Technology Tricks and Treats

Halloween's here and what better time to share a couple of laptop management tricks I use with students as well as a few treat-worthy sites to make you and your students smile!

Technology Tricks

Trick #1: Show before they go.

Technology is a very motivating (and sometimes distracting) tool to place in front of a student.  Before you start a task, spend time going over directions and showing an example of what they will be doing.  If you have a computer attached to a projector, use it to walk through the process students will need to follow to be successful.  Taking the time to go over procedures first will save you lots of time in the end.

Trick #2: Decide on a signal.

Once students get started on a project, it's often tough to pull them back into a conversation or get their attention for additional directions.  Find a phrase or visual signal you can use to tell students they need to turn their attention away from the monitor and back toward the real world.   Because we use laptops with students, our teachers have adopted the phrase "Let me see a 45" to signal that students should lower their laptop screens and give their attention to the teacher.  By putting the screens at a 45 degree angle, students can't easily continue to work but can quickly pick up where they left off when the whole class discussion is done.  If you have desktop machines, you might use a phrase like "lights out" to signal that students should turn off their monitor and listen.

Trick #3: Make a home page and update it often.

Create a home page with all the URLS, directions and resources students will need in order to complete a project.  If you create a task page for each unit you teach, you can continue to use them year after year with only a few updates. Scholastic's Homepage Builder is a quick and easy tool to make your own classroom website.

If you'd like to see other tricks our teachers use, you can read about the presentation we used to introduce and discuss technology management topics.  It's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but was a great way to get the conversations started!

Technology Treats

Treat #1 Write a story.

The Writing with Writers series of activities is designed to walk students through a writing workshop led by a real children's author or illustrator. One of my favorites is the Mystery Writing Activity with Joan Lowery Nixon where students can write and publish their own tale of suspense.

Treat #2 Read a Book.

The Florida Educational Technology Clearinghouse is a treasure trove of resources for teachers and students. A great place to start is with a hidden gem - the Lit2Go series of free audio books. Dozens of books for all grade levels are there ready for you to download and use in your classroom.  Start with a dose of Edgar Allen Poe in honor of Halloween or search by Author, Title, Keyword, or Reading Level to find one that's perfect for your class. A bonus treat? Many of the files include links to activities and lesson ideas.

Treat #3 Play a Game.

Have a little fun with your students and check out Monster Hangman for elementary spelling practice or Math Hunt's Creepy Crawly Bugs for middle school math adventures.

Here's hoping your technology time is filled with many treats and that you'll share your best tech tricks with us!