Empowering Students with Technology

Today, I was working in a 3rd grade classroom where students were discovering and exploring Explain Everything. I have done planning and technology work with this teacher before and she isn't the most confident in her technology abilities, but today I think the lightbulb went off for her. She doesn't need to be the keeper of all knowledge when it comes to technology. If we empower our students to help one another, things work smoother and the students take ownership of their own learning.

I gave an overview of the toolbar and then gave students an assignment to create within Explain Everything. Before I turned them loose to create, I asked the students what they should do if they didn't remember how to do something. Of course, they responded they should raise their hand and ask me. I reminded them that I won't always be in their room but to look to their peers. It was amazing what happened when they started working. Students were asking each other for help and when one would ask me, I would direct them to another student that I knew had completed that task.

I did show one student how to change the privacy in settings in case the camera or the microphone was turned off in any app they were using. Her confidence and excitement for helping others became clear right away when three students came up to her in about five minutes asking for assistance with this task.  By the end of the session today, there was a class full of experts and the students even discovered things that I hadn't shown the class and were willing to share with their peers.

We need to get over the fear of not having all of the knowledge and letting the kids figure things out and help each other.  The teacher can then truly move into a facilitator role instead of the keeper of all knowledge.