(Educational use of tablets) Skills development in students

Continuation of the file… The winning conditions 8 to 10, in connection with the development of competences in the pupils.

8. Plan student actions

The multiple uses of the tablet and its ease of use make it a versatile tool with which it is possible ... to scatter! One of the nine challenges mentioned by work by Thierry Karsenti falls within the scope of course planning in a context where the “tablet” shift is taking place at high speed.

“When I accompany the teachers, whether they are resistant to the tablet or not, I suggest them to leave with what they are already doing, suggests Annie Marois. What actions do they do in class? Which ones are performed by the students? We do not add the tablet to the already numerous activities. Rather, we are improving those with which teachers are already comfortable. »Thus, it is more natural to plan an activity on the agenda where the student will have to read or write using the tablet than to plan an activity where the student will have to browse a digital book or use an application. creation of comics. However, the task asked of the student is practically the same, but the means to achieve it are different.

Teachers choose their profession because they have pedagogy at heart, not to experiment with the technical functionalities of each technological tool newly arrived on the market. “To integrate technology with confidence, focus on what you already master: pedagogy. Take an educational activity that has already proven its worth and add a techno twist to it, ”suggests Julie Noël. “Plan an activity already experienced by challenging yourself to allow students to vary their means of production. Start from your educational intention, not from the app. It will make all the difference! "

"Too often, we only talk about applications," believes Dominic Gagné, from the local RÉCIT service at the Val-des-Cerfs school board. Instead, focus on what you want to do with the tablet in class by targeting the WHAT first. Be aware that an application opens the door to multiple uses. Avoid having your actions guided by tools. Rather, orient them towards your educational intention. The App Store or the Play Store should not take the rightful place of the training program. "

To immerse students in action, the RÉCIT national service in math, science and techno offers a classification of applications. iPad or Android according to the verbs of Benjamin Bloom's taxonomy. For her part, Annie Marois came to classify several applications by educational intentions. “By first targeting a verb or an action, we focus on the student and his creation rather than on the application,” she explains, “in addition to increasing the chances of success of the project. "

9. Empower students

For students, having a tablet in their hands means having a tool to communicate with others or via social networks… instead of being attentive in the classroom! Indeed, for both students and teachers, the distraction effect of the tablet is the first disadvantage mentioned in the study of Thierry Karsenti and his team. Since the community is worried about such a threat to academic success, it is recommended that various strategies be implemented to empower and train students, at school and also at home. “[…] A charter - or a code of practice - should therefore be put in place, and both pupils and teachers should take part in the drafting of the framework text. », We suggest.

Customizing the rules in groups is proving to be a promising strategy. What uses of the tablet are encouraged and which are not compliant? What tools are allowed while the work is being carried out? Which are the only ones when the work is finished? How will we go about recharging the devices? How will the students submit their assignments? Benoît Petit and Joël Bouthillette, from the RÉCIT national service for the development of the person, suggest a ethical reflection on the management of mobile devices. With the students, we discuss how mobile devices can help or hinder learning, people and infrastructure. By working out the rules that govern the use of the tablet in groups, they are likely to be more respected. We thus make sure to offer "frameworks that make it possible to take advantage of the educational possibilities of mobile devices, while reducing their harmful effects for learning and for individuals."

In 2012, the Sorel-Tracy School Board undertook a tablet deployment project at a ratio of 1 to 1 to 3^e primary cycle and 1^er secondary cycle. Three documents were proposed to help schools plan the integration of these 1,300 technological tools. "The first concerns student engagement and stipulates that the tablet is first and foremost a learning tool dedicated to school tasks, explains Steve Morissette. It clearly explains the responsibilities of the student vis-à-vis his iPad. The second document presents several concrete examples of non-regulatory use of the tablet, graded on a scale of 1 to 5. These unwanted behaviors, as well as the consequences associated with them, are explained to all students as well as to their parents. Finally, a newsletter for parents provides a series of tips and explains how the tablet will be used for educational purposes in their child's school. “These reference documents are a starting point. Each school can modify them as it sees fit to reflect its reality or be inspired by them to make additions to its code of conduct, ”adds the pedagogical advisor.

10. Develop skills… which will be useful to them all their lives

Using a tool connected to the Web and social networks, at any time and day to day, is very different than going to the laboratory for one hour a week to type a text that has previously been written by hand. The temptation to wander the Internet or communicate with peers without being required by the task is great. Besides, Messrs Karsenti and Fievez note that 38 % of young people spend class time playing on the tablet, which would be even more frequent with pupils who have finished their work. “We must also quickly show them how it is possible for them to learn more with this tool. The idea of promoting the responsible use of the iPad by educating about digital citizenship seems particularly important for all schools that will embark on such initiatives ”, one mentions in the recommendations of the study.

“More than ever, the teacher should focus on the development of critical judgment in the student regarding the effective use of his tool according to the context, also believes Daniel Ricard. Modeling good practices and emphasizing winning strategies seem essential to me. "

Even if they are still blocked by school administrators in several schools in Quebec, social networks bring new educational possibilities. Teachers' openness to these new media and their ability to create learning situations in an environment open to the world should be encouraged. “Optimal use of the tools offered by the tablet goes a lot through the use of social media, which are used by students everywhere, except at school,” laments Sébastien Deschamps. Students must be educated to use them in a safe and educational way to learn. Social media spread the passion for the teaching profession and greatly help the development of students with tools that are well suited to their time, ”he adds.

If the concept of responsible use of an open and permissive technological tool and that of the development of digital identity are still new for teachers, that associated with carrying out research is more common. Indeed, " do a search Is one of the most requested tasks of students, both in elementary and secondary school, long before the Internet arrived in classrooms. Could this be an anchor to facilitate the transition from book to tablet for teachers? Perhaps.

“Unlike fixed workstations, especially if they are in the laboratory, tablets make it possible to make the most of the Web,” explains Daniel Ricard. The teacher would benefit from explicitly teaching information processing strategies in order to enable the student to appropriate and remix information. Modeling, guided practice and independent practice will develop information skills that will be useful to them throughout their lives. "

In this file…

Introduction

Classroom management
1. Have the courage to change your classroom management
2. Work in workshops
3. Do otherwise

The educational project
4. Appropriate the tablet… before the start of the educational project
5. Target your educational intentions
6. Opt for creative apps
7. Simplify educational projects… and focus on content

Skills development in students
8. Plan student actions
9. Empower students
10. Develop skills… which will be useful to them all their lives

Conclusion of the case
Useful Resources