One-to-One Classrooms 1

Running Head: ONE-TO-ONE CLASSROOMS

Teaching in the One-to-One Classroom

Lee Ann Patterson

Liberty University
 One-to-One Classrooms 2

Teaching in the One-to-One Classroom

In many schools and school districts, school officials have seen the importance of putting a

device, whether it be a laptop computer or a tablet, in the hands of their students. As more and

more districts are transitioning to a one-to-one model of instruction, many questions are popping

up about how to best teach in these classrooms as the rules of the classroom are changing as a

result. No longer is the teacher to holder of all the knowledge, but students have at their

fingertips the answer to almost any question. The role of the teacher is changing as a direct result

of initiatives like these because students can no longer be passive recipients of knowledge, and

teachers must change to meet this new brand of student. As a result of this change, teachers need

to adapt to a new model of teaching and a new style of student. Learning is changing and

teaching needs to adapt to stay relevant in this new model. Ensure that each student has a device

is one step in the right direction, but simply handing a student a computer or a tablet does not

ensure they are learning. Teaching is changing, but teachers need to learn the best methods for

teaching in a one-to-one classroom.

Students are now considered digital natives, meaning they have grown up where technology

(smart phones, laptops, tablets) are a part of their everyday life. In many cases, they played with

devices as babies and small children ensuring a huge level of comfort with these devices, and are

often more comfortable with technology than their teachers. However, Neumann (2016) says that

even though these students are familiar with technology, they are not always skilled in how to

best use it, especially in scholarly pursuits. For teachers, this creates a secondary problem as

schools are going to individual devices for students as they are also having to teach students

digital literacy, in addition to the content curriculum that is required. Digital Literacy is defined
 One-to-One Classrooms 3

by many in education as encompassing a variety of different range of skills. Heitlin (2017)

defines digital literacy as finding and consuming digital content, creating digital content, and

communicating or sharing it. Student need to be able to do all three in order to be digitally

literate, which means they need to have a broader range of skills in order to successfully navigate

the digital classroom. However, this is difficult for many teachers to teach, as they are also

struggling to become literate in these areas and are not always comfortable with these ideas

themselves. Students need to know not only how to find information, but how to evaluate that

information to determine if information is appropriate, useful, and if it answers the question they

have about the topic. Additionally, they need to be able to create content and to communicate that

information to others. This requires much more skill than simply knowing how to use a

smartphone. For both the teachers and the students, learning how to do this can present a

challenge.

Because of this, for many students, the very act of having technology accessible in the classroom

can be a distraction, as they are either overloaded with too much information and have trouble

picking and choosing the most relevant information, or they lack the skills to utilize the devices

effectively, which means teacher, who may have limited knowledge themselves, may have to

also teach the technology in addition to the other skills they need to teach. Svinicki (2017) also

says that another problem is present with these digital natives, a problem that exists at a deeper

level. Because of the abundance of information available and the quickness with which it can be

accessed, Svinicki stated, students believe they dont have to remember anything; they can look

it up on the Internet. This goes to show the difference in mindsets between generations as they

seek to work with students who are digital natives. Svinicki shows how digital natives are so
 One-to-One Classrooms 4

used to instant gratification they apply the same ideas to searching for information in research.

They go with the first answer they find that seems relevant instead of considering if it is actually

the best information to answer the question. They need to be able to do more than find things, but

also to keep looking until they have found the best piece of information to support their argument

or to answer the question. This is something that is lacking with many students because they are

more passive consumer rather than active creators of information, according to Svinicki.

Teachers must realize exposure to technology is not enough to improve learning in schools,

Hatakka, et. al., (2013) stated. Students in a one-to-one environment have access to the

technology, but if they continue to be used in the same ways they are being used, learning for

students does not change. Technology needs to change the way that teachers are teaching and

change the way students are accessing that information. Hatakka, et. al., (2013) also stated

increased access to technology ultimately leads to what in some cases is too much freedom for

students. Students have the freedom in many cases to use their computers as they see fit, but this

can lead to their schoolwork suffering rather than improving. Students need to be taught and

shown how technology can be used as a tool to aid in their learning, rather than simply viewing

them as a toy to be brought out and played with.

Blau, et. al., (2016) found that even with the one-to-one initiative and all students having laptops

available, teachers still dedicated a lot of their teaching time to whole group instruction and with

teachers using technology, such as overhead projectors, to continue to lecture or share

information rather than having students interact with the technology to find information. The use

of technology is still not as effective as it needs to be and teachers need additional training on
 One-to-One Classrooms 5

how to share the instruction with the students to make it more student-centered. This shows that

there is still training that needs to be given to teachers as they learn to utilize technology more

effectively and transition to facilitator of learning in a student-centered classroom.

