Macbook with hands
Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash

At my school every student has their own device, pre-loaded with the school softwares, which includes the Google Suite. This is both a blessing and a curse. Let me explain.

A blessing

I am so thankful that I am able to work at a school that every student is able to use technology whenever we need it. Gone are the days of booking the chrome book cart at the start of the year for 30 minutes every Wednesday morning and trying to plan my schedule around students only needing access at those times. Not to mention if they didn’t get their work done, juggling trading times with another teacher, or emailing their work to themselves so they could work on it at home.

My students are all so well versed in the use of their devices they are able to troubleshoot and help each other solve any problem they may come across.

  • I love that when I am planning my lessons I can be flexible in the use of their devices because they always have them. I can plan tasks in the order that makes the most sense for concept-based learning versus planning around technology. Every students inquiry project can be specific to their interests no matter the concept.
  • I love that I can post digital versions of readings for students who need the text read aloud.
  • I love that I can give students to choice to take notes digitally, or on paper depending on their preference.
  • I love that technology creates equity within my classroom for the diverse learning needs without broadcasting to the class who may need a little extra help.
  • I love that I can post homework reminders for students so we’re not solely relying on their agenda being filled out.
  • I love that I can easily give students access to all resources, slides, and assignments, in a way that can’t be misplaced.
  • I love that we are teaching them some of the important computer skills they will need when they graduate from high school.
  • I love that their devices are their responsibility; they are in charge of keep track of, and charging their device.

These are only some of the many positives I have experienced as a result of students having their own devices. Now I’m sure you are thinking how could there possibly be any negatives to something that seems so positive for your classroom?

A Curse

Before I go into the negatives let me make this clear. I am so thankful my students have the technology. If given the choice I would choose for my students to have the access that they have time and time again. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with some of the aspects that having this access brings.

  • It can be a massive distraction. When children are given a device that has to a certain degree, unlimited access to the internet, they are going to test the boundaries of what they can and can’t do.
  • Using technology appropriately is a skill that takes time to teach, and I spend a lot of time reviewing what proper usage looks like.
  • Students can become dependent on their devices and are no longer used to writing things on paper. The value of hand written work is under appreciated.
  • Having access to email and google chat means they no longer need their phones to instant message their friends.
  • There is an unspoken expectation from students that they should be allowed to do everything on their computer.

On any given day I’m sure I could list off other aspects that I don’t enjoy about every student having their own device. However, for me, the positives will always outweigh the negatives. We are living in an age where technology surrounds us. We use it everyday. It is important that the education we provide to our students is keeping up with the tech and we are preparing them to be responsible global citizens.

With this in mind I propose three things we should all be doing to embrace the tech in our classrooms, and what I try to do each and every day:

  1. Teach students how to use the tools appropriately. Whether it is how to use Grammarly, using the citation tool in Google Docs to have properly formatted in-text citations and reference list, or how to appropriately use AI.
  2. Find a balance. Teach students the value of using technology, along with the value of hand written work. Sometimes it is easier to use a good old pen and paper!
  3. Explore. Have fun trying new things. Make mistakes, and own it! There is so much value in owning your mistakes in front of students. If they know you are learning along with them it makes the world a whole lot less scary.