Teaching with Technology

Be thinking about a permanent arrangement for your students in the computer lab during the next few weeks.  As you assign seats, please record your students in the computer lab notebook located on the table in the lab.  Assigning seats will allow students to

• Take ownership and provide incentive for the maintenance of their computer.
• Allow us to know who was on any given computer during the day, if a problem should arise.
• Make it easier for me to know names when I assist in the lab.

Once you have assigned seats, please require students to stay at their computer unless there is a technical problem.  If you need to rearrange seating during the year, please just update your seating chart.

Two suggestions:
* Assign students by numbers–that way they can also use the same numbered laptop when you are using the cart.
*Don’t forget, the projector in the GWC lab is hooked to computer #3.  If you plan on using the projector or having me work with your students, you might want to leave this computer open. 

I love working with teachers, especially when I get to come into their classrooms!  It gives me a chance to work with the kids too!  I was able to do that a lot last year, especially towards the end of the year, and I’d love to keep it up.  As you get to know me better, you might want to think about how you request my help.  I don’t mind meeting you in the lab to teach your students how to use a certain program, BUT, I’d like for you to start thinking more about the content you are teaching rather than about the technology.  So, instead of, “Can you come teach my students PowerPoint?” let’s change it to, “I am teaching about Famous Americans.  Can you help me think of ways to incorporate technology into this unit?”  Here the focus is not on the technology in and of itself, but on technology as a tool to assist you in teaching content.  What you teach in the lab should augment what you are teaching in your classroom.  That’s what it’s all about!  After you decide what technology goes with the content (and I’ll be glad to help you think of ideas), then I’ll be more than happy to help you implement it!  And, as I said before, that’s the part I love!  Ask me!