24/7 Learning

When I hear a word or phrase in a meeting that I am unfamiliar with, I pull out my device and look it up on the spot. That allows me to continue to focus on the topic, instead of being lost and then disengaged. Why should it be any different for students? Handheld devices (smart phones, iPads, netbooks) are tools of learning, and students are using them outside of school without any guidance or support. How much more powerful these tools could be if students were actually taught how to use them effectively! Why should we continue to block students from using tools in school that could improve their engagement and understanding, simply because it is complicated to manage it? Graham Brown-Martin calls this “the wrong way to consume computers”.
 

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Research about English learners indicates that 5 hours per week of instruction is enough to maintain, but not grow, English proficiency. If we consider that subjects such as algebra and chemistry are foreign languages, it’s clear that 5 hours per week isn’t going to really grow proficiency. A 24/7 learning model, facilitated by meaningful integration of technology, is a way to increase achievement for all students. But the 24/7 learning model requires 24/7 internet access and teachers who take advantage of web-based tools to reinforce and deepen classroom learning.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) can be the bridge across the digital divide. More than 70% of parents, regardless of socio-economic status, say they will buy devices for their kids if the school has students use those devices as part of the educational experience. With the low cost, powerful devices now available, the majority of schools have the ability to provide take-home devices for students who do not have devices of their own. Thus, ALL students can have access to a 24/7 curriculum, with meaningful instruction and homework that takes advantage of the power of the technology tools.

I see the phrase “lifelong learner” in the mission statement of pretty much every district I’ve ever worked with. It’s time to embrace what that means in the 21^st Century, and ensure that every student has 24/7 digital access to curriculum.