Before I get into more details about the 1:1 implementation let me give you a bit of background about myself and my experience with technology.
Before:
My classroom management was typically very structured. I liked my kids to stay in their seats, work quietly, and whisper if they were working in a group or with a partner. My room was anything always very quiet. Every now and again we would play a game or do something exciting and the class would get louder. My students always had a seating chart that was set up by me and they had to stay that way. I had desks that were either in pairs or small groups. This all changed when technology began to come into my classroom!
Before this implementation my experience with tech includes a small group set of laptops, iPads, and Nook Tablets as well as some other exciting things like a 3D Makerbot printer. At the beginning of this past year, I implemented a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) which was very successful and got me one step closer to 1:1.
After:
Now my class is noisy with amazing collaboration between the students going on. My students do not have assigned seating but I keep mixing them up with other requirements so they do not get too comfortable with their groups. One day I may put on the board "Sit with 2 people you have not worked with before", this way it keeps my students mingling. Instead of desks I have had tables for 2 years now. I requested them from my principal the year before when I was starting to get more technology and doing more group work. My students are no longer confined to their seats and are able to get up and move to work where ever they feel comfortable.
People now walk into my classroom and see organized chaos. I still have my structure but I am a lot more flexible when it comes to projects, collaborating, and having fun. The work my students have been turning in is far better than any work I have received before and I owe it to their collaboration. Allowing the students to collaborate has helped me out tremendously so I am now only answering authentic questions, not "What are we supposed to do?" because my students put a stop to that for me.
My classroom projects have become a lot more hands-on especially with the 1:1 implementation. The resources are endless having the internet at their fingertips!
This is just a preview of my blog series that I am working on. Part one will be coming out soon and will be telling you about the first day we received the 1:1 laptops and the overwhelming, crazy, and exciting emotional roller coaster I was on as an educator.
Thanks for stopping by and reading!
Luv ya!
*~Sarah~*
