I’ve been gun-ho about using technology in my classes and courses for years. This year, the experience of parenting 12 year olds who started high school in Quebec, has made me pause.
Shortcut: technology can exclude so I’m now strongly in favour of providing non-tech options.
Full story: my kids do not have phones. At the beginning of September, at their new school, my kids sat silent, annoyed, listening to what seemed like three days of every teacher exhort new high school students not to use their phones in class. They would not be using their non-existent phones. The assumption that everyone had a phone only rubbed in what one of them certainly feels is an injustice. If I simply bought them a phone, all would be well.
I’m holding out on the smartphone though (they now share a flip phone) for good reason: preventing addiction. Australia’s new ban on social media for under 16 year olds is vindication!
Back to school, a clear mixed message emerged this term: don’t use a phone in class, but have a phone. A student sports fair had QR codes to sign up for teams. At lunch, the school invites students to play Kahoot, with their smartphone. There are QR codes posted on paper around the school. The administration is just competing for student attention, marginalizing students who cannot participate (never mind the problems with QR codes not being taught). The worst was Snapchat used by upper-year team coaches to the exclusion of three players.
In terms of student safety, there is a free phone available during the school day but after school hours, you need your own phone. The tech of the smartphone has individualized and privatized communication which used to be considered a common resource. There are no payphones – if your parent is late picking you up after futsal practice, you either hope someone else is around and ask to borrow their phone or you’re out-of-luck. Hence, the flip phone.
It’s all led me to one clear position and a reflection:
1) Clear position: School boards need to have active inclusion of non-smartphone owners as part of their tech use policies. Just provide a human option; make sure we fund data entry so people who write down their name, instead of clicking a QR code, can still participate.
2) Reflection: I’ve required my students to come to class with a device. Is this okay for university? I’m now questioning this stance. I can’t really use – and maximize the best of – technology for teaching and learning without student access to technology. The entire university environment requires use of tech to access the learning management system, library resources, you name it. Regardless, I need to make sure I walk-the-talk.