A Shift in Approach From Either/Or to Both/And
My nephew has had his face in front of a screen for the better part of a year now. Like other students across this nation, he was thrust into online learning last March. And like millions of children today, he still has not made it back on campus. His laptop has transformed from a tech device used in moderation to this only child’s primary way to connect with his classmates, friends and extended family. It is the portal for all of his relationships.
It has never been easy to decide how best to integrate technology into the classroom. Any group of educators will undoubtedly hold strong opinions that fall anywhere in between “not my style” all the way to “I made an app for that”. The 2020 jump into distance learning has made any reluctance moot. Our country’s schools have become technology dependent, which will undoubtedly lead to a shift in how tech is used in teaching and learning moving forward. But in what way?
Thankfully, there are several promising instructional models to consider. In an ideal scenario (which I fully admit is not available to all schools) where all of the students have one to one devices, and strong, consistent broadband, schools could take what they learned from forced distance learning, to permanent practices like blended learning or the flipped classroom model. Both approaches (and other variations) integrate technology in ways that infuse differentiation with academic rigor, and are applicable to in-person, hybrid or distance learning environments. And while educators (rightfully) debate the pros and cons of increased technology integration, I have found that most of the debate centers around topics such as access to resources, measurement and barriers to implementation. In contrast, I think of my nephew and can’t help but wonder:
How do we develop the whole child while using devices?
I am not convinced any one instructional model will address my question, as it is not a question of “how”, but rather a question of “why”. A school that focuses on standards mastery, task completion, and assessment performance will plan instruction to meet those goals. This can easily translate to student experiences made up of checking boxes of one assignment after another. Even if those assignments utilize the most advanced technology or the newest app, without intentionally integrating Social Emotional Learning, students are often left feeling disconnected, with their face in a screen. School goals may have been met, but what about the students?
What I am suggesting is a deliberate effort to consider how a student is growing as a person or as a community member when developing instructional plans. Example guiding questions are:
What will the students learn about themselves through this experience?
In what ways will the students see themselves in the lesson/activity?
How will students exchange ideas with each other; learn together?
How will technology be used to collaborate, explore, share?
What opportunities will the students have to reflect on their learning?
How will we deepen our classroom’s sense of community?
How are we transitioning ownership of learning from the school to the student?
This is not either/or. It is not academics or community, or standards or sense of self. This is not tech or whole child, rather BOTH/AND. Technology infused instruction that encourages personal and social growth. Social Emotional Learning truly integrated into a tech rich instructional program.
2020 has changed almost everything, especially in schools. And while I find myself missing much of what we have lost, it is time to start looking ahead to how we will use what we have learned to make schools stronger. My nephew deserves it.
