Remember that year classrooms had to shift gears and go digital suddenly? I know for many teachers, that was a really challenging time. There is one reason it was easy for my students. You see, I didn’t wait till it was NECESSARY to be digital. I was already using digital classroom technology tools because I knew their value.
Maybe that wasn’t you then, or maybe even right now. You are thinking about it since you clicked on some Pinterest link that led you here.
And girl, I am so glad you are here! There are always ways that you and I can improve our classroom and teaching strategies to help make our classrooms engaging.
Because I value technology not just as a tool to make my life easier in the classroom, there are five essential classroom technology tools and skills that I teach every year.
What classroom technology tools and skills do I teach my students at the beginning of the year? Grab your drink of choice because this quick read will have you ready to dive into planning.
Classroom Technology Tool #1: Navigating Google Classroom
I know there are a lot of different programs out there, but I utilize Google Classroom in my own classroom setting. It is a great place to post assignments, notifications, share resources, and communicate with my students.
I make sure that my students understand the difference between the stream and classwork, and how to locate topics to make finding materials easier. What are these places and what are their purposes? Knowing what they are and how to use them are going to help prepare you and your students for staying organized.:
Stream: similar to a feed in Facebook that shows updates regarding materials or assignments that have been created.
Classwork: where assignments can be easily found, turned in, graded, and returned.
Topics: These help you create order for subject content, or weekly assignments.
I also ensure my students know how to make a copy. They know how to turn in an assignment in the Classroom as well.
Collecting work in Google Classroom will allow you to see who is missing work. This is simpler than having them share their work in Google Drive.
Classroom Technology Tool #2: Computer Shortcuts:
There are a number of computer shortcuts I share with my students.
The first one is how to take a screenshot of their work. Some of the models or activities in our science curriculum are drag and drop simulations that I want my students to share with me. Students can show their thinking when I can’t talk to each one about their work during the lesson. In a live classroom setting, we even sit down as a whole class to discuss a student’s work to determine if their model is correct or incorrect.
I also love finding faster ways of working. Do you have your students work for a set time on a task such as reading? I do. Many of my students are on their own at home, so asking them to read for 20 minutes can be a challenge. Instead, I show them how to set up a timer in Google search.
Just open a new Google tab and type “timer ____ minutes.” That’s it!
Additionally, teaching my students how to copy and paste, zoom in and zoom out, and print using shortcuts makes teaching easier.
Classroom Technology Tool #3: Navigating Google Slides and Documents:
I use a variety of tools in my classroom because I believe that it is through creation with technology, not regurgitation, that students really learn. In Slides and Documents, I teach them shortcuts such as copying, pasting, zooming in, and zooming out.
These shortcuts are ones that I regularly use to make me more efficient in creating materials for my students. They need to know these shortcuts to become technologically literate and efficient.
Sometimes, it seems obvious to us what keys must be pressed to tell the computer and program what to do, but these skills must be explicitly taught to our students.
My students especially love it when I assign virtual field trips to them, which I create in Google Slides. Knowing how to use these tools and manipulate them makes those engaging learning experiences more meaningful.
The tab key is one I definitely teach my students to use when composing a document. Otherwise, they press the space bar a million times to center their work.
This is why I am also sure to show them how to center their titles, right justify their names and dates, and move their text to different positions using these commands on the documents’ or slides’ toolbar.
Classroom Technology Tool #4: Screencastify
Another piece of technology I always teach my students how to use at the beginning of the year is Screencastify.
As I said before, I want my students to be creators of technology. Whether they are making their own Google Slides presentation and sharing it with us, or explaining their thinking on scientific models that cannot be submitted, I want them to have the opportunity to share their thoughts.
Screencastify is a tool that allows you to record your desktop or screen and provide voice-over and embedded webcams as well. It is a tool I use to help me when some of my fifth graders miss science or social studies to go to band. I also use it to provide feedback via Google Classroom to specific students, or as a tool to give students a voice in the classroom as well.
This is an opportunity to develop speaking and listening skills, as well as writing skills since students should prepare their thoughts in a script prior to recording.
Screencastify is really not that difficult to use, and once you have invested your time at the beginning of the year teaching your students how to use it, it is a tool that both you and they will have for the entire year.
I have created a FREE getting started guide to using Screencastify, either for yourself or for your students. It is available in my FREE resource library for teachers. All you need to do is join the email list so I can send you the password. You can do that at the bottom of this page.
Classroom Technology Tool #5: Kami
The last piece of technology I discovered during distance learning and that I use in my classroom is Kami..
Kami is an amazing technology tool that allows you to take any pdf document, or other formatted document also, and turn it into a annotated document.
It works in conjunction with Google Classroom and will allow you to assign work in classroom directly. Students can highlight, have the text read aloud to them, type directly onto the document, color, write, draw, and even leave voice commentary on it as well.
It really is an amazing classroom tool that is currently FREE, but whose premium services do require a fee following the free trial pricing during initial school closures.
Bottoms Up:
So, what do you think? What technology skills are you planning to teach your students in the coming school year to prepare for another school closure? Share your thoughts in the comments below or head on over to Instagram to join the conversation.
