Maximum student engagement is a goal shared by all good teachers. You want your young students to hang onto their innate sense of curiosity, you
want your older students to rekindle it.
Used effectively, technology helps hook students into subject matter and keep them engaged. Integrated multimedia content from a variety of sources helps students make connections and contextualize information. Those "ah-ha" moments become more frequent, the dazed and glazed over looks a thing of the past.
This new paradigm promotes active learning, high-level thinking, collaborative problem-solving-challenging stuff that makes kids want to work, and prepares them for life in the new digital age. Students become more self-directed and more invested in learning. Which makes teachers feel more rewarded and invested in teaching.
Rather avoid technology altogether? Don't have a clue where to begin? Or have you mastered Word and that's all you need, thank you very much?
You're not alone. Visit the Professional Development section of the Survival Toolkit and you'll be persuaded to get your feet wet. There are plenty of tutorials that allow you to follow step-by-step instructions at your own pace. Give it a try-it's easier than you think!
And why not learn alongside or from your students? They're probably the best teachers of all when in comes to technology, and their fearlessness just may rub off on the rest of us.
New teachers barely have time to brush their teeth, let alone learn new technology. But here's the thing to remember: Technology will increase
the efficiency of your classroom and save you time. You'll be able to cover more material in a more in-depth way and reach more students
of different learning abilities and styles. So instead of feeling like you've been run over by a truck come Friday afternoon, you just
might be able to put your feet up and relax.
Start by focusing on time-saving tools to make your own life easier. See "Tech Tools for Teachers" to see what we mean. Just try it already!
Sure, all these gadgets sound great, but what if you have a limited budget? What if your district is flat broke?
First, link to the Survival Toolkit for info on grants, school discounts, special sweepstakes, and cost-cutting strategies.
In the meantime, make the most of what you have. Technology integration is about mindset, not just machinery. If you're onboard and resourceful, you can find creative solutions in myriad places. Make the most of the Internet: Send students on virtual field trips to museums around the country, on virtual treks to Egypt or Peru. Search for freebies to use yourself-you'll find downloadable applications, along with podcasts, webcasts, tutorials, and other professional development tools.
Share resources with other classrooms. For instance, mobile carts of laptop computers can be wheeled from place to place so more students can have access. Data projectors and other equipment can be shared if the budget can't support one per classroom.
Keep in mind that the tools available today combine multiple features and capabilities; five years ago you'd need to buy more components to do the same thing. So in many ways it's more cost-effective than you think.