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CHAPTER

1

Learning Technology Operations and Concepts

Long before any students use classroom technology, you must establish its purpose and function within your curriculum. Students will use these tools to communicate, collaborate, think critically, and create. These skills—the four Cs—will help them form meaningful connections with what they learn.

With such a powerful purpose, integrating technology tools into your classroom requires a little bit of setup. Some technology departments will lay out all the details for you and provide quality professional development in advance, while others will require you to independently implement the technology deposited into your classroom. We have organized practical ideas to help your implementation succeed, regardless of your circumstances. After you establish your initial organization and follow the short lessons in this chapter, your students will take the reins as they use technology to learn and soar.

In this chapter, we first discuss the introduction of digital devices to your classroom. We then offer some lessons you can use to familiarize students with the basics of operating their device and using common LMS tools like online storage to upload and manage their work. We designed the lessons in this chapter to establish routines and provide your K–2 students with basic technology and platform literacy. We want students to understand basic processes first and learn content more fluidly later.

Introducing Devices to the Classroom

Tablets, computers, interactive whiteboards, and tech toys are cause for much excitement in the elementary classroom and are fabulous tools for education. Knowing that they have their own device gives young students in 1:1 classrooms a great sense of independence and ownership of learning. In a shared technology setting, where you might have carts of laptops or tablets, students will learn the procedures for picking up and storing devices. You can dispense with any fears you may have about your students’ readiness to responsibly use these devices. With proper guidance, structure, routines, and maybe some durable cases, you can trust K–2 students to take care of and control their devices.

TEACHING TIP

Before you give students devices, plan a process for labeling and distributing the devices. You can use a picture of the student on his or her device, color-coordinated cases, student IDs, and so on. As long as the process enables students to easily find their device in the devices’ storage space, any organization system can work.

Your administrator or technology department should have a general plan for device distribution, but you need to discuss with students appropriate use in the classroom so they know your expectations. If you are lucky enough to have one device per student, the device and the carrying case still should have labels. Some districts use student identification numbers or pictures on their device cases. Although the district might have labeled devices through a district inventory process, the system it used may not well-serve young students. In a K–2 classroom, an age-appropriate system using pictures often works best.

TECH TIP

Add each student’s picture to the lock-screen background on his or her tablet or computer. Students can do this independently by taking a selfie of himself or herself (see chapter 2, page 35, for lessons on taking and using photos). This makes finding their devices easy for all students—non-readers included.

In the rest of this section, we cover storing and securing devices, choosing apps for devices, and teaching students to responsibly use their devices.

Storing and Securing Devices

Once you have the devices in your classroom, the question becomes, How will we store them at school for easy access? And, if they go home, What process do we have for that? If the devices remain in the classroom, then charging devices creates a challenge due to the need to plug them all in. One solution is to use portable carts with charging and security options, but these quickly become expensive. Some other ideas for device storage include charging bins, milk crates, and shelves. You can use Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) as a great source of inspiration for storage ideas if you have not reached a solution. If you need to secure school-owned devices during the day or overnight, have a plan for that too. For example, have a secure location that lets you both charge devices and keep them locked up. Many districts that do not send the devices home have storage carts that, when plugged in, charge student devices.

If students take school-owned devices home, make sure you have a checkout system in place. For example, numbering devices and assigning them to each child often simplify checkout for K–2 students. You can also use a simple pocket chart to organize which school-owned devices go home with each student.

In addition to securing the physical devices, you also need to consider how to secure devices against malicious or inappropriate content. If your classroom uses school-owned devices, your technology should already have uniform security settings the school prefers. For example, one of the great things about using Chromebooks in the classroom is the district typically handles device management. Google has management software it can customize by turning specific features on or off. You just need to make sure you charge the Chromebooks, and then students log in with their school-provided Google accounts.

