Computers in classrooms

I read this article about a school in Sydney that has banned the use of laptops in class.

Given that my job is to promote and support the use of digital technologies in the classroom, I was keen to read this. Expecting to hate it, I was surprised to agree with some of the things the principal said. To a point.

He said “ One of the most powerful tools in education is conversation”. I 100% agree with this. I am a firm believer that if you don’t have a good relationship with your students, they will not learn from, or with, you.

Face to face interaction with my students is fundamental in building relationships. My classrooms are noisy; we talk, we discuss, we question and we laugh. This is all part of the learning. So I agree with Dr Vallance on this, anything that removes conversation and human relationships from teaching should be considered carefully.

What I don’t agree with, however, is that laptops and other digital devices are solely responsible for this. There will always be distractions. Banning devices is not the answer.

I teach Digital Technologies, my students are sat in front of a computer for the entire class BUT, WE STILL TALK!!

At times, having devices in front of them actually helps me to be a better teacher. It allows me to have one-on-one conversations with my students while the other students are engaged in a different task, either independently or in groups.

The most important thing I think we need to understand is that the device is A tool. It is not the only tool. Sometimes it’s a good tool for the task at hand, other times not. Give teachers (and students!) credit for being able to decide which is which.

Banning something is not the way to empower people. Allowing them to decide whether or not it is a useful tool is a much better and helpful life skill. This is our job as teachers. Students need the ability to choose how they learn best whether that be with a pen or with a device. If my students want to write their notes by hand, fine! If they want to etch them into a block of wood, wonderful! As long as we continue talking and they continue learning and growing, I’m happy.

#LearningWithDigitalTechnology

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