Should Teachers Allow Cell Phones in the English Classroom?

As information becomes more readily available on the internet, more and more people have become dependent on cell phones. Information that once upon a time required serious thought, or personal assistance, is now simply a few buttons away. With so many answers sitting in the palm of one’s hand, it seems as though cell phones would have taken their place in the classroom of America’s schools by now. Particularly with the English classroom where students have their own personal spell check. However, as many teachers understand, there are certain complications that arise when trying to introduce cell phones into classrooms of any subject. Ultimately, cell phone usage in classroom depends on the mentality of the teacher and the students themselves.

Teachers should not be told how to do their job, and as such, forcing teachers to allow cell phones in the classroom is wrong. Therefore, the question of whether cell phones should be allowed begins with the teacher’s mentality toward phones being used as an educational tool. A quick glance at debate.org, a website dedicated to exploring some of the world’s most two-sided questions, will show that people are divided on the topic with many naysayers bringing up the fact that cell phones cause distractions, or can lead to cheating on assignments. Teachers who feel these issues outweigh the potential benefits of cell phone usage will likely say no, students should not be allowed to have cell phones out during instructional periods.

However, this is just one side of the argument and one kind of teacher. For every teacher who feels cell phones cause more harm than good, there’s another of the opposite variety. What merit do proponents of cell phone usage have for responsible cell phone use? According to USA TODAY’s, Brian Shane, a study by the Pew Research Center found that “77% of people between the ages 12-17 have cell phones,” and that one school, Assabet Valley Vocational High School in Marlborough, Mass, regularly use cell phones and tablets for apps on various subjects. According to the administration of these schools, they are seeing promising results while trying to iron out the faults that come along with cell phone usage in classes.

Ideally, cell phone usage in schools makes sense. It allows for quick retrieval of information that would otherwise only be available through traditional text. However, no one knows a set of students better than their teacher. Teaching requires differentiation due to the fact that no two set of students learn exactly alike. It’s because of this that some students can handle the responsibility of cell phone usage and others cannot. While 1^st period may have no trouble staying on task and using their phone to enrich their educational experience, 2^nd period may use their phones solely to take goofy pictures, text one another, or browse unrelated topics on the internet. In reality, the teacher is the one who should make the ultimate call on cell phone usage.

Of course, there’s a host of other issues including school security. However, based solely on the academic potential of pocket size technology in the classroom, cell phones could make a huge difference in learning. Answering the question of whether or not schools should allow cell phones isn't as simple as yes or no. The deciding factor ultimately lies with the teacher.

Sources:

Shane, Brian. "Schools use smart devices to help make kids smarter." USA Today. n. page. Print. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/27/students-use-cellphones-as-part-of-classroom-lessons/1794883/>.

"Should cell phones be allowed in school?." Debate.org. N.p.. Web. 27 Oct 2013. <http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-cell-phones-be-allowed-in-school>.

Why Learning Targets are so useful in the Classroom

As a high school teacher, it can be easy to forget a number of things. Whether it’s forgetting what a particular term means, that pep-rally at 1, or the fact that you accidently brought your entire dry eraser marker hoard home in your pants, one thing is for certain: we make mistakes. We’re human. Regardless of what our students might think of us, we’re human, plain and simple. However, one thing I do feel we should remember is that our students aren’t always with us.

We’re on Earth; they’re on the moon.

Too often do teachers go into a lesson without making their lesson clear: what exactly am I trying to teach you today? The last thing we want is little Johnny in the back of the class, and God bless his heart, he’s trying, but we’ve simply been unclear with our message. In one statement, what should the Johnny be able to do by the time that bell rings for the day?

Thank God we have learning targets.

Learning targets are one-statement, measurable goals that students should be able to perform by the end of the period. It’s as easy as that.

Learning subjects like English or math take large amounts of time, and just like any other long-term goal, it only makes sense to break these goals up into smaller, more manageable goals. This allows students to focus solely on the learning target every day, and before they know it, they’ve accomplished a much more impressive long-term goal.

With that being said, what does a learning target look like? Like this!

I can identify a thesis statement in an argumentative text.

For the period, this is the only goal we’re concerned with. We’re not interested in constructing full papers or identifying the parts of speech. The only goal for the day is ensuring every student has mastered the learning target. Once we’ve done that, we can move onto tomorrow.

