Technology has been moving at light speed. For teachers, this means consciously making a decision about whether to use, what to use, when to use and how. While this is second nature for some, other teachers are left with their heads spinning. Avoid the feeling of being a bobble head in a drift car...KEEP THINGS SIMPLE.
1) COLLEAGUES- Find someone who is comfortable with the use of tech in the classroom and pair yourself up with them. Have ideas for lessons but not sure HOW tech can be incorporated? Share it with your partner who may be able to help you take it to that level.
2)START SMALL- You can always dabble in using some form of tech once a week. Build up as you feel comfortable.
3)LET THE STUDENTS TEACH YOU- No matter how much you practice, play with or try to be a step ahead, you will have students who will run with your assignments or lessons. Not sure of how to do something? Let them help YOU. The classroom is a place for collaboration, teacher included.
4)GOOGLE (OR ANY SEARCH ENGINE) IS YOUR FRIEND- Want to have a cool powerpoint presentation to show your students? A video perhaps? Not sure how to make any though? Search online. You can find countless resources online and the best part? You don't have to create them! (Gives you the freedom of tweaking).
5)QUICK TIPS: Here are some ways I specifically use tech/internet in my classroom.
-Smartboard: I am able to pull up my premade powerpoints and bounce back and forth between it and the smart board software, having students come up, make notes and teach the class.
-Student Agendas: I upload what my students will be doing that day into a Google doc. (Each student has a Google+ account. If this isn't possible, no biggie. I have also posted daily agendas on my class website). The agendas contain a mix of book work and/or group activities as well as online resources for them to click and complete, play or watch.
-Research: Students love to do their own research. Many times they have simple questions that they can easily search online. Give them the opprotunity to use this tool for their benefit. (This helps them learn study skills they can use at home versus waiting for a teacher or adult to answer).
-Student helper: Not sure how to do x, y, z online or too many students and not enough of you? Have a student help you help other peers in your class.
-Daily Practice: I find games or activities that gives my students quick feedback while allowing them to practice the skills or topic taught that day. I allot about 15 minutes of class time for this (from a 75 minute block).
-Vocabulary: A colleague created an online document (Google Doc) of key terms from the current unit in which students copy and fill in with definitions they research, re-phrase and post pictures/examples of. Essentially, instead of us giving the students notes, we are guiding them into creating their own notes. This is an ongoing assignment throughout the unit.
-Quick Quizzes/Check-Ups: There are online resources that allows teacher to quickly gauge how much students have understood from a day's lesson. Personally, I enjoy using Socrative. I can create short, 4 or 5 question check-ups that self-grade (or less, user has control).
-Class Website: I have helpful math websites, class notes, agendas, class calendar, and extra credit assignments up. May sound like a lot but the only upkeeping is the daily agendas. Almost everything else is set up when you first create your site.
-Social Networking: This make sure to proceed with caution. I use Twitter to share class assignments, helpful math links, extra credit math problems, etc and encourage my students and parents to follow so they are aware of what goes on in class. A peer made me aware of Remind101, where you can send out reminder texts to students confidentially (your number and theirs remain a secret).
In the end, pick and choose what you are interested in doing. Do not let all of the available technology overwhelm you. If you don't feel comfortable, start small. I myself am still learning. #lifelonglearner
