Classroom Management & Technology

From WikEd

Description

Has Technology created extra work for the classroom teacher? Teachers are becoming bogged down due to the expectation to stay "updated"- entering grades, attendance, answering emails, etc. Being connected has not been the best addition to a teacher's routine.

At my school everything is online. Parents can access their students grades, attendance, my email address. All this is great and a sign of progress, but my planning period is getting more and more consumed by "chores" than on creating new and cool lesson plans.

Application in classrooms

How can we streamline these "chores" to increase classroom management and efficiency for teachers?

Tablets/laptops for teachers will ease daily routines:

Attendance: Teachers can walk around the room taking attendance. No more dodging into the office to take attendance before the attendance person emails you a friendly reminder.

Lunch: Teachers can report what students want for lunch and what they want to eat

Grading: Teachers can enter grades directly into the computer instead of on paper first. The teacher has the mobility to walk around the room with laptop/tablet in hand and mark off grades.

Organization: Software like OneNote [1], GoBinder[2], Sticky notes[3], Journal, etc. can organize notes, classes, planners in one. Google Calendar is another example of organizational software. It is a free, easy to use application that allows for teachers to schedule assignments for multiple classes and share them with students. Students can also use Google Calendar[4] to create group project outlines which they can then share with their groups and with their teacher.

Online tests: Provide you with instant feedback and grades on test scores

Graphic Organizers: Create Graphic Organizers in Microsoft Word

Individual Student Information: Teachers can take anecdotal notes on individual students and keep them stored in a file for that student for easy access when needing to reference them for a conference. Also all personal information for that student should be stored there for teacher access from school or home.

Tablet computers also help teachers through proximity management. Given the ability to connect wirelessly, teachers are given the opportunity to walk around the classroom while using their tablet. If a student is talking, allowing the teacher to simply stand next to that student while still conducting class (example: taking notes on the tablet) sends the students the message "I see that you are talking; please be quiet" while not interrupting the class. Being able to walk around the room, also makes students to likely to stay engaged and focused on taking notes.

Signed "life experiences", Testimonies, or Stories

After reading this article, I have gotten some great ideas to use in my classroom. My only setback is the fact that we do not have personal laptops for use throughout the school day. We do have a laptop computer cart, in which each teacher is assigned a laptop. However, during the school day, the laptops are primarily for student and classroom use. Our classroom computers are several years old and not the most reliable machines. Here are some ideas I am considering trying:

Taking anecdotal notes on my computer during reading and math conferences with students
Giving online tests so that I can get instant feedback and test scores from students
Using software to keep track of my lesson plans
Using the computer to keep track of my grading (although, I would think that you would still need to keep paper copies of grades, in the event of a computer crash)

I believe keeping all of these things on the computer would help me become more organized!

Brookelyn Schuppel

I love the idea of having a notebook computer in hand throughout the day! It would be a great time saver for me and I think that my anecdotal notes would be more organized if I could immediately open a 'folder' and insert comments directly. I would also:

Be able to track guided reading group materials
Chart individual progress toward specific instructional goals
Use an online grading system for immediate parental notification and
Track assignment/homework completion

I look forward to the day when this resource might be available!!!

Rhonda Zaborowski

Having a notebook computer to use in the classroom would be ideal! I have one desktop computer in my classroom and I do bring my own notebook computer to school almost every day to use with my students through SMART board activities. I like the idea of being able to carry the notebook around to different locations in the classroom to make notes, give tests, etc. I can see how some may have the opinion that new technology available for a classroom teacher may be difficult to keep up with. However, once these skills are acquired and the teacher is more accustomed to the routine, I think it will prove to make classroom life easier. I like these ideas:

Keeping track of your classroom library - checking in and out books
Keeping parents notified of grades online - I just recently started using Microsoft Excel for grading
lesson planning
Taking notes on behavior, grades, late assignments, etc.

Marcy Flessner

Things that work better than a laptop

I have a laptop in my room that is supposed to be used by all members of our math department. Fortunately for me, I am the only math teacher that has a desire to use these devices. Even though I am thankful for the technology I have available, I do not think I would want to carry it around with me in my classroom. I find it easy enough to give my kids some desk work to do at the beginning of class while I record attendance (in our schoolwide computer attendance program) and collect homework assignments or pass back papers.

There are other pieces of technology - besides a laptop - that I find more helpful to myself, my students and their parents.

