Implementing a new technology in your classroom:
A practical final assignment
Before you bring new technologies into a classroom, you need to understand how technologies are often misused so you don't recreate those mistakes. Remember, don't use a new technology to accomplish a task in the same way that an older, less complex technology did. This doesn't mean you should write out essays on paper and pencil instead of a word processor because the paper and pencil are simpler technologies, but it does mean that you need to understand the reason why using a word processor is better before you have your students write essays on it!
Next, you need to develop a technology mission statement. This is a broad statement explaining what your goal are related to introducing new (usually computer-based or digital, but not always) technologies into the classroom. If you don't have a clear goal, you will likely start bringing technologies into the classroom that don't serve a clear purpose. Since many of these technologies also bring distractions and complexity, there is no need to introduce them unless it's for a clear reason.
Finally, when you've decided on a specific way you want to introduce a technology into the classroom, fill out a technology usage checklist to make sure that, most importantly, your specific technology plan aligns with your technology mission statement. Also, have you thought through the reasons why you want to bring the technology into the classroom and what possible issues you might run into when you introduce the new technology? Finally, have a backup plan! ALWAYS! (I used caps there to make sure you knew I was yelling it).
Ok, now that you've learned about the misuses and underuses of technology in classrooms, the importance of having a mission statement and how to use a checklist to make sure you are prepared to use a technology in your classroom, it's time to put this all into practice. You are going to implement a new technology into your classroom within the next two weeks, or use an existing technology in a new way.
For instance, you might decide to bring iPads into the classroom for the first time, or you might decide to use the existing cart of computers to have students create a wiki (although a site like Wikispaces would be a new technology if you've never used it). Go online and talk to your peers for ideas on how to bring new technologies into your specific classroom setting if you don't have any. Use the checklist from the previous lesson before you implement the technology to make sure you are ready.
Finally, I have adapted the technology checklist into a "Technology Implementation Evaluation" so you can self-evaluate how you did in implementing the new technology. This will include some of the elements from the checklist, as well as a place for you to critique and evaluate yourself. Again, fill out this evaluation AFTER you actually use the technology in your classroom. This is what I will be grading as your final assignment!
Email me the finished "Technology Implementation Evaluation" for your grade for this class!
Next, you need to develop a technology mission statement. This is a broad statement explaining what your goal are related to introducing new (usually computer-based or digital, but not always) technologies into the classroom. If you don't have a clear goal, you will likely start bringing technologies into the classroom that don't serve a clear purpose. Since many of these technologies also bring distractions and complexity, there is no need to introduce them unless it's for a clear reason.
Finally, when you've decided on a specific way you want to introduce a technology into the classroom, fill out a technology usage checklist to make sure that, most importantly, your specific technology plan aligns with your technology mission statement. Also, have you thought through the reasons why you want to bring the technology into the classroom and what possible issues you might run into when you introduce the new technology? Finally, have a backup plan! ALWAYS! (I used caps there to make sure you knew I was yelling it).
Ok, now that you've learned about the misuses and underuses of technology in classrooms, the importance of having a mission statement and how to use a checklist to make sure you are prepared to use a technology in your classroom, it's time to put this all into practice. You are going to implement a new technology into your classroom within the next two weeks, or use an existing technology in a new way.
For instance, you might decide to bring iPads into the classroom for the first time, or you might decide to use the existing cart of computers to have students create a wiki (although a site like Wikispaces would be a new technology if you've never used it). Go online and talk to your peers for ideas on how to bring new technologies into your specific classroom setting if you don't have any. Use the checklist from the previous lesson before you implement the technology to make sure you are ready.
Finally, I have adapted the technology checklist into a "Technology Implementation Evaluation" so you can self-evaluate how you did in implementing the new technology. This will include some of the elements from the checklist, as well as a place for you to critique and evaluate yourself. Again, fill out this evaluation AFTER you actually use the technology in your classroom. This is what I will be grading as your final assignment!
Email me the finished "Technology Implementation Evaluation" for your grade for this class!
technology_implementation_self_evaluation.docx | |
File Size: | 64 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Last update: April 30, 2014