Electronics

After a long debate with myself and other colleagues, I believe that we need to use some of the resources that children are using.

We are going to try using electronics (within reason) in class for Math, English, SS, and Science.
This is only happening in my class and students are not to use or ask to use their electronics to other classes; they must leave them in their locker, or have them on their person (but turned off).

Students are allowed to bring an Ipod or a touch phone if they have it.

Rules:

1. They are to keep their electronics on the right top corner of their desk.
2. There is to be no texting, if one person texts, then we will not use electronics at all, they will be banned. If there is an emergency, please call the office for your child and they will be brought down to the office.
3. If listening to music, then they need to use earphones/earbuds, and keep the volume down low enough that it can't be heard by other people.
4. When instructions are on, no earbuds/earphones.
5. No listening to music during silent reading (only during assignment work time in class)
6. Students are responsible for their electronics. They are to keep them in their line of sight at all times! We don't want any to get broken or go missing - this is not my responsibility, nor the schools'


Uses for Electronics:

1. Making flashcards for Spelling
2. Using the calculator
3. Downloading an App for a dictionary (students must prove to me with this week's vocab that they can find all 20 words in the dictionary before they are allowed to use the app. They also know that they will have to show me throughout the year that they can find words alphabetically in the dictionary/thesaurus)
4. For Silent Reading during OUR (only in our) class, if they have downloaded a book and they bring it in and show it to me on the Ipod.
5. Using the calendar option for an agenda (as well as the written one)


I believe that this kind of technology is going to get bigger and bigger and that children know how to use it better than some adults (better than me at times :)

I've talked with all the students and they know that they are my "guinea pig" class. That I haven't done this before and that the rules might change or be added to or deleted depending on how things go.

If you have any rules you would like to see added, please email them to me.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me so that we can discuss them.