The Anticipated Tablet Distribution Day

Since we are studying story elements in class, I have been inspired to write this blog as an original story outline.

Exposition:  The students and myself, Northwest Middle School, Tablet Distribution Day

The excitement is killing me all morning in anxious anticipation of the day.  The tablets are charged, the PowerPoint is cued, my playlist is ready, and I am expecting miracles.

Rising Action:  

The students enter the room and after we take care of some maintenance items, we begin passing out the tablets, chargers, and orange covers.  The students are so excited and can't wait to get their hands on them.  Forget following the original "wait to power on" presentation slide.  Students begin to immediately explore.  Comment #1 "Look at all the math videos on this thing"!  We go through the basic tablet features, talk about tablet responsibility, and attempt to try the student/teacher interactive features.

Climax:  

Many students have the dreaded "gray fan" and reality hits.  Connection is poor and extremely slow.  Not only could many students not "check in " to my class", I could not use my tablet to communicate with those that could.  As students continued to explore, we continued to connect then be disconnected, connect then be disconnected.  Disappointment had struck; hard and heavy.

Not so much with the students, though.

"How are you feeling about the tablets?"

Falling Action:  The students were not disappointed at all.
(We can learn a lot from kids).  They continued to be excited and positive as the day progressed. Connectivity did improve with each class, although student/teacher tablet interactions were slow.

Better than pencil and paper!

Sorry, One Direction!  Who's getting all the attention here.

Resolution:  (From our fearless, positive, helpful, and always smiling PLEF, Robin Britt)

"Sixth grade teachers stood tall and kept their cool.  We think all the tablets have now updated and that tomorrow should bring a better day for the mobile units.  In the meantime, way to tough it out with grace, 6^th grade."

Mr. Britt explaining how to access her art assignment on Edmodo.

Lesson Learned:

It was heartfelt to see the students pack up their tablets to take them home.  My classroom has never been so quiet in the afternoon.  As they walked down the hall towards the buses, they were proud of their tablets; excited and empowered.  That is when I reminded myself that this in not about me; my disappointments or my frustrations.  This whole initiative is about the students, and with their positive attitudes, resilience,  and hope; nothing can stop us.