I must say I was brimming with pride during the Tlt Summit. Our division presented 10 of the 60 non-commercial sessions. As one of 28 school divisions in our province and one of the smaller ones, I think this says something. I don’t apologize for bragging about the people I work with.
Because of a last minute cancellation I was asked to do an additional session. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to suggest the conveners invite Carla Dolman to do a session on her use of cellphones in the classroom. Maybe my smartest decision of the year. Carla agreed and decided to bring with her a half a dozen kids to help her. You should have seen these kids.
I wished I’d have capture it. Carla began briefly by outlining the thoughts behind the experiment to use cellphones. After about 15 minutes she paused and asked for questions. The audience of about 75 immediately began asking the students questions. “Did it change your learning? Were you tempted to use it to text or call in off task ways? Was it just a novelty? How did students who didn’t have a cellphone feel? Are you still using it for learning?” Hard, challenging, important questions. These 13 and 14 year olds handled them with a poise and sophistication that would make any teacher or parent proud. I sat back with awe and pride as they took turns, not by design, but simply as polished presenters would in responding to questions and concerns. Wow. Then Carla allowed them to share their formal presentation where they discussed the details of their learning as well as educated the audience about the language they communicate with everyday. Finally they had everyone take out their phones and begin showing them how to use bluetooth and soon they had everyone buzzing with learning as they facilitated a hands on learning experience.
While the story about cellphones is a great one itself, watching students present ideas to a real audience about something they were engaged with was another Tlt highlight. They blew me away.
Now I’m thinking about how I might get them to share their story with more people in yet another live, interactive setting. I feel a ustream presentation coming.
I wish you’d captured it too, Dean, but even more, I wish I’d made it to this session. I heard a lot of buzz in the lobby about it, and in fact, about your division. Something tells me that teachers looking for a great place to work are going to start by looking at Prairie South first. I know i would.
Hi Dean
Please may I encourage you to get something to share with those of us who couldn’t be there?
I have been toying with using mobile phones in the classroom … and I teach in a school that makes the students hand them in to the office for the day which really grates on my nerves; the whole argument about ban everything we don’t understand and ignore the teaching potential of using it drives me to distraction…(rant over)
In the meantime, do you think you could let me know some of the ways these kids use their phones in class?
Lisa-Gayes last blog post..… the post below
I, too, heard the buzz about Carla’s session at Tlt and wish I’d been able to attend it. Kudos to Carla and her students.
The reason that our division punched above our weight at the conference was mostly because of you, Dean. Your vision, support and constant cheerleading make it possible for Prairiesouth to have the impact it does.
Pingback: Open Monologue » TLt Decompression 2: Great sessions and takeaway messages
I have done some experiences of learning through mobile phones and mp3 , mp4 players, with my students at a secondary school in Portugal. On this page http://geramovel.googlepages.com/modulo9 you could see the approach undertaken to introduce a poet through texting : Poetics SMS.
Adelina Mouras last blog post..1
Pingback: Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » Blog Archive » Student Cellphone Presentation