The Young Teacher’s Guide to Using Technology in the Classroom
You as an inexperienced teacher should start with simple technology, slowly. You need to adopt the ‘KISS’ principle, i.e. ‘Keep it simple, stupid.’ Stay away from ‘complicated teaching aids’ that represent the latest technology.
That being said, it is important to realize that no form of technology is the “be all and end all” for a teacher. A teacher must be flexible and gain experience in all forms of technology to add interest and real life data as well as efficiency to their teaching.
Some teachers make the mistake of believing that technology replaces the humble chalk/white board. No technology can totally replace them because they are quick and easy to use and can be very effective in the hands of an experienced teacher.
As you begin your career, use only one form of technology at a time, other than chalk or white boards. Plan carefully what you need to do. Practice beforehand. Make sure you have all the parts you need to make the technology work, such as a remote control. Check that it works and that the batteries are new.
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind before you start using any form of technology in your classroom.
1. Always test your equipment/technology first to make sure it works.
2. Practice using it before the lesson.
3. Remember: You still have to do the teaching. Technology does not teach. It just helps the teaching/learning process.
4. Make sure all students have equal access to any technology you use.
5. Make sure that all students who need to use technology can use it in the most effective and efficient way possible.
6. If you use technology as a medium in your assessment, make sure that the success of the task does not depend on the students’ experience using the technology.
7. Before using any technology as part of your assessment task, make sure that all students have practiced and honed the technology skills they need to be successful on the task, given that they know the appropriate learning task.
8. Develop an experience in the use of all the technology available in your classroom. This will give you the opportunity to use a greater variety of teaching strategies/pedagogues.
9. Always plan a backup strategy if technology fails, ie have spare devices or an alternate teaching strategy.
10. When you have proficient students with technology skills, use them to help you as demonstrators or as mentors to fellow students.
11. When looking to purchase new technology, be sure to research the true cost, including “behind the scenes” costs, such as service, as well as the benefits to your students. Ask yourself this question: “Does it offer a better teaching result than the other strategies already available and the old technology?” before spending the money.
One last point:
Remember that technology cannot teach for you. In the end, technology, even with the powerful interactive computer software now available, will need your input somewhere to be truly effective for your students.