Today’s lesson can be broken down into two topics: Expectations of Social Media Use, and Role of Phones in Classrooms.
Social Media Use
As teachers, we will be held to a higher standard. We need to be aware of how we present ourselves online as semipublic figures. We also need to be aware of how we interact with students in online spaces. Generally speaking, it is best to maintain a clear separation between your teacher persona and your personal persona.
Role of Phones in Classrooms
BC has implemented a cellphone ban in schools, and this can be considered to have both good and bad aspects. On the plus side it improves student focus by significantly reducing distractions. However, todays lesson focussed on the lesser talked bout bad side. This ban significantly restricts student autonomy and does away with a potentially useful tool. It can be argued that students should be able to keep their phones as they can access a lot of knowledge with them, and that some students can be considered mature enough to use them responsibly. However I have to disagree with his idea that students having phones should be the default. I think there are certainly situations where students having that technology in hand can be useful, such as Kahoots or other planned exercises. My experiences in classrooms so far have shown me that many teachers are allowing students these resources when its appropriate so I don’t think it is a big issue. In fact I think this legislation is very good as it allows the teacher to make the decision they think is best for their class.