All of this leads to the changing role of the teacher. The role of teacher is changing from "sage

on the stage" to a "guide on the side" as teachers become more facilitators of student learning

rather than lecturers. Blau, et. al. (2016) maintained that teacher need an appropriate level of

training and support for this to work effectively as teachers need to make changes to their the

Karchmer-Klein, et. al., (2017) evaluated the integration of iPad applications in instructional

design in a one-to-one school that used iPads. In this study they found that by the end of the

school year, all 9 teachers in the study rated the devices as either supplemental or central in their

instruction, which twice as many rating the devices as supplemental. Various apps were used for

instruction and were rated based on multimodality, collaboration, and interactivity. The study

found few apps utilized by these teachers were good for interactivity and none were used that

allowed for collaboration.

The comfort level of teachers coming into a one-to-one initiative also affects how well and how

often teachers use the technology. Karchmer-Klein, et. al. (2017) demonstrated how some

teachers utilized technology tools intensively, while some only supplemented the written work

with digital work. It did find that many teachers chose to use the devices as a warm up or as a

way to review what has already been taught, and a few teachers made efforts to flip their

classroom. As a finding, it found that many education programs are not teaching new teachers to
 One-to-One Classrooms 6

think how to produce and consume digital content in order to produce 21st Century Learners.

Teacher preparation schools need to do a better job of preparing teachers to use digital content in

their instruction as a tool to improve learning. Karchmer-Klein, et. al., discussed the fact that

while many of the new teachers coming out of these teacher preparation schools are digital

natives themselves, but they are not confident to use technology effectively in their classrooms.

Owen, et. al., (2005) examined the role technology has played in education and the changing

roles of students and teachers because of this. It specifically outlines some of the steps taken by

the Irving Independent School District in north Texas as it implemented a one-to-one laptop

program. The authors evaluated some of the challenges as well as the changes that come when all

students have access to a device in the classroom and how it empowers students and changes the

role of the teacher. In this article, it states that with the advent of technology in the classroom, the

teacher role has changed from a "sage on the state" to that of a facilitator guiding students

through learning. Technology has changed not just the way students learn, but also the way

teachers need to be teaching - a change that has been slower in coming.

Teachers need to receive training to help them change the way they teach in order to facilitate

learning rather than being the one who holds the knowledge. This shift is one of the things that

has had the greatest impact on teaching in this new environment. Students have access to a

variety of resources of information and do not have to rely on the teacher. Classroom

management is also an issue when students have devices because it requires a change in the

teacher's thinking about how to manage the classroom. It is also difficult for teachers to

relinquish some of the control of their classroom in many of these situations. Additionally,
 One-to-One Classrooms 7

teachers need help in implementing technology in the classroom. This school district has full

time staff to assist teachers with implementing technology and provide support to the teacher

through job-embedded support. The IISD does this and the article states this is one of the reasons

the one-to-one implementation has been successful. However, they note that any real change

takes at least three years to be fully implemented and it is important not to give up or quit to

quickly.

Lowther, et. al, (2003) evaluated how teaching changed when teachers use student-centered

approaches to teaching while incorporating technology. It also sought to see if student learning

were different in a laptop classroom versus a classroom where a limited number of computers

were available. The study found that teachers and students both felt student's writing improved

when using the computers versus the control group who had limited access to computers. It also

found that teachers encouraged students to complete more research-based activities when they

had the laptop computers available and students were more engaged in critical thinking.

Having technology available in the classroom, either where all students have their own devices

or there are devices in the classroom for students to use on a rotating basis results in a

transformation of learning. Lowther, et. al, (2003) stated there was a distinct difference in how

students learn when computers are shared as opposed to when all students have their own device

to use in the classroom. There are still additional problems, even when every student has a device

(mostly tied to repairs, theft, and loss), but student learning is improved and will continue to

improve as teaching links more to computers and teachers focus more on student-centered

learning. As schools implement one-to-one initiatives, they will find better ways to deal with
 One-to-One Classrooms 8

some of these issues related to these issues, and they will learn the best ways of utilizing these

devices. However, unless teachers are making the necessary changes to move to a facilitator of

learning, these issues will limit the use of technology in the classroom.

Player-Koro and Tallvid (2015) examined how teachers use technology in a one-to-one

classroom where all students have computers. In this study in a Swedish classroom, they found

that the devices themselves have less to do with student success, but the changing ideas that

teachers may or may not have about how to teach students in technology rich environments. The

study seemed to indicate that some things about teaching are changing (the way teachers and

students communicate for one), but that the needed fundamental changes are still not occuring.

