Does this look like your students?

 

Photo credit: Clint Hamada http://bit.ly/ehMdXf

This photo comes from a flickr group called Great quotes about Learning and Change.  The group is a good place to find powerful quotes and images for education.  This picture is one of those images that caught my eye.  One of the things that I hear most frequently from one-to-one educators and see when I am at one-to-one schools is high levels of student engagement.  I wouldn't say that higher levels of student engagement can simply be attributed to the use of technology.  I also wouldn't say it is due solely to different teaching practices.  It seems to me that it is a combination of both.  My observations have lead me to believe that generally speaking, students become more engaged when they are able to use technology.  I've observed this even in situations where the model of teaching is fairly traditional. 

This post somewhat contradicts what I generally write and speak about.  I firmly believe that our model of teaching and learning needs to change and technology is a great way to facilitate that change process.  I PREACH that one-to-one can't just be about the technology, and that teaching needs to change.  I still believe that very strongly.  My observations are also that giving every student a laptop changes things.....even if instruction doesn't change.

What do you think, am I crazy?

Nick Sauers

Comments

[Darin King]

Nick:

You are not crazy! "Things" do not engage students...great teachers do!

More of my thoughts here: http://darinrking.posterous.com/student-engagement-research

[Nick Sauers]

Thanks for the comment and link Darin. That is a great graphic on your blog post. Not surprising that technology was one of the things that most engaged students.

Nick