Journal 8 Nets-T 5

For this assignment I had to read, summarize, analyze, and reflect on an article from the digital edition of Leading and Learning with Technology.

Johnson, D., (November 2010) Leading & Learning with Technology. Taming the Chaos. International Society for Technology in Education. 38(3).

Taming the Chaos

In this article Doug Johnson brings up the fact students will be bringing technology from their home into the classroom. These include cell phones, ipods, ipads, laptops, etc. Johnson points out that many schools have banned the use of these devices, as they see them as a distraction. Johnson claims that their is a solution to taming the distraction that these devices cause in the classroom. The one that I find logical and agree with is setting up ground rules for the use of the devices. It was suggested that the teacher and the students work together to decide when it is appropriate to use the devices. The article was also filled with suggestions on how to incorporate these home devices to enhance learning. My only concern about this article is that it did not address the fact that many students might not be able to afford these devices. This could be an issue in a school that is diverse.

Questions  1- How does a teacher in a diverse classroom address the use of technology devices from home in their classroom?
Doug Johnson pointed out some really good ways that teachers could use to incorporate the use of the students personal devices to enhance their learning in the classroom. I believe that this is a good solution for schools that have mostly students from the same economic background, however what about those schools that have classrooms filled with middle and low socio- economic families. Half of the students in the classroom might not bring their own technology devices into the classroom, so is it fair for them that the other half of the class is able to use these devices in class? I don't believe it is. But I do not believe that banning the devices should be the solution either. So what I would do if I was a teacher in this kind of classroom is let my students know that the devices are only to be used outside and during free time in the classroom, and if they break these rules their will be consequences. I would still incorporate the use of technology in the classroom, but only on equipment that I am able to provide for the entire class.
Question 2- How will the students benefit from being able to use their personal tech devices in the classroom?
There were many benefits listed in the article by Doug Johnson. One that stuck out to me the most is the one about incorporating cell phones. I believe that cell phones are by far the most common device coming into the classroom by the student. The way a student can benefit from the cell phone is being able to save due dates in their phones, and this can keep them organized. Also the use of smart-phones has many apps available to help the student in the classroom. The most appealing to me was the one where a student can use their phone to record a lecture and then they can upload it to the computer where they can re-visit it as many times as they need. If I had the opportunity to do this in college I probably would have had better grades than what I ended up with.