It's a digital age, and most kids are light years ahead of their parents and teachers regarding technology. More and more, schools are being equipped with smart boards and classroom computers. Some schools issue laptops to their students to make the learning relevant to the world we now live in.
It's also an economic reality that many students have no access to computers in the home, and there are still many schools that have few computers available in the classroom. So how do teachers fulfill the mandate to integrate technology into their lesson plans?
Just in time for the new school year, blogger Jennifer Barnett, who is part of the Teacher Leaders Network, shares some useful ideas in her blog High-Tech Teaching in a Low-Tech Classroom.
She gives specific, concrete examples of how students can share limited resources and still learn how to use technology to complete assignments, including:
"Pass it on" Buddy Method--Students prepare their assignments on paper (such as writing text for a blog entry). The teacher teaches student "A" how to translate the assignment to a digital product, student A teaches B, student B teaches C, and so on.
Group Consensus Method--Small groups of students discuss a topic, and then a member of the group uses a digital tool to report on the group's consensus.
Rotating Scribe Method--Each day, one student uses technology to record the lesson for other students.
Whole Class Method--Large group of students gather around the computer for a group lesson.
She also includes tips and tricks as well as links to tools such as Blabberize, Pirate Pad, iMovie, Brain Pop, and many others.
The Learning A-Z family of websites, including Reading A-Z, RAZ-Kids, Writing A-Z, Vocabulary A-Z, and Science A-Z, also offers proven ways to enhance student learning in high-tech/low-tech ways. If you haven't already tried us, I invite you to visit each website and click on the free samples offered.
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