Diary 4: Why do I like to work with technology and why we as teachers can not avoid it?

The possibilities of technology that brings us is enormous. Before we started to work with technological possibilities, I first want to get back to the basic of learning: the brain. According to Dr. Zachary Walker, associate professor at the University College London Institute of Education (IOE) and writer of the book "Teaching the Last Backpack Generation" there are six important rules to stimulate the brain; movement, social activity, music, laughing, novelty, and choice.

As Walker says that after 10 to 15 minutes of sitting still, less blood goes to your brain. Referring to my philosophy to use movements in class I would, for example, let them one by one walk to the white board and write their famous movie, something that we will discuss later in class. Next rule that he mentions is that a social activity is important. In my class I will let them work in teams, use the students centered approach and use presentations where they have to elicit the other students. Besides to have some exercises in a social activity you can combine this with music, you can let the students work with music, you can use it as a timeframe or you can give the students an exercise that combines the exercise with the music, for example to let them make their own rap and a beat writing it down on paper. Walker also mentions that laughing is waking up your brain. Making my students laugh and feel comfortable is one of the most important thing for me. Motivate them to laugh and use a mixer with laughing, like they have to stand up and look for 30 seconds to their neighbour. Then they have to turn around, back to back, and they have to change something in their appearance. Then turn back to each other and guess what the other one has changed. When something news happens, the students are always paying attention. Walker says that the brain is curious and activated because they might be in danger. When you apply for example the seating arrangement it will help to let the brain of the students get used to new things and to adapt in every moment when it's necessary. The last thing of the 6 rules that Walker is mentioning is that the students needs to feel that they have a choice. In my class I will give them 3 options/exercises and they can choose one to work on. In this case you will guide them and give them a frame to work within but also the feel that they can choose. They will feel owner and motivated.

Stimulating the brain and having a well constructed lesson prepared, only with these 6 rules, sounds like we don't need any technology. But let's see If we can add technologie in some cases:

Social activity: let them combine technology, movement and working together, for instance, they have to make a short film where they use poetry and acting.

When they use music I can make a quiz that is shown on the whiteboard through a beamer/internet. Everybody has to log in through their phone and answer the questions. The winner gets a price.

With a laughing exercise I would let them show a video with an actor or comedian. As an exercise they have to work in a group and have to invent a joke or a play together.

These three examples makes the class more interactive, more adapting to the students, more fun, more possibilities, less work, and more approachable. As a filmmaker I love to integrate this and that students make for instance a blog, video, play using technologie. Besides this, If we look at our society, we need to keep up with the new generation. A mobile is a second home, everywhere we go we have our mobile and always access to internet. Games, cinema's, Ipad's, camera's, drones etc. are indispensable. Sometimes you think that you can not live with it anymore. Also what we don't have to forget is that it is a wonderful tool to make lessons more interesting and effective.

My conclusion is that combining technology with more disciplines like video, quizzes, paintings, poezie, songs, dance, bands, plays etc. will help to make a lesson more fun and flexible. Also, movement and technologie, will make work and research much faster, students or teachers don't need to dictate something on paper but they can dictate it in their mobile or on their laptop so you can share your material through internet with everybody. Everywhere in the world you can use it and you don't have to bring lots of books and papers with you. Also it is more interactive and fun. And not to forget, the new generation is used to work with technology like for example in school, the are not working with papers but with laptops. Of course we have to watch out that we will not become robots and only work with technology but in this way students can not come with an excuse that the dog ate their homework :)

Links:

https://www.uu.nl/nieuws/lesgeven-het-brein-en-technologie

https://www.learnersedge.com/blog/technology-in-the-classroom