{"id":236477,"date":"2024-06-26T02:49:42","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T02:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/26\/how-to-sync-your-classroom\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:16:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:16:09","slug":"how-to-sync-your-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/26\/how-to-sync-your-classroom\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Sync Your Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\">\n<\/aside>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/5-steps-to-a-synced-classroom.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"567\" alt=\"An Innovative Learning Model: How To Sync Your Classroom\" class=\"wp-image-16009 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/5-steps-to-a-synced-classroom.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/5-steps-to-a-synced-classroom.jpg 756w, https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/5-steps-to-a-synced-classroom-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"567\" src=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/5-steps-to-a-synced-classroom.jpg\" alt=\"An Innovative Learning Model: How To Sync Your Classroom\" class=\"wp-image-16009\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/5-steps-to-a-synced-classroom.jpg 756w, https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/5-steps-to-a-synced-classroom-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>by <b>TeachThought Staff<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In just the last decade, the image of technology in the classroom has shifted from rows of desktops in a dedicated computer lab (all facing the same direction) to one where a variety of different devices coexist, often uneasily, in and out of the lab.<\/p>\n<p>The role of the teacher, on the other hand, remains dynamic as ever: morphing hour to hour, if not minute to minute, between lecturer, coach, guide, mentor, referee, and on-call problem solver. Has the unleashing of technology out of the lab, away from bulky desktops, provided the classroom with better tools to support the teacher in all her roles, and the students in all their activities?<\/p>\n<p>Terry Heick\u2019s article on \u2018second screen learning\u2019 (<a title=\"The Sync Teaching Method\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/technology\/the-sync-teaching-method\/\"><strong>What Is The Sync Teaching Method?<\/strong><\/a>) addresses this question head-on. He provides a framework for understanding how a 1:1 (or 1:few) environment can best be leveraged. How can today\u2019s potentially ubiquitous technology support the variety of interactions between students and content in a classroom? What should we think about when we think about the sorts of interaction between the teacher\u2019s device and the students\u2019 that may best support and extend a classroom\u2019s effectiveness?<\/p>\n<p>The difference between 1:1 and second screen learning \u2018is a matter of syncing.\u2019 Synced learning requires two potentially opposing technologies: one, the ability to engage the same core material, and two, the ability to engage the material independently. \u201cIn second screen learning classrooms, the teachers and students are \u2018sync\u2019d\u2019 content-wise with one another, while still having the tools, strategies, freedom, and space to clarify, extend, create, or connect the learning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This notion of a class that moves fluidly from a focus on a single theme to individual or small group activities, and back again, is not new. The teacher guides the class as a \u2018conductor\u2019 while unleashing each student to delve into topics on their own as well, harnessing each individual\u2019s curiosity and aptitude. And this occurs routinely with or without digital media.<\/p>\n<p>This post is a brief introduction to the technologies that can support a synced classroom using second screens\u2014focusing on the use of web-based resources. As web-based resources play an ever-larger role in K-12 education, the ability to better wrangle and adapt them to the natural rhythms of classroom instruction rises in importance.<\/p>\n<p>The hope is for this discussion to be useful to educators thinking about what technologies to adopt in amplifying the \u2018syncing\u2019 that they already practice.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-steps-to-the-sync-d-classroom\"><strong>5 Steps To The Sync\u2019d Classroom<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Step 1: Sync\u2019d Resources: Common Access To A Predetermined Set Of E<\/strong><strong>ducational Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An anchor for sync\u2019d learning is the ability to have students engage with a common set of educational resources curated by the teacher. From email and browser bookmarks to more elaborate social bookmarking and curating services, the options are many.<\/p>\n<p>To enable deeper engagement, bookmarking can be supplemented by two additional features: the ability to add commentary, and the ability to freely add to one\u2019s own collection of resources.<\/p>\n<p>The ability to comment on resources enables teachers to put resources in their proper context and sequence. Students in turn can engage with the resources with questions, reactions, answers, and thoughts.<\/p>\n<p>The initial set of resources provided by the \u2018conductor\u2019 becomes a core around which the students can start to create their personal collections, be it videos, scientific articles, or URLs of apps that provide a \u2018gamified\u2019 introduction to programming.<\/p>\n<p>Even with just these elements, a classroom may be \u2018sync\u2019d.\u2019 Whether loosely around a collection of resources and comments or more tightly on a page that the teacher is discussing live, the teacher can vary the interaction to create a synced experience. The following steps, however, would significantly ease the burden on both the teacher and the student\u2013and support interactions not possible before.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2:\u00a0<strong>Sync\u2019d Navigation\u2013<\/strong>The Same Thing At The Same Time<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Though \u2018synchronous navigation\u2019 may bring to mind a lecture, armed with second screens, it can be more. Because most digital resources are at least partially interactive, landing on the same page or using the same app does not require everyone to engage with the content in exactly the same way.