Creating A Paperless Classroom

Link to Article: Creating a Paperless Classroom

          With technology constantly updating and new types of programs and apps coming out on the market, teachers need to be willing to incorporate these new and exciting technologies by creating paperless classrooms. For those that are unwilling or hesitant to the change, classroom structure does not have to necessarily change with a 21^st century classroom. You can still have your bell ringer, anticipatory set, lesson, and exit activity, just use different methods. Either way, having a systematic plan is essential in order to build confidence in moving towards a paperless classroom. The best way to approach this is to start small and then gradually increase the amount of technology used. For instance, begin with just one class or one lesson and transition from there. 

          There are countless options out there to get started with paperless classrooms. One technology tool you can use for assessments is polleverywhere.com. This site allows you to collect real-time data for formative assessments. Another tool, for those interested in the flipped classroom concept is zaption.com. Zaption allows the teacher to embed questions into videos. Students must answer these questions before the video continues, and then data is collected on students’ responses and linked to the teacher’s account. Others include Prezi, Nearpod, Slide Shark, Live Binders, Socrative, and Quizlet. 

          In my opinion, all educators should be moving towards the paperless classroom. We need to stay up to date with the latest technological changes and advancements if we want our students to truly become problem-solving, critical thinkers. In my own classroom, I feel I am slowly moving towards this trend. While I believe in mathematics assessments should always be paper, pencil, everything else can technically be transitioned digitally. For example, I use OneNote to take notes with my students. In the coming school year however I want to try and have my students take their notes electronically too – using stylists and solving problems on their laptops using OneNote as well. I’ll still have the option of writing the notes available, but will try to shift their thinking and skills towards our ever-changing technological world.

 Resources:

Bonomo, J. (2016). Creating a Paperless Classroom. Association for Career and Technical Education. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/Rene%20Regan/Documents/MAET17/EDU%206210/Paperless%20Classroom%20Article.pdf