By George, I think She's Got It!

I tried out the geography game/quiz today and it was amazing. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Middle-east_Geography.htm was fin and engaging for students. There were numerous positive comments and at the end of the day some student left thinking I just let them play all day, which in a way I guess I did. The website has a tutorial to teach students where things are and then levels to progress through. I had students working toward mastery, so they did level 1 until they got 100%. Only one student was unable to complete this task. I showed step by step how to take a screenshot and upload it into a Google Doc so they could show me their score for credit. This worked well because they did not have to be perfect from the outset, but rather could improve and do better. This took pressure off the students and the atmosphere in the room was electric. Students that finished early were told to try level 2 and when they got 100% to screenshot and add it to their doc to show me. After that they were asking me if they could continue to levels 3, 4, and above. One student finished level 7! They were laughing ("It's like a puzzle!"), challenging each other (I'm on level 3, what level are you on?), and assisting in helping others with technology issues. Students were considerate and willing to honestly help rather than chastise one another, which was great to see. Today felt like the world opened up for both the students and me, because I saw a glimpse of what teaching with the laptops from the beginning of the year could do and how engaged and happy to learn students could be.

Procedures are also coming together. In the morning as students enter they are now allowed to get the laptop and follow a specific way of moving about the classroom. They go up specific aisles and down others. The laptops are not opened until I tell them to, which is not until they are quiet so they can hear all directions. I have started to use, "Tech down, eyes up" when I need to make sure their focus is on me and not split between me and what they are doing. Some students are starting to call me "strict" and they want things to go back to how they were, but I think most understand that the laptops are a privilege and just as they can lose them, so can I and I think they are an amazing tool and a gift that should be treated with respect.