Grading software - I am able to quickly print out each student's list of assignments, missing assignments, a break down of grades by type of assignment and weight, etc. This also helps when it comes to parent/teacher conferences. I am also able to post grades every week by student numbers so that my students are consistently aware of their progress.
TI SmartView software - I am able to visually show my students what buttons push and the result on the screen of the calculator. This eliminates the need for the old "point at the poster" approach.
Posting assingments on the Web - We have it set up on our school website so that teacher's can post their weekly assignments on the web. THis is as easy as typing out a list in Microsoft Word and saving it in a particular space on the web as an Html document. This is helpful for those teachers that have students for in school suspension time (No more getting a list of assignments from the teacher), Parents who are trying to stay on top of their child's school work, and students (especially those that have been absent and want to stay up to date with the class).

Marsha Foshee

The only concern I have with some of the issues discussed it the reliability of the school network to support some of the above technologies. For instance, my school district does its attendance, grading, and student records via an on-line program. While it's a wonderful feature to be able to enter grades from home, in the classroom, if the school network is down, then entering attendance, or being able to call up student records is impossible.

Classroom technology has given me the opportunity to administer homework, quizzes, and exams online. This eliminates paper copies and allows me to grade students' work and receive instant feedback. I can grade essays by hand or have the online programs grade multiple choice, matching, and true/false questions. With this technology I always have electronic copies of grades and can access scores from any semester for any student. This is truly beneficial with class sizes over 400 students.

I am a huge supporter of using technology in the classroom for several reasons. The first one being that it tryly does simplify the work load for a teacher. I can post assignments online, the students submit the answers online, and I can grade those assignments from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. It eliminates the need to run mulitiple copies and it cuts back on the amount of re-copying needing to be done as a result of students losing a worksheet. It ensures with greater statistics notes getting received and read by parents. The one downside I do see to using technology is that some of my students still do not have computers at home. However, with technology evolving as quickly as it is, the options are endless. For instance, I know that the Oakwood Public Library has Internet capabilities that anyone with a library card, which is free to get, can use for free. With all the limitless possibilities technology allows both students and teachers, I'm amazed that there are still some who are spending hours upon hours in front of the copy machine at work!

Kelly Ferdinand

Although I do have to agree that technology has helped me streamline the daily responsibilities I have as a teacher (i.e. attendance, grading, updates, reminders, etc.), I find that I have to constantly be ready for any changes that come with its use. For example, as a second year teacher, I have already had to learn two variations of the same program that both perform the same function. We have used a program entitled, "GradeLogic" the past couple of years and just as I have become accustomed to all of the tedious functions and constant malfunctions, the administration has decided to get rid of it. I have to admit that I did breathe a sigh of relief but a sigh of "here-we-go-again" quickly followed as I realized that I would have to learn a brand new program that is supposed to be far better than GradeLogic. I have faith that the new program we will begin to use this coming fall is indeed easier and friendlier to use, but I keep thinking about the next program that will be "better" and the next and thereafter. The continuous advancements in technology has become an inevitable force that even I (a young teacher who has grown up with the Internet and all its glory) can see has it's delightful moments as well as moments that can leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Now that I have already rambled like the English teacher that I am, I have one other concern that I want to express about using the Internet for homework, quizzes, exams, etc. online. I would absolutely love to incorporate more of these techniques into my everyday teaching, but with so many students who don't have a computer at home-let alone daily Internet access-this is virtually (forgive my pessimism) impossible for the time being. Has administering paperwork and tests/quizzes within classroom time become too "old-school" for the world today?

-H.Yeam

As a librarian, I work with technologies every time the students are in the classroom. I agree that all of these tools help "streamline" day-to-day activities, but I strongly advise teachers to be wary of relying completely on technologies in the classroom. I once conducted a workshop on Google Page Creator for teachers in my school, and I had planned on introducing the program and then allowing teachers work time to complete their web pages. However, the school network crashed just as I was about to let the teachers create their projects. This resulted in a lot of frustration for everyone involved, and we all had to wait while the network was restored. It was not a good experience for me, as a novice teacher, to be suddenly sidelined by a network outage, and it was not helpful for the teachers who were expecting to have a lot of time to complete their web pages and ask questions if they needed help.
A similar issue has arisen more than once during class sessions with students-I would demonstrate a database on the computer, and the page would refuse to load, or the network connection would be lost. Students get distracted easily and often see the down time as a time to goof around. When that happens, I direct students towards the books, and I remind them that books will never crash or suddenly stop working.

