Effective use of laptops in the classroom and at home

April 04, 2014

Hi Folks,

I thought I would share this with you. It is a task I have done for "Learning Technologies" as part of my B.Tech. Ed. and hopefully you might be able to get some mileage out of it.

Scenario 3 (Secondary) - The school you are working in has a computer lab and many of the students have laptops. You've noticed that the students have developed a number of bad habits when using the computers, including their laptops. Describe how you will facilitate more effective use of the laptops and computers including the design of effective e-learning so that students want to utilise their laptops at home.

In the Classroom

· At the beginning of the class, re-enforce the rules and have a screen of the rules pop up when the students log on and an OK button that the students agree to the usage policies.

· When you want undivided attention of the class, impose a one minute warning to “save data and screens down” and wait for students, or if possible control a lock out of screens via a server or master computer

· I would also suggest that roving monitoring while students are working on tasks and providing help where needed

· Keep kids on a single task and encourage

· Encourage students to save their work constantly

· Make Students enthusiastic about subject

· Introduce Boolean searching and advanced searching through Google and Meta-search engines

· Teach students to utilise different organising charts like mind maps

· Setup teams for students to collaborate

· Facilitate and encourage the use of a Wiki and blog as a class

· Train on how to take notes both written and digital. Have time planned for written work on particular important concepts- as it has been shown that written notes help the brain to make connections for memory recall at a later time

· Set aside time away from computers to stretch and refresh

· Encourage students that are ahead to help out peers who may be struggling

· Set aside monitored “free time” after students have completed their work as an incentive

· Teach students about correct posture and the importance of it, and observe

· Arrange the classroom to make the students feel comfortable in a learning space

· Utilize the library and Librarian for extra resources and support

· Have students back up data to a central data hub such as “The Cloud” so that assignments can be accessed anywhere anytime without relying on USB sticks that can be lost (or go through the washing machine)

At Home

· Encourage students to be disciplined at home with homework as they would in the classroom, placing more emphasis on teaching in the classroom rather than in homework

· Base homework as more reflection and supplementary research

· Inform parents of tasks and have them participate in monitoring and support

· Set homework that can be interactive such as game based learning or easy to follow like links to YouTube videos, especially if learning a language via Duolingo for iPad

· Encourage the use of calendars as time management tools

· Have parents proof read their child’s assignments

· Encourage students to consider their study environment at home that can be free of distractions

· Setup a forum as part of the unit that students and teachers can post to out of class

ICT Based Classroom Management

· Set out to the class the tasks and outcomes and how to achieve it, what sites or programs to use, and post onto a “in class website” or “portal” accessible also at home for review or continuation of assignments