Keeping this valuable learning tool in mind, perhaps the next time your students go home they’ll actually be able to communicate their learning for the day. Instead of:

Mom: “What did you learn in English today?”

Johnny: “I don’t know. English?”

It will be...

Mom: “What did you learning in English today?”

Johnny: “We have to identify thesis statements.”

…Well… ideally, at least. 

Using Modern Media to Enhance the English Classroom

Ever since college, I’ve wondered why we insist on making the English classroom so boring. True, it’s tough to make the English classroom remotely interesting with subjects like grammar and mechanics, but when it comes to analyzing texts, we seemingly forget that modern film can go a long way toward keeping students interested in the subject matter. Why must we insist on boring, canonical texts when we have modern films that relate more to our students’ interests?

Am I saying we should avoid older texts entirely? Absolutely not. Canonical texts have their place when you’re interested in teaching older forms of writing, or cross-referencing for a quick history lesson. However, if we’re simply teaching literary elements such as conflict, plot, etc., why turn our heads to modes of text that are far more engaging.

Engaging students in meaningful discussion with texts such as Beowulf can be frustratingly difficult. However, throw The Avengers on the screen and your biggest struggle will be getting them to shut up about it. When analyzing and critical thinking skills can both be taught through a more interesting text, I just want to know why not.

Administrations across the country sneer at the possibility of The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, or Harry Potter playing on screens in their schools. Showing modern film has taken on the stigma of the lazy teacher. Administrators assume that walking past your door while you’re showing a modern film certainly means you’ve decided to take the day off. Certainly, you failed to create plans for the day, or are simply looking for an easy way out. While I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I will say this; modern film has its place in the English classroom because English goes beyond grammar and mechanics.

English is about subjectivity and perspective. It fails to fall into categories colored in black and white, and instead, forces students to think in shades of grey. In a way, students are asked to think in ways they’ve never thought, going beyond simple observations about how the world is, and instead, forces them to ask the question why.

I plan to do more posts about this in the future as it’s something I’m rather passionate about. If modern texts will allow me to teach my material in a more engaging, creative, and entertaining way, why not?

5 Formative Assessments for the English Classroom

Greetings! After a long day at work, you’ve decided to come to my blog and read about formative assessments? Shouldn’t you be enjoying your time off!

Oh, you’re at work? Shouldn’t you be teaching!

Planning period? Ok. That’s better. Let’s talk about formative assessments, shall we?

Formative assessments are an invaluable tool as an English teacher. They give us the data we need to ensure that our students understand our learning targets and that we’re able to move along without leaving anyone behind.

Now, with that behind us, let’s talk about 5 formative assessments for the English teacher:

5. Anecdotal Check Sheet

Never forget the handy, dandy check sheet. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it gives quick evidence to show that students actually understood what you were teaching. The most important thing to remember when using check sheets is that have to make sure their work is right and not just completed. Don’t check them off for just completing it!

4. Exit Slip

Exit slips are a pretty simple concept. Within the last few minutes of the class, ask students to complete a task and take it up as they walk out the door. A simple read through shows who got it and who didn’t. The only problem with exit slips? The students are gone when it comes time to correct them. Since instruction needs to be immediate, exit slips tend to lose their effectiveness.

3. Sticky Notes

Formative Assessment stems from the ability to read a student’s work and know that they understood your instruction. One of my favorite ways to do this is to place sticky notes on each student’s desk and have them answer a specific question testing the learning target at certain times throughout the period. A quick read through will show who got it and who didn’t.

2. Pair and Share

I LOVE pair and share activities. It’s not as much an actual formative assessment as it is a simple compliment to the others on this list. Think of it this way: You’ve given out sticky notes and have now taken them up. Once you’ve determined who understood your material, you can easily pair up your students into small instructional teams. Simply put, 10 teachers are better than 1. 

1.       Student/Teacher Conferencing

I’m a huge proponent of student/teacher conferencing. It can be difficult to teach 30+ children in a class, but getting to know each and every one of them as an individual is a different animal. By student/teacher conferencing, you can kill two birds with one stone: you get to better understand a student’s progress in the class, and perhaps also have a few minutes to talk with your student about their aspirations, hobbies, and other interests that may relate to your teachings. However, there is one problem… student/teacher conferences take forever. You’re looking at an entire period if you decide to do this so be sure to have a way to keep your student’s busy, or else it’s going to be a long day.

