Such an allowance would undermine the culture of commitment and hard work that was fundamental to our daily work.

Given the stakes for our students, it was impossible to justify, either to myself or to them, allowing вЂњthrowawayвЂќ days just because I couldnвЂ™t be there. And so, when I couldnвЂ™t be there, my students were fully prepared to use and take responsibility for the devices in the room.Д«ut what about the вЂњno tech with subsвЂќ policy? Well, in my case, I demonstrated this student ownership to my administrator and gained an exception for using devices when I was absent. Once this began to take shape, we had a foundation where using and managing devices was not some rarified activity, but just another thing my students owned and felt responsible for. I also used digital citizenship lessonsВ to support students in developing emotional awareness and being considerate.ДЇETC 2019: Making the Right Decisions Around Data System and Technology Tools Using apps like AnimotoВ and Google Slides, they created visuals of how the desks would be arranged, what would be on the walls, and how the room would be used. To empower students to begin to take on this responsibility, I had them visualize what they wanted the class to look and feel like. I had to relinquish control as the sole author of what we did and how we did it. A crucial step is the leap of faith that has to happen at the beginning. It takes many years of trying many approaches to see concrete results. How well had I prepared my students? How much ownership and voice did they have?ДЄn empathetic, responsible, and student-centered culture does not come easily. Strong Class Culture Is KeyДЄs the classroom teacher, I learned that the biggest factor for how things went when I was gone was the strength of the classroom culture. But devices cost a lot of money, and schools typically will do everything they can to protect that investment.Д«ut how does this policy affect students?ДЇrom my experience, banning tech due to teacher absence is a big missed opportunity for student growth and independence. Some can maintain a positive environment by establishing relationships with students right away. ItвЂ™s true thatВ subs donвЂ™t always find quick success with classroom management. Only the classroom teacher can manage classroom tech.

Devices are too valuable to be trusted with kids when they donвЂ™t have experienced supervision. The rationale is that itвЂ™sВ just not worth it. The teacher-absence policy at my school was clear: The teacher isnвЂ™t coming to school? No technology for the class.

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