So, when a 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, screen time among children ages 3 to 18 went up 59 percent globally, our district took notice. We also considered a 2019 longitudinal study of Australian children reported in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. The study notes that among the following categories of screen time — social, educational, passive, interactive and other — educational screen time provided the most benefit.
Curious as to how much screen time students across our district were experiencing and how they were using technology to learn, our district leaders decided to take a closer look. To get a sense of what was happening in the classroom, our instructional team facilitated a series of “learning walks.” What we discovered was eye-opening.
RELATED: Check out the research on screen time and school-aged kids.
We Designed a Student-Centered Tool to Observe Ed Tech Use
We started the process by creating a student-centered observation tool to help us reflect during the walks. The tool implemented the four C’s of 21st century learning: creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking. It also included Ruben Puentedura’s SAMR (substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition) model of technology integration, and some popular blended-learning models such as station rotation, whole-group rotation, flipped classroom and playlist. In addition, we paid close attention to the program or tool that teachers and students used with particular technologies.
We then traveled to all 16 of our campuses (10 elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools) to see blended learning in action. For each school, we formed teams of six to 10 people, which included district– and school-level staff. We spent an hour observing up to six classrooms, followed by a half hour to debrief.
DIG DEEPER: Learn how technology supports personalized learning in K–12.