However, if you must oversee security settings, you should familiarize yourself with the options available to you and consult with your technology department on how to change settings to keep inappropriate content off school-owned devices. If you are in a school in which students bring their own devices (BYOD), consider creating a list of recommended apps and settings that you can share with parents. You should also ensure you’re aware of various student-friendly versions of common resources. For example, using Safe YouTube (http://safeyoutube.net) allows you to filter YouTube (www.youtube.com) in a way that will keep inappropriate content away from students. Student-friendly search engines such as KidRex (www.kidrex.org) can also help keep your students safe online.

Choosing Apps

Once you have done what you can to solidify devices’ safety features, you need to choose some apps or programs appropriate for student use. Each district handles the app-selection process a bit differently. Sometimes individual teachers choose the apps for students to use, sometimes selections come from grade-level committees, or instructional tech departments might have a hand in this process. To the extent that you have input, select a handful of apps associated with your lesson plans, either district-provided applications or ones we recommend throughout this book. Starting with those few apps, organize apps on the devices to make the optimal impact, and then stick to them throughout the school year. If you are working in a BYOD environment, you can ask the parents to set up the devices with the apps you or your school selected. Regardless, helping K–2 students keep their devices organized means ensuring you or parents nicely arrange apps on the home screen or quick launch bar. On a laptop, using shortcuts on the desktop screen or on the task bar makes frequently used applications easy to access. Students need to see the apps that they should use without feeling overloaded with excess options.

TECH TIP

On Apple devices, you can disable the Safari web browser (www.apple.com/safari) and require students to use only the apps you provide on the devices, such as a student-friendly search engine app.

Additionally, when planning which apps and programs to include, always remember content comes first. Ruben Puentedura’s (2012) substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition (SAMR) model helps teachers design content-based lessons that use technology to enhance those lessons. The SAMR model framework (see figure 1.1) helps teachers talk about the sophistication of technology use in the classroom.

TECH TIP

Consider using folders to organize apps or tools by topic on a device. In Kirstin’s iPad-driven classroom, for example, she has students put often-used apps on the dock at the bottom of the home screen. They organize any additional apps into labeled folders. If your students use Chromebooks, there are no additional apps for you to organize because everything is organized within G Suite for Education as an add on or a browser extension.

As an example of using this model, students practicing letter formation may visit multiple independent learning centers that you set up around your classroom, such as a sand-tracing center, a pencil-tracing center, a letter-matching center, and a technology center that has a letter-tracing app. The content is learning letters, and the activities allow students to learn letters through a variety of modalities. The SAMR model helps teachers scaffold lessons from simple substitution to redefinition. You can find more information about the SAMR model on our blog (http://nowclassrooms.com/samr-model).

Source: Adapted from Puentedura, 2014.

Figure 1.1: The SAMR model.

Teaching Device Responsibility

By now, you have done most of the behind-the-scenes setup, and you can start introducing iPads, Chromebooks, laptops, or other tablets to your students. We like to start with a whole-class meeting about responsibility. Chances are most students have played with a smartphone, tablet, or computer and can use their background knowledge to fill out an anchor chart on how to responsibly use the device, like the one in figure 1.2 (page 20).

For K–2 students, use visuals, and make the key points simple—you can modify this example to fit your classroom or add to the chart later. Hang the anchor chart up in a prominent place in your room, and review it daily early on in your implementation. Don’t forget to praise those students you see following the chart.

Figure 1.2: Sample anchor chart for using iPads responsibly.

Although we present multiple options in this chapter, each district, school, and classroom tackles device management in a different way, so don’t obsess too much about it. Instead, find solutions that will work in your classroom for you. Students’ abilities will change throughout the year, as will your expectations of them.

TEACHING TIP

Have your students take a picture of the device responsibility anchor chart to keep and use as a resource on their devices.

Learning Basic Operations and Troubleshooting

Students become independent when they work with digital devices as tools and can troubleshoot with peers to become technology literate and technology fluent. The NOW lessons in this section focus on equipping K–2 students with device basics, like learning basic keyboarding and navigation, asking for help to solve problems, and solving problems without help. These lessons require repetition for students to become proficient.