This was a small, but detailed empiracal study that examined how teachers were using

technology in a classroom where all students had a device. While it only examine attitudes in a

small setting, this study can be applied more broadly because the empiracal data in many cases

would give the same results. The study shows that even though teachers can be excited and

positive about integrating technology into their classrooms, the fundamental changes that relate

to how students think and learn do not come as easily. Teachers have a need to show studnets

how to think differently and to access that information, but it requires that both teachers and

students embrace the changes. Making sure that teachers are prepared to teach and are

comfortable with digitial literacy would go a long way in helping this change to occur.

Rosen and Beck-Hill (2012) focused on the need to blend digital learning with one-on-one

teaching and more individualized education. They demonstrated that by itself, technology is not

enough to improve student learning as students need the freedom to use technology as a tool for
 One-to-One Classrooms 9

learning and not as a substitute for instruction. It uses the social constructivism paradigm that

focuses on learning occurring in a collaborative environment that allows students to build

knowledge through working and collaborating with others. Teachers were observed using a

different pedagogy that the traditional structure which enabled them to focus on being more

student-centered and allow for more differentiation and more rigor. Students were more

motivated in this blended learning environment and felt more successful. Additional study is

needed on how changing the pedagogy will have impact on student learning, and not just adding

more technology. This furthers the idea that there need to be substantive changes to how teacher

candidates re prepared as teaching moves further into the 21st century.

References

Blau, I., Peled, Y., & Nusan, A. (2016). Technological, pedagogical and content knowledge in

one-to-one classroom: teachers developing digital wisdom. Interactive Learning

Environments, 1215-1230. doi:10.1080/10494820.2014.978792

Hatakka, M., Andersson, A., & Gronlund, A. (2013). Students' use of one to one laptops: a

capability approach analysis. Information Technology and People, 26(1), 94-112.

doi:10.1108/09593841311307169

Heitlin, L. (2017) What is Digital Literacy? Education Week, (36). 5-6.

Karchmer-Klein, R., Mouza, C., Shinas, V. H., & Park, S. (2017). Patterns in Teachers'

Instructional Design When Integrating Apps in Middle School Content-Area Teaching.

Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 91-102.

doi:10.1080/21532974.2017.1305305

Lowther, D. L., Ross, S. M., & Morrison, G. M. (2003). When Each One Has One: The

Influences on Teaching Strategies and Student Achievement of Using Laptops in the

Classroom. Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(3), 23-44.

Neumann, C. (2016, Fall). Teaching digital natives: promoting information literacy and

addressing instructional challenges. Reading Improvement, 53(3), 101+. Retrieved from

http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ps/i.do?

p=GRGM&sw=w&u=vic_liberty&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE

%7CA465436554&sid=summon&asid=09dd573cfcded34f985cd46320f1c72d

Ng, W. (2012). Can we teach digital natives digital literacy? Computers and Education, (59)

1065-1078
 One-to-One Classrooms 11

Owen, A., Farsaii, S., Knezek, G., & Christensen, R. (2005-2006, December/January). Teaching

in the One-To-One Classroom: It's not about laptops, it's about empowerment. Learning

and Leading with Technology, 12-16.

Player-Koro, C., & Tallvid, M. (2015). Title One Laptop on Each Desk: Teaching Methods in

Technology Rich Classrooms. Seminar.Net: Media, Technology & Life-Long Learning,

11(3), 1.

Rosen, Y., & Beck-Hill, D. (2012). Intertwining Digital Content and a One-to-One Laptop

Environment in Teaching and Learning. Journal of Research on Technology in Education,

225-241. doi:10.1080/15391523.2012.10782588

Svinicki, M. (2017), Digital Natives: What Are They Learning, If Anything?. The National

Teaching & Learning Forum, 26: 1112. doi:10.1002/ntlf.30112

Appendix 1: Presenting the paper

I think this paper could be presented at the Georgia Educational Technology Conference held

annually in Atlanta, GA. This event draws teachers, administrators, and other from around the

state. Many districts in Georgia are making the move to one-to-one with technology and others

are considering implantation or are in the process of implementing similar initiatives. By

presenting this paper at a regional conference in Georgia, I would be able to reach some of the

teachers and district leaders who are in the process of this implementation and share what I have

learned both from my research as well as my own experience as a teacher in a school

implementing a one-to-one initiative and soon as a coach helping another system implement a

one-to-one initiative.