High School Student Focus Group Conversation
One of the regular EdTechTalk webcasters, Matt Montagne, has been doing some amazing things with students, and I have recently had the privilege of tuning in to some of his latest endeavors.
If you are interested in hearing the “student voice” about the importance of technology in their learning, tune in to these podcasts and listen. The information is so valuable and the process of student focus groups is one that you might want to consider using with students in your schools.
Student Focus Group Meeting – Podcast #1
Kyle Barriger (HS math teacher) and I (Matt Montagne) will be conducting a few student focus group sessions over the balance of the school year. The idea of these meetings is to gather information from the students that could be useful in making decisions in the future relating to instructional technology. I met with 8 very sharp students today to begin these conversations. We had a list of 10 questions or so, and I think we only got through the first 2-3 in our 25 minutes together! I think you’ll appreciate the candor on the part of the students.
Another really interesting place to tune in to the “student voice” is on a bi-weekly radio show Matt Montagne is broadcasting with his students called GatorRadio. The students run the entire show and hold some very interesting, thought-provoking discussions. They don’t just talk about school activities and teen life, but tackle some very challenging world issues. One recent discussion had them debating which social network they preferred: MySpace or Facebook. Can you guess which one they chose? Listen to the show to find out. 🙂 The broadcasts are usually held on Wednesday evenings (8:00pm PST) and I encourage you to join the streamed conversation and participate in the chat with these creative, bright, talented, enthusiastic students! You won’t be disappointed! As educators, we need to be listening to our students as we plan our instruction to prepare them for living, learning and digital citizenship in the 21st century!