-A. Peso

While reading many of the testimonies and advice that was given, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experiences in the classroom. Although I think technology is great way to keep the classroom organized, I feel as though often times as we advance we forget the little things that make the difference.

I believe that classroom management is vital to student learning. As a teacher I think that students rise or fall to the level of expectation. It is critical that teachers specify exactly what is required of students and to maintain a routine in the classroom in order to help students adjust quickly. Members of any community strive to exhibit the values that are defined, expressed, and reinforced within their society, their families, and among their friends. It is essential for students to recognize and maintain control of the social and environmental goals that guide everyday behavior. Furthermore, they must gain an understanding of themselves and individuals around them in order to make affective decisions that may shape their future. In layman’s terms, it doesn’t matter if you have all the best new toys, if you don’t have a relationship with your students then it won’t matter.

Classroom management requires strict dedication and a consistent level of disciplinary measures so that students understand the consequences (good or bad) of their actions. Teachers must elucidate the rules, procedures, and grading expectations that are required in their classroom. In order to avoid confusion and conflict, it is imperative for teachers to clearly specify and constantly emphasize behavioral and educational goals to students. The procedures for attendance, seat assignments, and the first few minutes of each class should be clear to students. The first few minutes are what will set the tone for the next 50. I have only been teaching 3 years, but I have come to learn that when I use a belleringer, whether it is a video, a quote, or a short activity, the students are much more engage than when I skip that part of the introduction.

The classroom environment should be conducive to learning. Students should be aware of their rights and needs as well as the rights and needs of others. Students should feel safe and comfortable in the classroom and should feel free to express themselves within the classroom limits. Students should be encouraged to try new experiences and to grow and develop as individuals and as a community. The teacher must know his/her students and must be able to recognize individual student needs. The classroom environment is crucial to classroom management and the environment that is established in the first few days of class will continue throughout the rest of the school year.

Classroom management demands a great deal from the teacher and the student. The teacher is responsible for explaining and clarifying all standards and expectations to the student. The student is accountable for understanding all the procedures, rules, and grading expectations that are set at the start of the school year. I believe that the fundamental strategies to affective classroom management are both teacher and student dedication, clear and concise explanations, and a consistent level of discipline and control. If all the standards and expectations, concerning physical, social, or cognitive principles, are clearly defined and regularly reinforced then both the student and the teacher will be able to cooperate and learn effectively. The goal of classroom management is to build an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and I believe that such an atmosphere can exist through dedication, consistency, relevenace, and most important, relationships.

Technology is a great way to take attendance, enter grades, and incorporate media devices in the classroom but it can never substitute or replace the relationships that we build with our students. We must take the time to get to know them and understand their individual abilities. Surely technology can be the avenue for such explorations (such as the use of eportfolios, web design activities, PowerPoint presentations and videos) but it cannot do all the wok for us.

“Computing machines perhaps can do the work of a dozen ordinary men, but there is no machine that can do the work of one extraordinary man.” -- E. B. White

-- Mary Rezk

As a younger faculty member in a digital native society, I find it hard to motivate digital immigrant faculty to use technology in the classroom. We will be debuting a more than $6 million school with SMARTBoards in each classroom along with SMART Tables in our two kindergarten classrooms. However, we have faculty that don't even know how to create a file folder on our server. To manage my classroom more efficiently using technology I use the following:

SMART Boards for attendance, lunch count, etc. in the morning
Our school uses STI Classroom for attendance records, grading, progress reports, acquiring student information
Each classroom has four student computers and one teacher computer for technology purposes
SMART Senteo handheld response system for quick quiz taking and assessment results
Setting up a Google e-mail account for each student to better collaborate on projects using Google Documents
I created a Moodle online classroom for a six week Research class I teach to eighth grade. I cut down on copying time by posting the word documents and useful resource links on the Moodle site and directed them when they had to access the site and print the documents before the next class.
Access to two computer labs with twenty-five computers in each lab for podcasting, digital video editing, creative writing, etc.
Posting weekly homework to the school website for student and parent access

I believe by incorporating these technology resources into my classroom I keep my digital natives engaged in learning, which keeps my classroom management effective. With the new school building, I will be able to assist our digital immigrant faculty into incorporating technology into the classroom and modeling effective classroom management to help reduce a teacher workload. However, technology can only be an assistant to effective classroom management. The first few weeks in a classroom are key to establishing the roles of teacher and student. This time can make or break a successful year. Letting students know your expectations of them is of the utmost importance.

--Lindsey Storm