6 Things to Check Before Starting a Technology Based Lesson

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As we enter a new school year, those who are still pretty new to teaching with tech will welcome a few tips …

As it advances, technology is becoming an integral part of our children’s classrooms. It is common for learning to take place on iPad apps, in digital presentations, and via laptops.

While most students seem to be comfortable with the technology, having been around it their entire lives, teachers are often a little less at ease. Although traditional methods are time honored and effective, technology offers teachers exciting new ways to enhance their student’s education. It can even help reach students who meet with limited success using traditional teaching methods.

Here are a few tips to help inspire teachers and give them things to look for as they introduce technology based lessons into their classrooms.

1. Begin with what you know

The variety of technological possibilities available can be overwhelming to someone with limited or no exposure. No one is familiar with every type of tech, but chances are you’ve had the opportunity to use a few tools. These can give you a great place to start. As you gain more experience, you will feel more comfortable to try new types of technology in your classroom.

2. Learn more about the technology you will use

If you take it upon yourself to become a student of the technology, you’ll be better equipped to use it effictively, and to handle any problems your students run into while maintaining control of your classroom. There are so many good resources to help you learn most tech tools. Look for help on line by Googling ”how to use ____” {the name of the tools you are using}.

3. Plan out your lessons in advance

Before you tackle teaching a digitally based lesson, you may want to consider a few things that will help you with your plans.

• Is there anything about this lesson that will be difficult for the students to grasp? Will it be too easy for them?
• Will it be too easy for the student to be distracted and drift off task?
• How are the instructions going to be delivered?
• How involved will you be in the delivery of the lessons and in the grading process?
• What are the learning goals for this session?
• Will this lesson be a part of a series?
• Will the students have the chance to familiarize themselves with the technology before beginning the lesson?
• Will the students work independently or in groups?

4. Don’t be shy about getting support

Locating a mentor who knows the type of technology you’ll be using and who can coach you through your first encounters with it will go a long way toward making you feel more comfortable as you strive toward mastery. It will also put you at ease knowing that you have someone reliable that you can turn to if you have questions or encounter problems.

5. Head off problems before they happen

There is virtually no way to avoid it. Even the most well planned lessons can go awry. The unexpected happens. There are a few things you can do in advance to avoid certain issues from popping up.

• Reserve your time in the computer room to avoid conflicts
• Check to ensure that all the equipment is working properly
• Verify that you have adequate numbers of computers or devices so that every student gets one.
• Consider creating a seating chart to avoid conflicts
• Know what you are going to do if the technology doesn’t work out. Have another non-digital lesson or worksheets ready to go.

6. Allow students to make choices wherever it makes sense to do so

You can encourage greater student participation by allowing them to join in the decision making when it is appropriate. Technology can be exciting to explore and the more you can involve the kids, the more they’ll learn.