers to quickly and easily identify which skills / concepts / standards do and do not need more time and attention, and which students have mastered which skills / concepts / standards.
The valuable and detailed data allows teachers to customize and maximize class time, providing enrichment, support, and remediation as needed.
Online data is readily accessible allowing students to take ownership and parents to serve as valuable resources.
With details available online, students can check their grades as often as they want - and they do, very often, and it motivates them. Then they ask questions about missing assignments and options to revise work to earn more points. What a beautiful thing - a situation where students want to improve skills and earn maximum points.
Having access allows parents to be an effective part of a child's school experience.
And it's not just about grades; I know of elementary teachers who are having success with Class Dojo, which allows parents to know, in real time, a child's level of participation and behavior details. Parents can help more meaningfully when they have the details they need, allowing them to intervene before an isolated incident becomes a recurring issue.
Accessibility eliminates unpleasant surprises on report cards and at conferences.
Data and accessibility create independent learners who take ownership in their learning.
I love seeing students self-advocate. They rarely ask me to spell or define words, or other Google-able inquiries.
Now I deliberately turn questions related to the lower level of Bloom's over to Google.
I don't hold the keys to the kingdom; students do, and Google can help them take charge.
Students can immediately investigate facets of class topics that intrigue them - a diagram of the Globe Theater, statistics on accidents related to Daylight Savings Time, a historical speech, images of typical toys in the 1930's; the options are as infinite as students' questions.
Screen Time!
Like it or not, students like to look at screens. It seems as though anything on a screen is more interesting than anything on a piece of paper, a whiteboard, or, God forbid, a chalkboard.
I remember a time when the hot and happening classroom technology was a VCR - One day I ejected a VCR tape and a furniture commercial popped up on the TV, and the students were in a trance as a couch sale was described.
I decided to succumb to the power of the screen. Over the years I have found that it's even more effective to project simple things like directions or the agenda for the day, rather than write the info on "the board".
The success of online videos in education is a great example of the power of the screen. Sure I could tell my classes all about crafting a strong thesis statement, but having The Writing Ninjas explain really appeals to students.
Whether it's a text, a "worksheet", or a quiz, it's better received by a modern student on a screen.
Reading and Writing on Devices
Students are so much more open to "checking out" a reading assignment when it's on a screen.
And the same goes for writing. Somehow, the screen, with all its features, eliminates the old, ominous "blank page". I see students having a much easier time starting and progressing on a piece of writing when it's on a device.
Hesitant writers, or students who feel that typing is manual labor, now even have speech to text options and can easily download the creative thoughts in their heads with no typing required.
Devices and Online Learning Engage Students.
I can't say enough about student engagement...
Engaged students are learning and progressing.
Engaged students are too busy being constructive to be disruptive. Internet access diminishes boredom and frustration. Problematic and disruptive behaviors are eliminated when students are engaged.
I could go on and on about how tech integration, and the resulting paperless classrooms, are a big win for students, teachers, parents, and districts. If you have further interest, check out these related articles:
Why go paperless? Why not?!
Online Discussions - Effective for many reasons
4 Tips for Paperless Classroom Success
Chromebooks - The future of school supplies?
Paperless classrooms may make snow days obsolete
Paperless Classroom / Tech Integration Presentations
Pennsylvania school makes up snow day with an eDay
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