Presentation:
You Got A Phone! Interactive Assembly
For Grades 3, 4 and 5
Strategy
This in-person or Zoom-based Assembly Program emphasizes class discussion of technology issues and sharing of concrete strategies to help reinforce the main points made in the book. In this Assembly program, students are not passive; they are active thinkers and engage in discussion and debate with each other.
Buying
There is no cost for using the Program's powerpoint. There is a small cost for the book (less if you buy in bulk), but the book itself is not required for use of the Assembly Program. If you would like the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center to conduct the Assembly at your school, there may be a cost which can vary depending on your school's location. Email marc@bridgew.edu. Any educator or parent is free to use the powerpoint themselves.
Optimization
The Assembly Program can be conducted with 1 to 10 classes, which each class located in their own classroom. The Powerpoint guides the presenter in posing key questions about important technology issues; giving each class 2-3 minutes to conduct a focused Discussion, led by the classes' teacher; and then each class has a chance to have several students "report out" (on Zoom, so students in other classes hear) about the content of their class discussions and the thoughts and strategies that their class came up with. "Sharing" with all the participating classrooms is a key part of this Assembly Program.
Development
This Interactive Zoom Assembly has been piloted in five elementary schools, with students in Grades 3, 4 and 5. The summary of the follow up research is below, but you can read the data here.
Analytics
34 classroom teachers who participated in the Interactive Zoom Assembly were surveyed in October and November, 2022. About one-third of teachers were reporting on the use of the Assembly Program with each of the three grades: 3, 4 and 5. 94% of the teachers reported that the technology was not difficult to use, largely due to familiarity with Zoom. Compared to a traditional assembly, where children simply sit and listen to a speaker, 94% of teachers felt the Question-Discussion-and-Share methodology was preferable. 68% felt that the length of discussions (2-3 minutes) was the right amount of time, and 85% felt that the topics discussed were relevant and important. 77% of teachers felt that the pace of the Assembly was just right or very good, and 44% felt students were very or extremely engaged; 38% felt their engagement was average. 18% felt the engagement was low.