LS521
SP02
Journal Article
1
‘Managing Technology: Tips From the Experts’ was a wonderfully informative article written by Linda Starr. She compiled 33 great tips and ideas collected from the education world tech team. These tips will help your computer class run smoothly. I thought this was a great article because it contained so many useful ideas that could help save time and prevent many computer/class disasters.
One of the best tips was for the teacher to always perform a trial run of the web lesson before assigning it to the class. This practice run allows the teacher to check for any problems with links or confusing directions. In addition, the teacher should always have a backup lesson in case computers or web sites are down.
Another tip I really liked was using cheap, red plastic cups. A red plastic cup is placed at every computer. When a student has trouble and needs help, they place their cup upside down to signal for help. The cup acts as a red beacon to draw the teacher’s attention. This also allows a student to get help that he or she needs without interrupting the concentration of other students.
In addition, there were other tips for writing step-by-step instructions. Teachers should always include necessary repetitive actions like ‘save your work’ which are often overlooked by students. These tips for instructions also included methods for keeping the attention of students while explaining tasks. The techniques included everything from using a different location for directions/discussion versus computer work areas to ‘blocking’ the distraction of the computer monitor with movable signs. Most of these techniques were variations on forms of ‘physically’ removing the temptation of going ahead with the assignment without instruction by eliminating the ability to use the computer.
All the tips and techniques discussed are very useful for any classroom instruction which utilizes computers.
Starr,
Linda. Managing Technology: Tips from the Experts. Education
World. Retrieved