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NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

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I believe that integrating technology into the classroom enhances the learning experience. It doesn't matter what subject is being taught, there's always a way to include some form of technology. Although, I wasn't all on board with the idea at first, I've come to love technology and appreciate it for making our lives easier and spicing up the teaching/learning experience. 

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I believe that integrating technology into the classroom enhances the learning experience. It doesn't matter what subject is being taught, there's always a way to include some form of technology. Although, I wasn't all on board with the idea at first, I've come to love technology and appreciate it for making our lives easier and spicing up the teaching/learning experience. 

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Do you have technophobia? That is the fear of technology. I remember being super excited when I was in my teens and the great big computers were coming out with the "advanced" technology of the time. Dial-up internet. It was the bomb! But, the older I get, sometimes I just think there is too much - and too fast!

It doesn't matter if you are a new teacher or a veteran teacher; technology in general can be a bit terrifying. It's not so much that it's actually technology. It's that often, as soon as new technology, software, and programs are released - and mastered - there is suddenly a new, more technically advanced version to learn. Then, when you throw in the fact that as teachers we are already crunched for time, so now it's just one more area to learn, one more thing to add to our never-ending to-do list. And, we are told that we need to connect it/implement it into the students' learning without training or with little training, so it quickly creates tension and a fear of technology within us.

Or maybe you don't feel the above and instead, you are one who feels, "I got this" but then quickly feels pressed for lessons when the school server is s-l-o-w or, even worse, goes down. Sometimes it can be tricky to teach with limited supply or - dare I say it? - outdated technology. After a while you start to feel the dreaded, "I can teach just fine without it."

Well, don't give up - I'm here to help you with a few tips that I hope will turn around your feelings and fears about technology. I have been in all of the places above, and I truly understand. There are some days when I just want to go back to simpler times, but in reality I do like our technology, too. It's not going away anytime soon.

Overcoming the Fear of Technology

Acceptance. First, to overcome the fear of technology, you will need to accept that technology is here and part of the curriculum now. It's more than accepting that - it's accepting that it's always changing, and here's the hard one...accepting that your students will likely know more about technology than you. This is usually hard to hear because there are a lot of teachers who believe that they have to be all knowing or at least know more than the student. That is not true at all. It's okay that you don't know technology as well as the students. It really is.

Flip Roles. You will be amazed at how willing your students are to teach you about technology. It's okay to reach out to them and ask them to teach you. But if that isn't something you are comfortable with, then instead of simply asking, "trick" them. What I mean by this is if you have a three-year-old (I have two, and wow, am I tired!), sometimes you "pretend" you don't know something to see how much they know. Why couldn't you do the same with students, but really you are learning in the process? Haven't you ever heard your mother, husband, kids, or someone say, "I knew that. I was just testing you!" Same thing.

Tech Day! Why not have a tech day where each student picks something technology-based that they want to share with the class (or better yet, teach the class!) all about it? This is a great way to learn about new technology that is out there and how it works. (This is one way I keep up on what technology apps my teens are on! Haha.) Kids love this one!

Learn Together. Alright, maybe you didn't like my first three ideas. That's okay. What about learning together? Maybe you could walk students through how to find a tutorial on using software, such as Microsoft Excel. Then, watch it together, and as you do, demonstrate how to watch it, pause, try it, watch it, pause, etc. Or simply work through a series of steps one-by-one until the project is complete.

YouTube It. Well, it's almost the same as the one above. If you aren't sure how to do something with technology (or anything, really) - I guarantee you will find it on YouTube. Watch it from the convenience of your computer or smartphone. Watch it again and again until you feel you have it down. (And no one will know because you're watching it privately!) I've learned a lot of things from YouTube!

Student Experts. Every class has an "expert" student. In math there is an expert at fractions and an expert at geometry. In science there is an expert at chemistry, and so on. Why not help students feel special and select student experts with tech projects, too? Tell them you're going to take a back seat with this project and only answer the really important questions. Expert Johnny will help with technical questions, and so on. (Make sure you give Expert Johnny some sort of reward!)

Trainings. I know. If you had trainings, then you'd likely not need this blog post. But a lot of times, there are trainings outside of our school districts. For instance, most communities offer technology classes, just like they offer dance classes, art classes, and karate classes. Sometimes the library will also offer them, too. Don't forget to check with your local ISD (county). Check into them. It might be well worth your time. Oh, and any PD training your district offers, you may want to jump on it.

