Technology Best Practices
Technology integration into daily instruction is revolutionizing the traditional structure and setting of schools. New software and technology has challenged and won over the traditional methods of instruction and classroom designs. For example, in elementary classrooms, the large cart housing a cumbersome overhead projector, Vis a Vis markers, binders of transparencies, a spray bottle and paper towels is no longer. (At least it should be ;) In it's place are a document camera, overhead projector, and laptop computer. Paper towels and spray bottles are now only used to clean up messes made during snack time. Technolo"gee let me move this heavy and completely ridiculous overhead projector" is now technolo"gee the students are learning so much more by using an iPad". Students and teachers quite literally have access to information at their fingertips, and students are becoming the leaders of their education, not teachers. (Last time I checked, this is a good thing...) With daily use of technology and software in the classrooms comes the responsibility of using best practices with whatever technology is available.
One best practice the teachers at my school and in my grade level do is always planning to use technology availabe, such as iPads, to increase student engagement. Research proves that student achievement and learning is tied to their level of engagement. When students are fully engaged, the lesson and concept become meaningful, and therefore, students retain more knowledge. Ipads, SMARTBoards, Student Response Systems, and Mobis all put students in the "driver's seat". The silent student that never raises a hand is no longer. I use student response systems in the classroom as a way to assess students before, during, or after a lesson. Students love the clickers because they are engaged and actively participating in what they're doing. It also evaluates the performance and understanding of all students at one time. After a quiz or question is completed, the results are instantly displayed in a bar and circle graph for the class to discuss the results.
Another best practice we use at our school that piggy backs on student engagement is planning for the use of technology to provide active learning enviroments rather than passive enviroments. This ties into student engagement because students that are engaged and have their hands on technology like clickers, iPads, or Mobis are actively learning. They are not sitting in their seat and passively learning. Using technology provides a system of accountability that ensures that each student will actively particpate in the lesson; therefore, actively learning.
Using technology allows for active student participation and learning; however, teachers cannot use a "one size fits all" strategy. For example, I teach three periods of math during the day, each period being leveled according to student data; therefore, when I'm planning to use any technology, I cater the technology, like apps on the iPad, to whatever the class/period needs. The beauty of technology like the iPad is that you differentiate instruction VERY easily.
The last best practice that my grade level uses is taking the time to discuss student expectations regarding the use of technology with our classes. Before the iPads hit the students' desks, the students sign an iPad contract after we have discussed the expectations as a class. Specific examples of what to do and not do are discussed with students, and by signing the contract, students know that if they violate the appropriate use of the learning tool, there will be a consequence. The students, however, have never misused the technology because they love using it and don't want to lose the privilege! It reinforces my previous statement that when students are actively engaged and participating, they're learning, which means they aren't misusing the technology! The contract just serves as a way to reinforce and model appropriate behavior with the students.
If you have any other "best practices" you use, feel free to send them my way!!
Very professional and interesting post. I think you should start writing some of those professional articles!
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