Investing in technology for the classroom often requires taking a leap of faith. There is no guarantee implementing technology will enhance student learning, and many schools have to make mistakes first in order to succeed in reaching the goals of their tech initiative.
Beaver Country Day School, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, has refused to be intimidated by the idea of failing, especially in regards to using technology in the classroom. About eight years ago, Beaver implemented a 1:1 program in hopes of expanding the nature of the classroom and opening up new learning opportunities for students. At this time, 1:1 programs were a relatively new concept, and Beaver knew this technology initiative would not be met without challenges.
“We have our motto, ‘Make excellent mistakes,’” says Peter Hutton, head of Beaver Country Day School. “Go ahead and make a mistake and figure out what you’ve learned from that. All teachers have to be somewhat comfortable with what they can do and what their potential is and not be afraid to mess up.”
Without the fear of making mistakes holding them back, Beaver Country Day School’s tech initiative has involved more than just providing laptops to students. The halls of Beaver proudly exhibit digital displays, and the implementation of Google Chromecast has allowed teachers and students to easily connect what is being displayed on their computer screen to a TV monitor. Students also have access to Google Apps for Education, where they can pick and choose from a range of productivity tools that facilitate collaboration and interaction.
While implementing technology is often costly, Beaver has continued to expand its technology initiative without too much expense by finding little to no-cost web-based tools that help students learn in new and innovative ways.
“Beaver believes firmly that we don’t want students to pay for fancy software that costs a ton of money, so I spend a lot of time finding web-based solutions that will work for both PCs and Macs so the experience is exactly the same for everyone. We feel very strongly about that,” says Jenna Wolf, director of research and technology at Beaver Country Day School.
One of the most impactful technologies Beaver has used to enhance student learning is one of these free solutions. Through the use of Skype, students at Beaver’s upper and middle schools have been granted the opportunity to speak with students and experts all over the world to build on the material they are learning in the classroom.
“We tried Skype out in our curriculum because we do a lot of work with current events and we can spend a ton of time reading resources that are said to be multiple perspective, but why not include the actual perspective of people who are living through these events?” says Melissa Alkire, an Upper School history teacher and tech integration specialist.
After the head of Beaver’s history department, Kader Adjout, connected his class with a class of a friend who was teaching abroad, many teachers followed suit and began using Skype in the classroom to connect their classes with students in foreign countries.
By speaking with students in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt and Germany, students at Beaver have been able to hear unique perspectives on controversial topics such as civil war and religion.
“There are a couple different aspects of Skype that I really like, one of which is learning how to be a really good critical thinker and learning to think on the spot,” says Hannah Goldstein, a senior at Beaver’s upper school. “When we talk to these kids they might have similar opinions as ours but a lot of times they don’t. When we disagree, it’s sometimes uncomfortable, but I think that’s healthy. We’re learning how to work through the uncomfortable situations and learning from what they’re saying and gaining perspective, and on a skill-set level we’re learning how to be critical thinkers.”
An added benefit of using Skype in the classroom is that the installation process is incredibly simple. Implementing Skype in the classroom requires simply downloading the application to your laptop or computer, and adding the user you wish to Skype with. Many students and teachers have also used Skype in their personal lives, and already have in-depth experience using the program.
“I used the technology personally, so the challenge was really just learning how to use the technology in the classroom. We had a lot of tech people help set it up and help project the image on the screen and create a school account. It wasn’t difficult to implement at all,” says Geeta Jain, a middle school humanities teacher at Beaver.
While the installation of Skype is rather simple, it’s important to note that using Skype in the classroom can still pose challenges.
“Depending on where we’re Skyping there have been some tech issues, such as inconsistent internet on their part or a blackout that happens in the middle of a conversation. As a class you need to be flexible,” says Alkire. “The other huge piece is time zone differences. You have to be mindful of that when setting up a time because often students in other countries are staying after school to attend the Skype and they may have to leave at a certain time.”
There have been numerous occasions in which Beaver students have arrived before school hours to attend a Skype session, which the school considers a great testament to student engagement and excitement to learn through the use of technology.
“These Skypes will typically start at 7:00 AM. It only works because our students deeply care about these experiences and care about connecting with these students. From a teacher’s perspective, you want students to want to come to school early; it’s amazing they do that. I’m really blown away by that,” says Alkire.
While the school day may be longer for students attending these morning sessions, the experience is well worth it for many Beaver students.
“I was really excited about Skype because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says Nyla Boynton-Jarrett, a seventh grader at Beaver. “Everyone showed up early for early calls because every student wanted the opportunity to speak with these [foreign] students.”
Beaver has created excitement around learning by embracing technology in the classroom and truly using it as a tool to provide a unique educational experience for students. Through the use of technology in the classroom, Beaver Country Day School hopes to prepare its students for a constantly changing and challenging world.
“The kids graduate from here tech-savvy and that’s important no matter what they’re going to be in the world,” says Hutton. “Whether you create your own job, start up a company or work in the arts, if you’re tech savvy you’re going to have a leg up. Schools have a responsibility to help kids be tech savvy, and schools that have not embraced technology are going to have a lot of catching up to do.”
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