Play Around. I'm sure someone right now is reading my post and cringing. That's okay. I have a confession. Almost all of my technology experience and knowledge comes from just. playing. around. That's right. I have not destroyed any computers or anything. Here's a hint: If you see something that comes up and asks you TWICE (two different prompts), "Are you SURE you want to delete that?" (you know, the ones that make you think twice about what you are doing), that MAY be a sign that you're about to do something that could really mess things up. That's it. SO, play. Play away. (But make sure you can google how to fix ____. Kidding.)

Best Buddy. Make a friend in the tech department or in your building who understands your fear of technology. Perhaps even make arrangements with a colleague who is willing to teach you a few things after-school for a few days. Make a trade.

Start Small. The most important thing is to start small, no matter what. You will not be able to overcome the challenges of technology (and those listed above) if you bite off more than you can chew. It can be something as simple as just typing up a poem in a word processor program or using QR codes in the classroom. Then, slowly introduce more. Eventually, you could be doing full projects like making book trailers. You can do this! You can make it work...and after a while, you'll love it!

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you!

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Overcoming the Fear of Technology - The Owl Teacher

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Do you have technophobia? That is the fear of technology. I remember being super excited when I was in my teens and the great big computers were coming out with the "advanced" technology of the time. Dial-up internet. It was the bomb!

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So your district or school has purchased google apps for education accounts for all students. Now what? If you're a tech savvy person this news will excite you! If this news scares you....never fear! In no time you will fall in love with google apps for the classroom! I've got 5 tips to help you get started on the right foot.

It can be intimidating to get started with it so my advice is to take baby steps to get your feet wet.

1. Play around with it yourself.

This might sound obvious but some people get so overwhelmed with all of the options that they don't take the first step of just logging in and playing around. The beauty of google apps is that you can't break it! Everything you do can be undone. Try creating something for yourself using google docs. Make sure you can locate it in your google drive. Share the file with someone so you can see how it will work for students when they need to share a file with you. Once you've played around with it I think you'll find that you know more than you thought you did!

2. Watch tutorials on youtube!

Youtube is filled with tons of great information and tutorials. You can find one about every feature in google drive. Here is one for getting started with google drive:

For younger students especially, it can be challenging to type out a username and password. But even the youngest munchkins can do it! I typed out all of my students usernames and passwords on a card for them. Then each day I would set up a login bootcamp station with ipads and chromebooks. The students practiced logging in and out of their accounts 10 times. After a few login bootcamp sessions we would add a step: Login and open their google drive. Then open a doc and type their name. They had to logout, log back in and find the doc in their google drive. I gave a prize to the person who could do it the fastest. We did this several times before we started to use our accounts for any actual work. This worked so well! Now my students don't need any support logging into their accounts and getting started on their work.

4. Keep it simple - writing with google docs!

The easiest way to get students working in their google accounts is to have them open a google doc and just do their daily writing in it. I'm teaching first grade this year and my students use their google drive every day for writing. They often write on paper and then publish their writing in their google drive. Now you might wonder, "What about the picture? My students will die if they can't draw a picture". Well guess what? They can still add a picture. My students draw a picture on paper and then in google docs they go to "insert image" and then click "take a snapshot". They hold their picture up to the camera and take a picture. More advanced students can use the google drawings app and insert a picture that way (we'll save that for another day).

I also give them writing prompts that they respond to in their google drive.

5. Use pre-made templates to share with your students!
If you're strapped for time, you don't know how to make a template, or you just want to try someone else's out before you make your own templates, there a tons out there online! Click here to find literally hundreds of google drive products for various grades/age ranges.

This year we are going digital with out End of the Year Memory books. In the past I always did a pencil and paper memory book. I took my old one and decided to make it as a template for my students to use in their google drives. This way they will have it forever. It won't get crumpled up in their backpack or lost. They can share it with their parents or friends, print it out or just store it in their drive.

I would love to hear from you! Let me know how google apps for education are working out in your classroom!

You might be interested in my paperless Google Drive Resources:

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5 Tips for Getting Started with Google Apps in the Classroom

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Hi, my name is Heidi and I'm an elementary school teacher. I blog about ideas and resources for the classroom as well as issues in education. I love technology and inquiry based learning so I often include those topics. I create resources for a variety of subject areas and grade levels.

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Stop By!

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What Is Successful Technology Integration?

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Well-integrated use of technology resources by thoroughly trained teachers makes twenty-first-century learning possible. From our Technology Integration Professional Development Guide.