Are you a new technology teacher or just interested in learning how another technology teacher gets organized at the beginning of the school year? This post goes over everything you need to know to give your students a great start.
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!
Setting up a class website
Your first order of business is to decide where and how to set up your lessons. As a technology teacher you're going to ask you students to go to a lot of websites, and typing them in can be such a hassle. Having a class website that houses all of the lesson links and activities will make your life easier and save time for your students to complete the actual lessons.
There are some great website building platforms out there and you can use any one you like. I build mine in Weebly because I like the ease of the click and drag interface. Each lesson I build has some basic components that are the same, so using the features in weebly I am able to copy a page and then just change out a few elements for each lesson.
Click here to see an example website I have set up.
Formatting technology lessons
I have two formats that I like to use for the different levels of learners. The lesson for students K-2 is going to look different than 3-5.
To decide what to include in my lessons, I use the ISTE Standards for Students. At the beginning of creating all of my lessons, I laid out a plan for including each standard enough times for students to master it. I guess you could call it a pacing guide, but I didn't complicate it with time limits at this point. It was basically just a spreadsheet of the standards on top and the grade levels on the side with Xs for which standards I wanted to teach in each grade level. By the end of 5th grade everything was covered to mastery. I made myself a whole binder of forms to organize it. Click here to check out a blog post I wrote about it.
In addition to early finisher activities online, I also keep a classroom library that they can use if they finish early. I leave that option up to each student. Here are some of my favorite technology themed books:
Always Have a Back Up Plan
Chances
are really good that you’ll have a day or two each school year that the wifi
isn’t working or your devices aren’t cooperating.
For these days, it is really helpful to have
some activities printed and ready to use.
If
you have robots to use:
If
you have STEM Materials:
Make a class set of copies for each grade
level and put them to the side so you can grab and go when needed.
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!
Organizing your Computer Lab
When I first walked into the classroom that would be mine (the computer lab) I was so excited! It had been an old science lab but now it was 5 rows of computers and I was ready to get started. As I worked on organizing it, I realized it was lacking. I had no open wall space for displays because there was one whole wall of windows, two whole walls of upper and lower cabinets, and then the SmartBoard and a small whiteboard area. I had to find a way to project the lessons onto the SmartBoard, I needed a space for a teacher desk, and where in the world would I put the technology vocabulary terms?

I used the upper cabinets for my word wall. I laminated technology vocabulary terms and taped them to colored construction paper, which I taped to the cabinets. It brought color to my room, which I didn't even realize was missing until it wasn't. So now I had solved almost all of my organization problems- except displaying the I Can Statements, which my Admin requires.
Decorating Your Computer Lab
Just like any other classroom, you want
to provide visually appealing posters and anchor charts for your students.
Here is a link to the Technology
Themed Décor Classroom Set BUNDLE so
that you can save a bunch on getting your computer lab decorated.
Managing Your Computer Lab Classroom
Ok this one I didn't figure out until my 3rd year. It was a group effort between myself and the other specialists at my school.
The first thing that I did that completely changed my technology teacher life was laminate and velcro a "hand" and a "name tag" for each computer station. It blew my mind that students would put their hand in the air for a questions and then wait and wait and wait without getting any more work done until I could go help them. And the question was usually something like "I can't find the q key." It was maddening. So in comes the laminated hand to save the day. Students could "raise their hand" by moving their "hand" from the side of their processor to the corner of their monitor. They could KEEP WORKING while waiting for me. Aha!
It was also really difficult for me to learn 600 names. I remedied this by having them always put their name on their dry-erase name tag while they are logging in. Yes I would have to replace the dry erase markers every few months, but it was totally worth being able to call a student by name.
The specialist team at my school also did a scoring system as a way to motivate students to behave. They started with 5 points every class and only lost points if their voice level was too loud. At the end of the quarter the class (from each grade level) with the most remaining points would get a fun reward. It worked really well for us and we had great classroom teacher buy-in because they wanted their classes to keep all 5 points. Read more about this system in Classroom Management for Specials Teachers blog post if you want the full scoop.
What you can expect as a technology teacher
1. To LOVE teaching
2. To go home on time
3. NO parent phone calls (like ever)
4. Parent teacher conferences aren't for you, but I promise your school will find something else for you to do during that time. Register volunteers, help with the refreshments, the point is you don't get to go home ;-)
5. To play an active role in every single students' education in your school
6. To eat lunch by yourself every day
7. To freeze and/or sweat for carpool or bus duty
8. To fix everyone's computer problems
9. To have your classroom phone ring twice as often as a classroom teacher's phone because computers break like all day long every day
10. To be misunderstood and totally on your own when it comes to planning and PD
I think you'll really enjoy it!
Still nervous? Join my Facebook Group, the Technology Teacher Talk.
This is an excellent post! Thanks so much for your time in putting this altogether. I'll be entering my second year as a technology coach and found this post extremely helpful. have a great year!
ReplyDeleteDianne
Tech Teacher Tidbits
~Formerly known as Hopelessly Devoted~
Good!....
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ReplyDeleteSo glad I found the link to this post on Pinterest. Its week 5 of the school year and I am still grappling with my new role as ICT specialist. Your post helped give me some direction to my planning and classes. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThese are some great ideas for classroom management. I love love your ""expecations" of a tech. teacher poster!
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