0:08
So, there are many small things that we've learned that we can do.
Some of the things even apply to reading strategies because when we're
trying to read a book, we like to try to understand it, pictures in our mind.
And one of the strategies that I was just working on the other day,
we came across the word coral reef.
So of course we can look that up in the dictionary, but
it's not half as good as seeing a picture of it.
So here we have an iPad, and within just a second or
two, we can go online and we can look up coral reef, Google Images.
And a child has that image in his head and it helps him to understand.
It's also just a way to develop that strategy.
That's a very small innovation, but
it could make a big difference if the student uses that.
So we've found that out.
At first when children went on Internet and we put the screen in front of them.
We said here, go do this project, go look up, say it was coral reefs.
The first thing that would happen would be,
we weren't sure of course, are they just surfing around.
What's happening, are they doing the work that they're supposed to?
So we have to also accompany,
we have learned that we have to accompany their work with some sort
of rating that they can show us what they're getting from the net.
And it's very important that they understand where to look, and
what information is good information.
So, what we use are note boxes, I have some here, I can show you them.
It was Fran Halliday who developed this at Bishop's University.
And basically when we're looking online, we look at a website and
we only can write five words here.
So if we're looking at talking about lions and how fast they might be able to run and
looking at, we would say, lions run 60 kilometers per hour.
We can't use more than five or six words.
Then, we might go to many other sites and get information, and
we have to write it here with the source.
So therefore, as a teacher, you can see that they have been to different sites.
They then take the information, and they categorize it and
they put it in their own words.
And this way we avoid the problem of cutting and
pasting which did happen somewhat at first.
There's a nice article.
And they change maybe one or two words and it's not their work.
So, that's been helpful.
And of course, when we talk about web sites,
we have to talk about which web sites.
2:59
Because I did have a student once come in, and
he thought that when Pluto was considered not a planet, he said, I found it here.
It said it blew up.
[LAUGH] So I said okay, and then you have to teach them on a daily basis.
Okay where did that information come from?
It's the questions, it's the critical thinking that we teach in other areas but
specifically for laptops and the Internet.
You have to teach them okay, .edu would be an education site.
3:38
It could be a child from primary grade with an education site from their school,
so you have to ask questions about every site.
.Gov is government, so we teach them that and
we learned that we had to teach them to question the source.
They can also look at About on every page.
You can click on About and
you will see when the site was formed and who formed it.
4:08
Then we have questions from, they're there.
From media literacy, it's from medialit.org.
Who created this message?
For advertisements, which we've talked about.
What techniques are used to attract my attention?
Specifically number five, why was this message sent?
4:34
So, that all goes with helping children to learn, to surf the web, and
to avoid information that isn't correct.
So, I think it's very important.
There are a lot of things to think about and what we try to do,
what we've done here, is that we create a code of conduct for the computers.
We talk to the children about everything in the code of conduct and
they sign it, we sign it.
For example, on these iPads, they know on the iPads and
before that when we used to have the laptops.
They know that, for example, if they're surfing and searching for information and
something inappropriate comes up, because that's likely to happen at some point.
They know that they're expected to put up their, well first of all, close it.
[LAUGH] And then put up their hand and just notify me that
5:58
They also agree that they would only have one game on,
because they will like to play a game.
They know that games are to be played at their parent's discretion at their house.
Here we don't play games during class time, unless it's a math game or
their many application like that, but they know all that ahead of time.
What happens if say, if they are playing a game?
Well, they know that for one week you would not be able to take it home.
Something simple like that,
something that makes sense to go along with what they've done.
Well it if it's a challenge, it's a fun challenge because it's such a great tool.
So it keeps developing more and more.
I'll try to think of all the different ways we're using it because
we have to think about that.
We're using it in so many different ways in the classroom.
7:01
So this just opens up greater possibilities.
So I don't really find it a challenge, it's certainly not hard.
You know, children themselves, they're becoming more and
more problem solvers because they know okay, this is a new tool.
There's all these apps and so
we look together, we've learned that that is also very good.
It's good for them, it's good for us.
And for example, the other day, one of the things that we do is that we send,
they send their work to me through an app.
7:59
And we wanted to project it, when it wouldn't play,
we were trying to figure out what would happen.
And one of the students just said, put it in a document and it will play,
and it did.
And how they knew that, they just explored.
So we solve problems and we know that we can solve problems together.
Their time when they would go to the lunch room [INAUDIBLE].
But once they've finished that, before the second bell.
I've given them the opportunity
to play a game.
And they also play Minecraft, so they're connected and
they are actually building things and they're communicating with each other.
>> So that's the one game they're allowed to play in class?
>> They chose that.
They choose the game.
They might be onto something else now we'll assume, but for
the first few months everyone was on Minecraft and they were creating.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
Professor Diana LaurillardProfessor of Learning with Digital Technologies
