Tips and Techniques for the Effective Use of Technology in the Classroom

Using technology in the classroom requires some additional planning. Following are a few of the things that must be considered when planning to integrate technology into instruction.

Planning Ahead

When planning activities that integrate technology into teaching, be aware that there are many factors to consider:

  • Does the teacher need to become familiar with new software or hardware before beginning this activity?
  • Will students need to develop new technology skills in order to complete the assignment?
  • What parts of the project will be new or difficult to the students?
  • Will students need to work both in and out of the computer lab to complete the project?
  • How much time will be needed for all students to complete the projects?
  • How many computers will be needed? Is it necessary to borrow additional computers or schedule extra time in the computer lab?
  • What hardware will be necessary? Will there be a need for a projection device, digital camera, scanner, or printer?
  • What software is necessary? Is the necessary software installed on the computers that will be used? Are these legal installations?
  • Will any accommodations be required for special needs students?

Tips for Using Computers in the Classroom

  1. Avoid confusion. Take time to be familiar with the computer and learn to use the programs that the students will be using.
  2. Place the computer near a power outlet and network jack, but away from chalkboards and pencil sharpeners.
  3. Keep track of who has time on the computer and make sure everyone gets a turn.
  4. Use a timer at the computer and designate a certain time limit for each visit.
  5. Post a worksheet or task card with directions for completing the activity.
  6. When groups of students are working at the computer, assign one student to stay behind to be a lab assistant for the next group.
  7. Encourage the use of spell-check and thesaurus features found in most word processing programs.
  8. Invest in headphones to reduce noise in the classroom.
  9. Connect to a stand-alone or network printer. Don’t have students print every file.
  10. Display student work that has been done on the computer
  11. Let a student control the mouse and keyboard as the teacher explains the process when doing class instruction on the use of a program.
  12. Reinforce and extend computer activities done in the lab.
  13. Make the time on the computer a structured time with a specific curriculum-related goal and objective in mind for each student.
  14. Plan projects that can be completed before moving on to the next curriculum unit. Work within the timeframe suggested in the curriculum guide.
  15. Introduce new programs either in the lab or use a projection device in the classroom.
  16. Keep food, drink, and magnets away from the computer.
  17. Keep the computer clean.
  18. Don’t allow horseplay around computers.
  19. Designate weekly "computer aides" to turn computer on and off, add paper to printers, and tidy up the computer area.
  20. Borrow additional computers from other classrooms for special projects.
  21. Construct an organizational chart that sets markers (benchmarks) for students within a clear time framework.
  22. Build in rules for unexpected interruptions: absences and makeup time; inclement weather; computer problems; interrupted class time, etc. Students need to know how they will be able to access the technology to make up lost time.
  23. Use "Getting Started" instructions to give every student a hands-on introduction to the very basic elements of the software, but do not complicate this by extending directions to advanced commands. Five or six steps are a maximum for a session.
  24. Block times on the calendar for celebrating! Plan a party for show-and-tell presentations. Students may want to present to other classes as well.

Tips on Saving Student Files

Teach students how to save their work. Practice saving. Know where students are expected to save. Explain the steps for saving to the students. Printed directions with screen shots are helpful. (See below for help on creating screen shots.)

File and document names should be clear and relate to the assignment. Each file should contain the student’s name and the assignment name. For example, a newsletter assignment could be called “J. Smith Newsletter”.

Decide if students should back up their data. If so, teach students how to do a back up. Set up a policy for backing up data, including how often this must be done.

Creating Screen Shots in Windows XP

It is often helpful to create a Help Sheet that includes screen shots of toolbars and dialog boxes students will encounter. These Help Sheets can be duplicated for each student or made into posters and displayed on the wall.

To take a screen shot of computer screen:

Press the Print Screen button on the keyboard. This will take a picture of whatever appears on the computer screen. This picture will be stored on the clipboard. (Note: Pressing the Alt button while pressing the Print Screen button will take a picture of only the front window on the computer screen.)

Open a page in an application such as Microsoft Word in order to paste in the screen shot as a graphic.

Go to the Edit menu and select Paste.

Resize and crop the screen shot with the Picture toolbar.

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Baltimore County Public Schools

Office of Instructional Technology: Managing Technology Use

10/23/2018