There are some questions that students and teachers ask that we really need to stop asking. No, that’s not quite right – we need to start asking them differently.
When I was in the classroom, my students always, in the course of receiving an assignment from me, would ask “How long does this need to be?” I understood the question, but my response was always “As long as it needs to be.” We’d then review the criteria of the assignment, and I’d ask the question back: “How long do you think this needs to be?” I’d ask. And learning would ensue.
As we are rolling along with our iPad 1:1 in the Learning Technology Plan, there’s a new question that I hear from parents and administrators that is worthy of a similar response. The question’s in the title, but here it is again:
“How many minutes should we spend on the iPad?”
Each stakeholder group tacks a contextual reference on the end of the question. For teachers, it’s “each day in class?” For administrators, it’s phrased more like “How many minutes a day should I expect the teachers to use or direct their students to use the iPads?” For parents, the question morphs into a question about health and wellbeing and general screen time. But whatever way a group is asking, the answer is very similar, I find, to the pushback I gave students who asked about assignment length.
The answer is, of course, a definitive “It depends. How long do you think they/you should spend on the iPad?” Sometimes, it’s like this: “Well, that depends on what you’re wanting to actually do.”
If your goal is to replace a physical task with a digital task, then it should be about the same as the old task. Or faster because, you know, digital. If your goal is to have students make something awesome, say a movie or a text or an info graphic or a piece of code, well, then the answer is that they should take as long as it takes to make something good.
But the answer should almost never be “thirty minutes three times a week,” or anything like that. We don’t argue for specific amounts of time for pencils or pens or little pocket notebooks. Let’s stop doing so for the machines.
Computers aren’t Bowflexes. And shouldn’t ever be.
New Post: “How Many Minutes Should We Spend on the iPad?”: There are some questions that stu… http://t.co/Fi1Tb037zI by @budtheteacher
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“Computers aren’t Bowflexes” good thoughts on screentime via @budtheteacher http://t.co/HlvTO3ngy1
It stems from our “cart” or “lab” views of technology. We get 30 minutes in the lab or we have the cart for an hour three days a week. We need to look at these tools as “simple machines” like a lever or wheel. They can amplify our efforts and extend our potential. Great reflection. I like when you write 🙂
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RT @budtheteacher: New blog post: “How Many Minutes Should We Spend on the iPad?” http://t.co/pu9x4yXT1f
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For physical documents, I find when students question “How long does it have to be?” they are actually asking me, “How little can I get away with doing.” My answer is always, as long as it takes you to sufficiently make your point or answer the question. The question regarding the iPad I think, is a bit different. Parents are asking how long their children should spend on an iPad, as if they are concerned that too much technology is not beneficial to students, much like too much TV or video games is not good for students. The difference is that, work that students do on an iPad is not a waste of time, but rather a learning experience, and one that provides them opportunities to develop more efficient methods of learning. Be happy that your students are using technology to be productive, and allow them as much time as they need.
Laughed when I wander across this post. I have probably heard this question asked me a thousand times by parents and teachers, but not once by a student. Response is always that it should be used as appropriate, not with a timer.