Wireless Mobile- Carpe Diem vs St. Mary's

For this week’s activity I had to listen to a webinar about the use of technology in school, most of which had to do with smart phones. The two different types of technology driven learning mentioned were Carpe Diem and St. Mary’s of Ohio. I had many thoughts about technology long before this assignment. Some of what I saw in the webinar goes along with my thinking that technology is only a part of learning and can be used to enhance learning but not to take over the classroom instruction.

In Carpe Diem, the students sit at cubicles for half of the day and work on learning via computer. The other half of the day is time spent in small groups for learning. The picture below shows the classroom and it seems kind of cold and unwelcoming. When I think about computers, sometimes I think it is an isolated world when you are working on them to learn. Being able to interact with other people and share your thoughts is a big part of the learning process.

 

For the St. Mary’s school in Ohio, students are learning through smart phones, but that is not the only instruction the students get. From the picture below you can see textbooks, smart phones and kids interacting together to learn. I think the students of this school all have cell phones provided by the school, but those phones cannot be used off school property.  The limited plan kind of defeats the purpose of learning through the smart phones when it comes to kids that have nothing at home. Students may not have access to the Internet or apps, therefore, this plan is limited to classroom only and at home is where many kids practice to enhance learning. However, I can see why the school has made the plan limited, there are always people that will abuse the system and theft probably has something to do with it as well.

 

I’m not a big a fan of Carpe Diem. I think setting kids off to learn on their own, even when they have technology to interest them, isn’t active learning. As the webinar pointed out, students learn by doing. Even though the students are doing something on the computer, they are not expanding what they are learning as they would when there is a group discussion. Also, software can be limited with information and unable to answer questions from the students. For my classroom, I would like to have the option that St. Mary’s is using to provide smart phones for the entire school. Even if the smart phones were rotating from classroom to classroom on a scheduled basis, I think there is value in learning through technology and smart phones. Besides, at some point, technology is going to be the only way to do things in the future! I’m not so sure I agree with that completely, but that discussion will have to take place another time!

I have a smart phone and think between my knowledge of the applications available and the experience I’ve had in this class in exploring the web, I could use technology in the classroom just fine.  Don’t get me wrong, I do think students need to learn how to do things without technology, but I think technology is a useful tool to enhance learning and make it more interesting.

For teachers in the field of education, it is important to keep up with the times. My suggestion would be to explore applications, software, and any other technology source that can be helpful, and then go to the administration with a proposal for increased technology in the school. I think it true with anything, when you have the data or information to back up your claim to someone (i.e.-that smart phones would enhance learning), it is more difficult for the other person to say no or disregard the information. Keep trying and someday you might succeed in getting smart phones in the classroom or for use in the entire school. If technology were to be highly included in the classroom, I would recommend that teachers get training (like the webinar from ISTE), and try different things in the classroom with small changes that include some type of technology.

I see myself executing both models in moderation in the classroom. I think it is important to allow students to learn through computers, smart phones and other devices. There has to be a balance in learning through technology. It can’t be that technology will replace teacher instruction. Technology needs to be a part of the classroom, but not the entire focus of the classroom.

This activity complies with the ISTE.NETS.T standard five, Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.  As teachers, we should constantly be learning and growing. Webinars are a way to learn about new things and share thoughts or questions with others. I think teachers will benefit and grow professionally when they embrace change and learn about new things that can enhance learning.