Tips for Integrating Technology

• Be patient integrating technology does not happen over night.
  
• Start with yourself- use the computer to write letters to parents, grade book, worksheets, test and graphs.
  
• The assignment fits well with the lesson or skills covered in the past.
  
• Activity deepens the students understanding of the skill.
  
• Students have a specific goal.
  
• Lesson is easier to teach, more fun to learn, or is more easily retained due to technology.
  
• The teacher can describe how a particular student is benefiting from the technology.
  
• All students are able to participate.
  
• Technology is motivating the students.

Ways to Integrate Technology

• Personal Productivity.
  
• Whole group instruction presentation.
  
• Interactive Group software.
  
• Learning Center.
  
• Morning work or individual instruction.

Steps to Integrate Technology
Step One:

Classroom Environment

1. Arrangement of computers in classroom

• Able to help students at the computers
  
• Keep other students on task
  
• Able to see all students
  
• Able to see computer screens
  
• Name your computers

  2. Computer Discipline

• Create rules for using the computers
  
• Using a computer is a privilege; if you abuse it, you lose it!
  
• If there is problems -have students sign in and sign out after their computer time.
  
• No one goes to the computer when the teacher is talking
  

  3. Classroom Diagram
  

• Refer to work page

Step Two:

Allowing Everyone Computer Time

1. Computer Groups

• Divide the class into 3 or 4 groups
  
• Assign each group to use a specific computer on certain days
  

• Determine the amount of time each group will have at the computer. Suggest 15 - 20 minutes.
  
• Create a bulletin board with this information to remind students.
  

  2. Push Pin Chart
  

• Obtain a chart.
  
• List each students name on the left side of the chart.
  
• List the computer assignments at the top of the chart.
  
• As students complete assignments, have them place a pushpin in the corresponding square.
  
• Make a bulletin board using this information.
  

  3. The Cookie Sheet
  

• Obtain a cookie sheet and make magnetic die cuts.
  
• Put each students name on a magnetic die cut.
  
• As students complete the given assignment, they move their magnetic die cut to the other side of the cookie sheet.
  

  4. Can of Computers
  

• Place Popsicle sticks in a decorated can with each students name on the stick.
  
• Pull out a stick for each computer, have students with their name on the stick go to the computer.
  
• As students finish, place their stick in the "Been There, Done That!" can.
  
• Also, after the student is finished their computer time have them pull out another stick with a student name. He or she taps that student on the shoulder to inform them that it is their computer time.

  5. Table Rotation
  

• Arrange desk in groups of fours or use tables.
  
• Create computer cards one for each computer.
  
• Before the students arrive, put one card at a students seat at the each table.
  
• As soon as the student with the computer card at their seat arrives at school they are to go directly to the computer to do their assignment.
  
• When he or she finishes their computer assignment the card rotates around the table.
  

Step Three:

Finding Time

1. Morning Work
Best time to get most of the students to the computer. Also, a good time to reinforce skills with seatwork.

2. Center Time/ Small group rotations
Rotate groups make the computers a center.

3. When students are done with work.
Make sure they adhere to the rule of when the teacher is talking no one goes to the computer.

4. When students go to Title I.
This is the time that I incorporated center time into my class schedule.

5. End of the day / Last Bus
Best time to get those who are fast workers.

6. Let's Work it out.
Refer to work page

Step Four:

Creating a plan of action

1. Give a computer assignment everyday

2. What kinds of assignments do you want to give your students?

• Journal
  
• Cornerstone-Skills 3rd grade and up.
  
• Reading- Writing to Read 2000, Stories and More or AR
  
• Math- Make graphs and carts or use the many network programs
  
• Poems
  
• Use CDROM programs
  

3. Example Computer Assignments

Each day I incorporated a daily computer assignment into my morning work. I had a special board that listed their assignment. Here are some examples of the type of assignments (Only 1 assignment a day)

EX: Writing to Read 2000 1 Cycle
Cat
EX: It's About Time
Explore only
EX: James Discovers Math
Rug patterns
EX: Stories and More
Read the story The Little Red Hen

4. Time

• Assignments should be no longer than 15-20 minutes
  
• Timer- Use a timer to let the students know their time is up.
  
• Other Students watch
  

5. Group of Students

• As you put students into groups and give assignments think about each child ability level and speed.
  
• Have students who are slow workers go to the computers first.
  
• Have students who are fast workers go to the computers last.
  
• If the students are to work in groups on a project at the computer, assign one student to each group who is computer savvy.

Step Five:

Introducing Students to Daily Computer Use

1. In the beginning...

• Gather your student around the computer or use big screen TV.
  

- Introduce Program- Before giving an assignment; show students how to use the program. Give a lesson on how to use the program you want them to use.

• Introduce 1 program per lesson.
  

- Suggestion- I introduced one program a week. Students were only allowed to use that program during freetime and assignments for the entire week until I introduced the next program.

2. Computer Discipline

• Make sure that you can see the computer screens from your desk to ensure that the students are on task.
  
• Teach them how to act at the computers- Role play

Step Six:

Computer Helpers

• Enlist 3 students to become "SUPER COMPUTER USERS" for a semester to help friends that are having problems at the computers.
  
• Ask a teacher who has older students to use a few of her students to teach your student how to use programs or start new programs.

Step Seven:

Get Started!

Ways to Incorporate Technology into Daily Lessons

1. Use large screen TV to display programs. Teach using what is on the screen! No more charts!

• Use Graph Club (network) to teach graphing
  

2. Power Point

• Rules
  
• Hyperlink to the internet
  
• Introduce Vocabulary and Letters
  
• Instructions
  

  3. Use Laser Disc to teach Concepts
  

• Laser Disc available on Math, Science, Soc. St. and English
  

4. Those extra 15 minutes that you do not know what to do with

• During your school day list questions on the board that you and your students could not answer. At the end of the day or anytime you have the extra 15 minutes, using the Internet go to Ask Jeeves web site at http://www.ajkids.com Let a student type in the question (it has a spell checker.) Jeeves will lead your class to a web site that will answer your questions
  
• Using the Internet, look at the web sites of the month to discover new facts or ideas
  
• Play quiet mouse using computer software. The person who is quiet mouse get to answer the next question on James Discovers Math or other software available