At the beginning of every school year I find myself reflecting on practices related to technology in my classroom. I always wanted to be prepared for when we deployed the devices to students. This post is a checklist of tips with suggestions of items that you should consider as a classroom teacher with technology in your classroom.
Classroom management in a one-to-one environment
There is no denying that classroom management is different when technology is introduced, but try to remember these things when setting up your classroom:
- Do your best not to blame technology for student behaviors. iPads and Chromebooks don't force students to be off task any more than a good comic book. Think about how you will handle situations when students are off task playing a game or visiting a site they shouldn't be on. Taking the device away is not the best approach, instead teach students to be responsible.
- What routines should be in place? When you want your class' undivided attention, what will you say to them? One common phrase is "screens down," which means iPads are set with screens down and eyes on the teacher. If you have ideas for other routines, please post in the comments!