I am one to believe that all kids are ‘moved’ by something specific that motivates them, let it be sports, education, arts, etc… Anything is game and as teacher is our job to find what that one thing is. Some kids know it from the time they start walking and can think by themselves, for others it takes longer.
Most kids are not motivated by sitting in a chair and listening ALL day long to what their teacher has to say, they get bored and distracted, who is a better judge of what they need than their own peers? We can send the same message all day long but unless we change the ‘how’ or channel not everybody will get it.
Mobile tools are something our students’ generation gives for granted; we see it as a tool whereas they see it as a necessity, I would even go as far as saying that some of them see technology or mobile devices as an add-on of their body. What better than meeting them where we know they are all at?
As a business woman in Corporate America, I benefited from online conferences for many years and although I do see the advantages of using it as a teaching tool where students can ‘revisit’ anything that has been covered, I specifically see the benefits by using it as a tool amongst students.
I loved the video on the K12 Online conference Kids Teaching Kids. As Tiana Kadhoka puts it, it is the teacher/student collaboration what establishes a productive classroom environment. I love the enthusiasm and engagement she shows and part of it, as she mentions, is thanks to the empowerment her teacher gave her when he allowed her and her classmates to record the videos for him.
As much as I’d like to think all students would react the same way, I know that it is not the case. As some of my students got to use my personal iPad for simple assignments I while some take it as a sign of trust others rather see it as an opportunity to take advantage of the use of their teacher’s personal devices.
When it comes to my classroom, I will definitely keep using the Kids Teaching Kids focus , as I let students introduce new topics to the class. It seemed as if students liked the idea of being challenged in front of their classmates and those that struggled with some of the concepts felt more incline to ask questions to their own peers than they would to me.
