Management issue

Approach

Student behavior

Establish expectations from the beginning of the school year. A technology rich learning environment must allow for periods of talking and movement. However it is equally important that students are familiar with the AUP (grades 4 and up), and that they listen carefully to teachers when asked to do so.

Troubleshooting

A good troubleshooter always checks the physical connections of a machine first. The a/c plug may be loose, or the mouse may not be working because it is not plugged in! The days of stolen mouse balls are a thing of the past thanks to better mouse design.

If all else fails, try directing the student to another computer, or at least be prepared with “Plan B,” which may be a more traditional approach to learning.

Physical environment

A few minutes spent thinking about classroom design in the beginning of the year will pay off. I almost always advise teachers to set up desktop computers against a wall, facing the classroom. This eliminates blind-spots for the teacher, which has the effect of keeping the student on-task. Networked printing has allowed for grade-levels to share one printer, maximizing space and congestion problems. Our teachers send one student to the networked printer to pick up class print jobs. The printer in the computer lab is positioned near the exit so that users can pick up printed material on the way out of the room.

Adaptation techniques

E-mail is a great tool to keep administrators, parents, and grade-level partners informed. I also use e-mail to give regular feedback to my 5^th grade students, who are usually required to submit their work electronically. The 4^th grade students now receive e-mail instructions for how to begin project-based learning activities in the computer lab. I have set up a shared folder in our GroupWise communication system for teachers to view schedules, and other shared documents.

Teachers now find professional development forms and information from our school Web site.

Report cards and student information in including daily attendance is all handled through a main database system called Senior Systems.

Individualized programs

We use Earobics phonemic awareness software for our K-2 students. We also use the FirstInMath program for grades 3-5. Many teachers have begun to make Web links for students to explore supplemental online activities for language arts and mathematics activities.

Multi-dimension, simultaneous, immediate, and unpredictable learning environments.

Technology-rich environments are fast-paced, multi-level environments that sometimes lead students and teachers to topics or discussions that are not planned.

I always say expect the unexpected. Be prepared to get off-task, and to say “I don’t know the answer, but let’s see if we can find it together.”

Be flexible and understand that students will be at different places within the scope of a learning activity. Have extension activities ready for students who finish before others do. Having a good teacher Web site is a great way to manage this issue, since you can refer students to instructions and links for sustained learning.