I love Pinterest. I've been known to scroll through Pinterest all evening while "watching tv" with my husband. I'm also very visual, so the layout just works for me.
In all of the time I've been scrolling, I've found some phenomenal boards that I want to share with you. The theme will be boards for technology resources for teachers.
1. Technology Coordinator by Julie Zacarias
Her board is FULL of great ideas for both tech teachers and classroom teachers.
2. Educational Technology Tips and Ideas by Bonny Skutch
Her tips are fantastic for ANY teacher.
3. Digital Learning by Michele
This board has so many great resources for integrating technology into the content areas.
4. Technology by Laurie Phillips
This board has something for everyone.
5. Computers by Becky Buckley
This board is a great resource for technology teachers, with everything from classroom management ideas to lesson resources.
6. Computer Skills by Amy Carriker
Her board has lots of Pins that I haven't seen before. Great for a new technology teacher.
7. Technology in Education by Laura Candler
I actually went to a PD session by Laura and she was so inspirational. This board is a fantastic array of tech resources for teachers.
8. Technology by Charity Preston
Her board is full of the latest apps and websites for integrating technology in the classroom.
9. School Technology by TeachersPayTeachers
This board is still in the works, but if I know anything about the work ethic over at TpT, it will be full of amazing stuff soon. This one is a board to watch.
10. My Technology Lab Classroom by Brittany Washburn (Hey, that's me)
This is THE board for tech teachers at the elementary level. I try to include everything a tech teacher needs to get set up and teach awesome lessons.
So that's my list. I hope you can find some awesome resources from these boards. Let me know in the comments if you've found (or made) a great tech board that I didn't list here.
Let's face it, when you're the only one at your school teaching technology you can feel totally alone in planning and curriculum development. Even if you meet with a professional learning team, you're not at the same school working with the same students. You're on your own. This may seem like a big obstacle, but it actually has an upside - no one can tell you how to pace your lessons!
If you're like me, you NEED a few weeks to establish procedures and expectations. I would hate to feel rushed, like most classroom teachers do, to start teaching content within days of beginning school. After I have shown my students how to enter the classroom, how to begin working, where the supplies are, how they may use the supplies, how to log off, and how to line up, then I'm ready to start teaching vocabulary and skills.
I have this winning combination I use for teaching every technology lesson. I start with an essential question, then I talk about the I Can statement and vocabulary for the lesson, then I dive into the directions all without actually teaching them anything yet. When my students log into their computers and access the lesson page on my class website, that is when instruction and independent practice finally takes place. You see, I have a semi-flipped classroom. I LOVE to use screencasts to give the actual instruction for a lesson. I will detail the steps required and give them directions for how to complete the independent practice part. For an example screencast showing students how to insert, move, and resize photos, check this out:
My students learn the answers to essential questions, vocabulary, and a declaration for the I Can Statement from hands on practice.
These posters are what I have on my whiteboard. I change them out for each class if each class is learning something different that day (but sometimes I like to teach in units and these posters can apply to several classes, the content for the lesson is just a bit different). After we have learned a vocabulary word, I put the word wall version up in the classroom.
Prior to the start of school I printed, cut, and laminated all of the word wall cards and I keep them in a binder until I'm ready to use them.
Now, my students do not simple complete a set of practice questions on the computer and call it a day, we have interactive notebooks for our lessons. I use interactive notebooks for everything, from digital citizenship, (check out this blog post to learn about it) to how to do specific skills in PowerPoint.
Using an interactive notebook means my students are held responsible for the content. Any time they ask me how to do something we've already learned, I direct them back to the correct page in their notebook and they look up the details themselves. In my technology classroom I introduce PPT as early as
second grade, but each year I find that I have to re-teach skills like how to
change the font and how to insert and resize a picture. This was frustrating to
both the students and to me. That's why I decided to create an interactive notebook for
these skills, so that students can look back and see the details for how to
complete each skill and why we need that skill (all included in the guided
notes and activities of my PPT Skills Complete Unit). If you teach multiple grade levels like I do, you may
choose to split the instruction of these 14 lessons between 3 years (start in 3rd
grade with the basics, do a few more lessons in 4th grade and finish
with the trickiest skills in 5th grade) or something similar.
I’ve had the most success teaching this complete unit in 4th
grade along with a research project. I worked with the teachers and chose to
research Idioms (you can find the guided research project here
if you’re interested). We spent weeks learning the PPT skills and then
implemented them into a cohesive, and amazing, presentation for each student.
Their work was middle school quality after learning all of these skills.
One thing I've noticed since implementing interactive notebooks is that the vocabulary comprehension has increased significantly. Students love to learn with their hands, and having them cut, color, write, and think about the topic in a creative way, means they are engaged in the learning process.
By the way, I plan all of this using a combination of the ISTE NETS-S and the I Can Statements I've created. I have them all compiled into a Technology Teacher Binder that I use to plan and track data for my students, though my 3rd-5th grade students track their own data in a packet that you can find in that binder. This was developed after spending 2 school years frustrated at the lack of resources provided for technology teachers, and it has been the perfect solution.
I hope that reading through this post has given you some ideas for how to meet the technology standards for all of your students. With a little planning and preparation, you can have a smooth-running classroom and your students will barely need you! What other components of a technology classroom would you like to learn about? Let me know in the comments and I will write a post about it.
21st century
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Technology
Technology tips
The Best Computer Lab I've Ever Seen
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How I Set up My Computer Lab
My first year teaching technology to grades K-5 I didn't even put up vocabulary words! I know, I can't believe it either. I've grown so much as a teacher and I'm constantly inspired by the styles and layouts of grade level classrooms, so I made myself adorable, stylish, and functional classroom decor.
Are you a brand new tech teacher and feeling totally alone? Join the Tech Teacher Tribe Facebook Group!
First, this is what a computer station looks like in my classroom:
I have a velcro name tag on top of the monitor. Students use a dry erase marker to write their name. I have them do this while their computer is logging in. I have a laminated "hand" that they put up if they have a question. My thought process here is that they can still work on their computer with both hands while they wait for me to come to them.
Next, I made I Can Statements for the Technology Standards
My principal loves seeing them and my students benefit from knowing the goal for the day/lesson. I made a set that I put on a ring at each computer station, and full-page posters for the front of the classroom. I give directions on the carpet by my interactive whiteboard before I send students to the computers, so I need my essential questions, I Can statements, and vocabulary words up there.
As you can expect, I have another board for grades 3-5 in another section of the classroom. I LOVE the clip art on these, from Whimsy Clips that I custom ordered. It makes these posters so much more inviting than a black and white version.
Click on any of the images in this blog post to learn more.
These vocabulary posters have been instrumental in my students taking responsibility for using the correct terminology in the lab. We focus on one or two words each week and I add them to this display.
These 2 pictures are my Daily Messages. I display them through the projector so my students can see them, but also create a common board with everything for that weeks' lessons for each grade level.
A display for the lab expectations is a must!
Organizing my lesson plans and I can statements in binders has been a huge time saver. I just grab what I need and go. Heading to the 3rd grade PLC meeting? Grab the 3rd grade binder so we can talk about cross-curricular activities!
I was trying to figure out what to do with the space below the board. This "I am a digital age learner" set is perfect!
Would you like to try my K-5 Technology Curriculum for 30 days to see if it is a good fit for your students? Click here and use the code TRYK5TECH1 at checkout to get the first 30 days for just $1!
Interested in BONUS content? Check out my free email course for technology teachers, where I walk you through everything I do to map out, plan, and assess my students. And because I want to help as much as possible, just for signing up you will receive a free printable template of my daily lesson and reflection planner (and of course some free tips).
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