Good classroom management with computers doesn't look that much different from good classroom management without computers. Good management is built from the ground up...
1. Lesson development & planning- plan ahead. Design for the good. Plan for the bad. Anticipate the ugly.
2. Expectations- Lay these out early. On the first day of class. Include specifics about technology. Post the expectations prominently in your room.
Set boundaries, create policies, make students
1. Lesson development & planning- plan ahead. Design for the good. Plan for the bad. Anticipate the ugly.
2. Expectations- Lay these out early. On the first day of class. Include specifics about technology. Post the expectations prominently in your room.
Set boundaries, create policies, make students
sign a contract. I always had a contract in my room, K-12th, and referred to it frequently. For high school, I also had a syllabus.
TIP: Example of my old art room syllabus Are the kids going to think you're running North Korea instead of a classroom? Maybe at first. Too bad. You're the one with a degree, and it's your classroom.
4. MWA- Management by Walking Around (Technical term) Look at their screens. Frequently. By frequently I mean constantly. Ask them what they're looking at. Ask them what's in their other windows/tabs. Especially at first or if you're trying to break existing bad habits. MWA is far better than any surveillance software, guaranteed.
5. Consistency- Follow policy. Every kid. Every time. When there's less gray area, kids test boundaries less.
TIP: Build in some wiggle-room in your policy language. For instance, "Respect all students, teachers, guests, and self; no exceptions." A broad range of behaviors falls under this statement so you can easily and consistently reinforce rules from situation to situation.
6. Class arrangement- You know your kids and your classroom better than anyone. Arrange your space efficiently (power cords, charging stations, etc.), logically, and minimize social friction where you can.
TIP: If you can, use rows so from a single vantage point you can see nearly all student screens in your room. Search for other ideas online or using Pinterest.
7. Use timers- Time different tasks in your class. Display the timer on the big screen. It helps kids stay on task.
TIP: There are some timer Chrome web apps. (If you need anything unblocked, you know what to do.)
8. Down time- Have a plan. Have a classroom sign posted that's titled, "What to do if you've finished all of your work:" Enforce the rules, and follow through with consequences. Then, there really is no down time.
Click "Read More" below to read more tips.
TIP: Example of my old art room syllabus Are the kids going to think you're running North Korea instead of a classroom? Maybe at first. Too bad. You're the one with a degree, and it's your classroom.
4. MWA- Management by Walking Around (Technical term) Look at their screens. Frequently. By frequently I mean constantly. Ask them what they're looking at. Ask them what's in their other windows/tabs. Especially at first or if you're trying to break existing bad habits. MWA is far better than any surveillance software, guaranteed.
5. Consistency- Follow policy. Every kid. Every time. When there's less gray area, kids test boundaries less.
TIP: Build in some wiggle-room in your policy language. For instance, "Respect all students, teachers, guests, and self; no exceptions." A broad range of behaviors falls under this statement so you can easily and consistently reinforce rules from situation to situation.
6. Class arrangement- You know your kids and your classroom better than anyone. Arrange your space efficiently (power cords, charging stations, etc.), logically, and minimize social friction where you can.
TIP: If you can, use rows so from a single vantage point you can see nearly all student screens in your room. Search for other ideas online or using Pinterest.
7. Use timers- Time different tasks in your class. Display the timer on the big screen. It helps kids stay on task.
TIP: There are some timer Chrome web apps. (If you need anything unblocked, you know what to do.)
8. Down time- Have a plan. Have a classroom sign posted that's titled, "What to do if you've finished all of your work:" Enforce the rules, and follow through with consequences. Then, there really is no down time.
Click "Read More" below to read more tips.
Tips specifically for computers/Chromebooks/iPads
- Use the laptops/Chromebooks/iPads in class.
- Fall back on your policies and expectations
- Use student experts and let students' help each other with the technology so you don't have to
- Reconsider "note-taking" with a computer. Taking notes with a computer might be one of the most difficult things to do. I type about 75 words per minute and still don't take notes with a computer most of the time because it's fairly challenging. Do you?
- Allot time for student-led exploration of new programs/tools- have them teach each other (You don't have to be an expert on every tool out there)
- Do not use a new technology program/tool in conjunction with a new skill students are learning. If you need to use a new program or online tool, build in time for students to learn it (maybe a 20 minute practice session for participation points). Then you're not compounding chaos.
- Sub plans... Put a section in your plans about device usage in your classroom activities. Write this as though your grandmother is going to have to read and follow it. Provide contact information for your tech guy or gal, so the sub can get help fast if they need it.
- Define "school-appropriate." Telling kids to only visit "school appropriate" sites doesn't always work. We all know that students' interpretation of "appropriate" can differ from ours. Give older students these categories to avoid all together to help them make better choices. Adjust them for your grade level.
Top four off-limits website categories:
1. Nudity
2. Stranger danger/social media
3. Violence/profanity
4. Drugs/alcohol/illegal activities
Remember to be realistic and put things in perspective. Teachers have tons on their plates. More now than ever. But you can handle this. Kids passed notes before we had text messaging. Kids forgot pencils and paper before they forgot passwords.
Our grandparents told us we didn't have real-world skills, and so did theirs.
Yet, here we all are...
Kids need time to grow up and learn how to live in this digital age. You know how hard it can be! This is an excellent time for them to make mistakes and learn from them. And some of the most reliable guidance they ever get could come from you.
Our grandparents told us we didn't have real-world skills, and so did theirs.
Yet, here we all are...
Kids need time to grow up and learn how to live in this digital age. You know how hard it can be! This is an excellent time for them to make mistakes and learn from them. And some of the most reliable guidance they ever get could come from you.