by Sarah Said

Managing Classroom Technology

In Part 1 and Part 2 of our Techquity series, we have explored ways to engage learners in this post-covid landscape so that both technology and social emotional learning are part of all learning space. Here, in Part 3, I explain ways to manage the technology in our classrooms so that tech is accessible to all learners and used as the tool to rethink learning, not a babysitter disguised as an “Intervention app.” 

First things first, when infusing tech into your classroom, set expectations. In my classroom,when we build our classroom social contracts, we have an explicit conversation on phone and airpod usage. We set boundaries and expectations as a classroom. Also with chromebooks, they need to be charged and ready for learning. We mostly use Chromebooks for writing essays, designing presentations, and designing infographics and posters. I prefer to emphasize on the creation of products rather than the adherence to online programs. As we are working on the chromebooks I monitor students' abilities to use them without distraction.

There are times where I do allow students to use phones. Some work better on their phones to do research for work we are doing. And, there are times where students want to listen to music on their phones as they are independently working. I allow this, but I also use tools like a doorbell and a singing bowl to get students’ attention. Students know that when the doorbell rings, phones need to be put away. 

As I mentioned in Part 1 my room is lined with phone chargers. I make sure to accommodate both Apple and Android phones. I give students the choice of putting their phone in a charger or putting it away. We have to understand that many students with excessive trauma struggle with being told to do something without options. Techquity is keeping the concept of trauma informed classrooms in mind. We also have to work with students on headphones and the uses for them. Being neurodivergent myself, I use my headphones to noise cancel, you may have students who do the same. Those are private conversations you need to have. 

Thinking About Using Technology As More Than Substitution

What I have observed post-covid is teachers have become conditioned to using technology as a substitution rather than creating and reimagining learning. When we design learning, we need to go back to thinking of the taxonomy of our learning. Read more about the taxonomy of learning here. The design of our learning can influence our use of technology. Having students sit on an online program and take vocabulary quizzes is not always the most engaging use of their time with you in the classroom. Instead, maybe have students categorize multiple words and create an infographic of them for a classroom word wall.

You can also have students work in teams on assignments. Maybe students are creating a Passion Project with a Shark Tank-like presentation to pitch an idea. One student can be the typist and slide creator while the other students on the team are researchers and writers. Engaging students in discussion in class creates more equitable opportunities for students to learn and have a voice in the classroom. And they are using technology in a way to truly learn rather than play an online learning game or watch a video. 

As educators, we have learned so much when it comes to technology through the pandemic. However, we also have some teaching and learning behaviors we need to “unlearn” in order to create “techquity” in our schools and classrooms. We may have the tools now, but we need to use them in a way to open doors for student learning.