Reasons Why You Should Enhance Your Classroom With A Blog

With technology continuously changing the dynamics of our classrooms, I feel there is one interesting venue for information that teachers either don’t know about or just choose to ignore: the blog. Your students spend an absolute ridiculous amount of time on the internet. It’s silly to ignore the avenue where they spend most of their time. With that being said, why would you ever want to spend the time constructing and maintaining a blog such as this? Here are a few:

Forgetful Students have Answers

I remember being in high school as if it were yesterday. I can’t count how many times I went home only to say, “Damn, I really wish I would have written that down.” (Forgive me for me high school lingo. It was probably a tad harsher than that.) At any rate, a classroom blog is the perfect answer for students who need a little memory jog.

Students who Miss

My God is there anything more difficult than keeping up with students who miss a lot? When you’re able to post your daily activities on a site easily accessible by your student body, you essentially eliminate the need for barrage of questions you get every day.

Internet Resources

Talk about an easy avenue to share interesting material with your students. When you’re able to make daily posts giving students links to valuable resources, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

Internet Classes are Common

With universities conducting more and more online classes, high school students need to be exposed to online teachings. Even if it’s as simple as finding the assignment, researching a topic, and turning in a paper, its valuable lessons they’ll use going forward.

What about Students without Internet

As unbelievable as it may seem, there are a number of students who don’t have internet access. These students will simply have to get their makeup work the old fashioned way- by asking.

How Do I Start a Blog?

It’s easy. It’s free. Go to Blogger and use your free Gmail account to start your blog.

5 Challenges When Teaching Writing And How To Overcome Them

When it comes to teaching, writing is perhaps one of the most difficult skills to teach. Public opinion holds that activities like sports, drawing, or craftsmanship, require a certain amount of talent to truly succeed, writing is a skill that many feel should be even across the board. It’s not. The ability to process information through writing is something that requires three things: natural talent, practice, and passion. Some students have none of these and yet we as teachers are expected to pull them onto an even playing field.

While there will always be students who struggle with writing, this isn’t to say we can’t help students reach the plateau of their abilities. Teaching writing is a very difficult process, but I’m going to share a few tips that have helped me make progress with students who either struggle academically, or simply don’t care.

Give Them Freedom

Allowing students to choose their own topic can either do wonders or fail miserably. Essentially, you have two different kinds of students: students who will write if they can write about topics that interest them and students who will write if you give the topic too them. The problem with the latter group is simply laziness. They refuse to come up with their own topic because it requires them to think. However, there are students in the first group who will gladly write a piece over a hobby they enjoy.

Give Them Attention

Individualized instruction is important to helping students become better writers. As you read through content on this blog you’ll likely see that I’m a huge proponent of student/teacher conferencing. Addressing a student as an individual is most important when trying to diagnose errors students make when writing. Every student is different and diagnosing a writer’s problem in a group setting is considerably more difficult. As a kid, one of my most memorable moments was a teacher pulling me aside and explaining that the comma comes before the conjunction rather than after. It took a total of 5 minutes of that teacher’s day to make a big difference in my ability to write.

Make it Sound Important

If you’re ever going to inspire a student to write, you’ve got to find a way to make it sound like one of the most important skills in the world. And it is. The ability to write well opens many doors that would otherwise be closed. It’s important to find a way to relate this skill to whatever field that student plans on going into.

Teach Common Mistakes Differently than Uncommon Mistakes

It only takes a few assignments to see the mistakes that everyone in the class is making. These are the skills that should be taught in a group setting. However, wasting a day of instruction on a skill that 90% of the class already knows is just silly. By creating individual, small group, and full class instruction, you can use your time much more efficiently.

Teach Thesis Statements and Outlining

Thesis statements are the backbone of any essay or other writing assignment. I find it valuable to spend the time necessary to teach thesis statements thoroughly. Once students understand how to formulate an outline backed by a thesis statement, the writing process becomes intentional rather than the filler many students try to pass on.