Bringing technology into the classroom comes with a unique set of challenges, some of which could make classroom management more difficult if teachers don't think out strategies beforehand. It's hard for teachers to keep students focused on their work when they've got the internet at their fingertips. Early adopters of one-to-one device programs discovered with trial and error what works and what doesn't. Now those teachers have a lot to share with others. Liana Heitin's Education Week article does a good job of spelling out the biggest challenges and the solutions teachers are using to deal with them.
Heitin writes about Marin Country Day School in California where teachers have been using technology for a long time. "Redford's school introduced iPads in the middle grades three years ago. 'I think we were a little wide-eyed and naïve initially. We were letting students guide the exploration into technology,' she said. Since then, she and her colleagues have had detailed discussions about expectations and appropriate use. 'Everyone really does need to have these conversations because these tensions are real,' she said."
