Technology is a scarce commodity across the district with
many teachers relying almost exclusively on the school site computer labs for
access. So, what do you do when you’ve
been scheduled into the computer lab to make this time meaningful and
relevant? Below are three different ways
to engage your students.
Developing Keyboarding Skills with TypingWeb
To best prepare our students for the online testing in the spring,
keyboarding skills are essential. TypingWeb
(http://www.typingweb.com/)
is a free online typing site that provides students with keyboarding
instruction and practice. Teachers can
create their class and monitor student progress toward keyboarding goals
through the Teacher Portal. TypingWeb is
online – no software to download or install and students can access their
account and practice from anywhere.
Introducing Digital Literacy and Citizenship
21st century learning demands that our students
know how to “think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in the
digital world” and Common
Sense Media is packed with a wealth of resources to help students do just
that. At this free website, teachers will find
materials for Digital Literacy and Citizenship including downloadable and
printable lesson plans, videos, classroom posters, and much, much more. Take some time to look through the resources
to see what all is available. A good
starting point is the Scope & Sequence which provides leveled units that address
digital literacy and citizenship. The
Common Sense Media resources are the approved Digital Literacy and Citizenship
materials being used in the district.
Improving Search Skills with Google
Want to help your students become critical thinkers and
independent learners? Google Search Education provides teachers with leveled
lesson plans and activities to help develop search literacy skills. Students can take the self-paced Power
Searching course and receive a certificate of completion at the
conclusion. They can also put their
searching skills to test in the A Google a Day.
