|
|
There has been a major shift in the role technology has played recently regarding education. Cook County is no exception to this change. While school may have looked different for most of the past year, the quality and success of the learning taking place at ISD166 has not been impacted. K-12 Assistant Principal and Activities Director, Mitch Dorr has commended many of his teachers throughout this challenging school year and explained, “It’s been an interesting year with teachers implementing a lot of different technology to accomplish their educational goals.”
When teachers integrate technology into their practices, it can assist students in becoming more engaged, while supporting independent, small group and whole class learning opportunities. Modern classrooms today are often able to utilize connected devices like Chromebooks, tablets or even personal smartphones. Audiovisual devices like digital projectors, touch screen displays, document cameras and digital whiteboards also allow for different types of learners to succeed.
A collage of original podcast cover art created and designed by Mrs. Beal and her English students. Photo submitted by Amanda Beal
Audio and video conferencing, while not new, became a widespread, convenient option in education during the past year of distance and hybrid learning, as teachers could essentially hold class anywhere and at any time. In addition, the immeasurable number of exceptional learning applications that students have at their disposal has taken the learning of any subject matter to a higher level. The overall goal for educators is and should always be, to connect with their students and to prioritize what works best for each learner they encounter. Technology has aided in just that.
In showcasing the effective use of classroom technology, during a time of flux and while having both in-person and remote learners, I had the chance to learn just how much time, work and effort is taking place within the community.
English teacher Amanda Beal has been employed at Cook County High School for four years and currently has 56 students. Mrs. Beal states that her, “primary goal in the classroom is to foster critical thinking skills, open-mindedness, and empathy among my students.”
In discussing the specific role technology played in her own classroom over the past few months, Amanda shared that, “because high school students were enrolled in distance learning from the beginning of this school year until mid-March, technology has been integral to my students’ learning. In my English classes, we tried out different kinds of tech and modes of learning to see what would work best. I have been so impressed and proud of my students all year, it’s astounding to see just how adaptable they are, always flexible and willing to try something new.”
Mrs. Beal had an impressive arsenal of tools that she utilized in her teaching this year and described that, “With the shift to synchronous distance learning this past fall, I needed to find additional ways to engage students throughout class. My favorite tool for engagement is an app called Nearpod, in which I can create a Google Slideshow that I present to students.
“The cool thing about Nearpod is that I give students a code that they use to log into our slideshow, which then appears on their device instead of on my screen only. I can insert interactive slides, like questions to jump-start class discussion or to ask their opinion on topics: for example, I can create a slide that is a poll, or one that is a “collaborative board” (think bulletin board with post-it notes), in which I ask an open-ended question, and students post their answers for everyone to see. We used the collaborative board a lot in class. We used a variety of other programs, like Flipgrid (where students record videos of themselves answering a question or presenting a project), Canva (for creating visual posters or images), and EdPuzzle (a website that hosts videos that I can program to automatically pause and ask students questions that check comprehension).”
Amanda was impressed with the effort and time her students spent while creating innovative, pride-worthy projects as a class. One of her most noteworthy accomplishments with her students this year was achieved in their Podcast Unit. Beal explained, “We spent some time listening to and studying podcasts, and then students created their own podcast show. We pretended like we were true podcasters, so we came up with all the necessary elements of a podcast show–name for the show, show description, cover art, target audience, podcaster name, etc. Students planned out the show’s first four episodes, then they recorded, edited, and “published” (to our Google Classroom) their first episode. I was blown away by their creations! Students could keep the recording and editing simple with a website called Vocaroo, or they could scale up to something professional by using Audacity, Garageband, or Soundtrap.”
This was just one of her successful undertakings. While a large part of the high school has pivoted back into the building on a hybrid schedule, technology will remain a large part of the everyday experience in schools.
It takes some time to find what works and what suits each individual group of students and while reflecting upon the past year, Mrs. Beal summed up her own personal experience. “We worked together and communicated regularly during and outside of class to find what programs, routines, and systems worked best. When we inevitably ran into tech snafus (on my end or on theirs), we worked together to problem-solve and find workarounds. Though this year has been far from “normal,” these students have learned invaluable skills: communication, problem-solving, determination, self-advocacy, and yes, tech skills. I hope that students can see what a superpower they have developed in this last year that will carry them beyond our school’s walls.”
Dedication on the part of this educator, and many others, coupled with the resiliency of students in Cook County have undoubtedly provided a model for exciting, successful learning. Kudos to all who have rose to the challenge.
Leave a Reply