<\/p>\n<p>However, screen sharing apps usually work only in one direction\u2014very much like a \u2018first screen\u2019 (the teacher\u2019s) on a projector. Instead, teachers should be able to take all students to a page and, perhaps after a context-setting introduction, set them free to explore on their own. Synchronous navigation differs from screen sharing because it provides a common path around which exploration is encouraged.<\/p>\n<p>To use both definitions of the word, the teacher is a \u2018conductor,\u2019 guiding where necessary, corralling everyone in the same direction when called for, and asking everyone to disembark and go off on their own when appropriate. Coupled with the ability to view the teacher\u2019s comments and the ability to contribute one\u2019s own thoughts, synchronous navigation supports a blend of guidance and freedom, of focus and creativity.<\/p>\n<p>Students should be allowed to lead these sessions as well\u2014to present their finished work, engage their peers and their teacher in the research phase of a project, and lead each other in smaller groups as a part of everyday learning.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3: Different things at Different Times\u2014Switching Between Sync\u2019d &amp; Unsync\u2019d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A blend of synchronous and independent activity may be determined on the fly. This blend is often the magic of live teaching, where instruction is leavened by questions, pauses, changes in direction, as well as time for independent work. So the ability to shift fluidly between the two is critical. Even if planned, the easier the mechanics of the transition, the more transitions there can be.<\/p>\n<p>Necessary elements include the ability of the teacher or a student to pause navigation to allow for discussions. They also include allowing students to \u2018catch up\u2019 and re-engage after having gone off on tangents of their own.<\/p>\n<p>It should also support the full use of the shared resources in Step 1\u2014to guide a session, to add new resources during a session, and the ability to comment on everything. Figure 1 shows a simple example of the type of progression possible with \u2018on the fly\u2019 switching.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/synced-vs-unsynced-classrooms.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"567\" alt=\"synced v unsynced classrooms\" class=\"wp-image-16008 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/synced-vs-unsynced-classrooms.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/synced-vs-unsynced-classrooms.jpg 756w, https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/synced-vs-unsynced-classrooms-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"567\" src=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/synced-vs-unsynced-classrooms.jpg\" alt=\"synced v unsynced classrooms\" class=\"wp-image-16008\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/synced-vs-unsynced-classrooms.jpg 756w, https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/synced-vs-unsynced-classrooms-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Step 4: Sharing Ideas\u2014Communication &amp; Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Although teachers can incorporate existing messaging and note-taking apps to support Steps 1-3, the ideal would be to have commenting, messaging, and chatting be integrated into a common platform.<\/p>\n<p>For example, synchronous navigation would include a messaging function. Even when all participants are in the same physical space, writing comments, questions, and answers through an integrated messaging function will provide a more focused channel for engagement, to augment verbal exchange as well as substitute for it.<\/p>\n<p>To encourage dialog and collaboration, discoveries and comments should trigger a \u2018new message\u2019-like notification. And once notified, participants should be able to have both synchronous and asynchronous discussions. Much like how synchronized navigation should be switchable on the fly, commenting and messaging should also support the seamless transition between synced, real-time discussions (similar to chatting or instant messaging) and conversations adapted to each student\u2019s own pace (more like email).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5: The Glue\u2014From The Individual To The Group<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This brings us to the synced classroom\u2019s structure. Whether the entire class is synced on the same page at the same time or smaller groups are synced loosely, the teacher must determine both the degree of syncing and the scale of it for different occasions. And the two decisions may be tightly related. Technology can help by making it easy to create different groupings for different purposes\u2014from the single student all the way to a combination of multiple classes.<\/p>\n<p>Different grouping should also exist simultaneously, for collaboration, messaging, and synchronous navigation. These need to act as the glue that creates the context for synced learning at different scales. One can imagine the cross-cutting groupings in Figure 2 all going through their own seesawing between synchronous and independent activities on their screens over the course of a day, with the teacher orchestrating as much as needed or desired.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-successfully-synced-classroom\"><strong>A Successfully Synced Classroom<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As Terry Heick reminds us, \u201cInteraction is possible with teachers and textbooks as well as it is with apps and tablets, but not on the same scale, with the same degree of personalization, or the same engaging form factors.\u201d Sync teaching using technology is valuable because the analogous method of sync teaching without technology is effective. The appropriate enabling technology, especially when combined with the \u201cabundance of engaging and flexible learning resources on the internet,\u201d becomes a way to amplify a tried and true method.<\/p>\n<p>To be even remotely useful, the technology outlined above needs to be convenient. For it to be relied upon by teachers looking to support an adaptive and responsive learning environment, it too has to provide an adaptive and responsive service. So the challenge is to combine the above functions in a way that is intuitive and easy to use, if not also a little fun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/the-future-of-learning\/how-to-use-sync-teaching-classroom\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] by TeachThought Staff In just the last decade, the image of technology in the classroom has shifted from rows of desktops in a dedicated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":236478,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236477"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}