During our faculty Christmas party, the teachers and spouses sitting at each table were set up as teams to play a Christmas Trivia version of The Amazing Race. Shortly after starting the quiz, it became apparent that some of the questions might not be known by anyone. Almost as one body, people at each table whipped out their cell phones to begin Googling for answers.
There was no thought process here. No questions about whether it was ok. No one standing over them telling them that cell phones were cheating. They just did what came naturally to them. Naturally even to those who would be classified as digital immigrants.
What would happen to student engagement if we just let them do what came natural when they had to find answers to tough questions?
Something to consider…
Amazing when something so ‘right’ is still hidden behind the facade of tradition and/or rules…or perhaps there is some other reason why this isn’t a natural phenomenon in the classroom!
Tell you thing it would mean… the questions would need to get a lot tougher. And that’s not a bad thing.
Hmmm, guess that means teachers would then be the guide to say whether or not a particular site is viable resource for acceptable answers. WOW, teachers will still mean the teacher would be the resource authority of other resources…if that makes any sense.
Guess I got a little excited in the second sentence…what i meant to say was. “This still means that the teacher would still be the resource authority of other resources….” I say this in agreement that cell phones (tailored the right way) would be an ok device for classroom learning. Holla’
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