Novice: Using Basic Keyboarding and Touch-Screen Navigation

Learning how to properly use a keyboard, whether with an on-screen or physical keyboard, is important to success with technology, and this lesson provides separate processes for each scenario. This lesson introduces students to the keyboard by having them practice finding keys on a paper keyboard as a whole group, individually, or in learning centers. By practicing on paper, as shown in figure 1.3, students become familiar with the keyboard layout and will have an easy transition to using an actual keyboard.

Learning goal:

I can use basic keyboarding and touch-screen navigation.

Figure 1.3: Sample keyboard anchor chart.

This lesson also introduces websites that help students with basic keyboarding practice. Some web resources you can use include ABCya keyboarding practice (www.abcya.com/keyboarding_practice.htm), Big Brown Bear keyboarding (www.bigbrownbear.co.uk/keyboard/index.htm), and the TypingClub Chrome extension (search the Google Chrome Web Store at www.google.com/chrome/webstore). Keep practicing this novice lesson with students for two to three weeks.

If students use devices with touch screens (such as tablets), you will also need to teach students how to use the touch feature on these devices. You may have your students use their finger or a stylus. For the Using a Touch Screen process, you can install and use any mathematics or literacy app with manipulative tiles, such as ABC Magnetic Alphabet, 10 Frame Fill, Writing Wizard, iWriteWords, Tangram Free, or Schoolkit Math. (Search your device’s app store for these apps.)

Process: Using a Keyboard

Use the following five steps to help students become familiar with key locations on a keyboard.

1. With input from students, create a large class keyboard on chart paper.

2. Each day during the classroom’s morning meeting, or another selected daily time, help students practice finding letter keys on the paper keyboard by pointing 1–1 (one finger to each letter), matching those keys with corresponding flash cards, or sticking corresponding sticky notes on the chart.

3. During the practice period, give students individual blank keyboard practice papers, like figure 1.4. Continue the practice period at your own discretion based on students’ learning and comfort levels when locating letters on the keyboard.

4. Have students play a game of search and find with their individual blank paper keyboards. Hold up a letter or number card and, when students find the letter or number on their paper keyboard, have them color in the key. You can extend this activity by calling out letters they should search for, pointing to letters in sequence, or showing pictures of objects or animals while students find the corresponding letter sound on their paper keyboards. For example, if you hold up a picture of a cat, students should color in the C on the paper keyboard.

5. Have students practice their keyboarding individually or in learning centers using the websites we listed for this topic.

Figure 1.4: Blank keyboard for students.

Process: Using a Touch Screen

Use the following eight steps to introduce students to operating a touch-screen device. (We based these instructions on the ABC Magnetic Alphabet app, but you can substitute your own preferred app that has manipulative tiles.)

1. Select the app you plan to have students use for this lesson, and ensure each student’s device has it installed and ready to use.

2. In a small group, gather students with their devices.

3. Discuss with students that when they use their device, their finger becomes a tool. Students must make sure their hands are clean and ready.

4. Model that their finger should not tap the device too hard, but rather should move slowly and steadily. If they press too often or for too long, they could confuse the device.

5. Tell students to locate the app on the device’s home screen and tap it once to open it. You can use your own device to model this process.

6. In the app, model for students how to move letters and create words. In the Magic Letters app, for example, drag letter tiles from the bottom of the screen to the middle of the screen. Show them that they can use these letters to spell their name, sight words, or sentences.

7. Have students drag letter tiles using their finger or a stylus to make their name.

8. When students have finished, give them five minutes to explore other functions of the app as you observe how each student works. For example, most apps in this class have games and other activities to practice with that exist outside this lesson’s scope; let the students explore these activities and report back to the class what they discovered.

TEACHING TIP

Students love knowing when they do a good job. Take some pictures of hardworking students completing this process, and create a screensaver of the pictures on your computer or device that helps students take pride in their work. Or, print out these pictures, and display them on a bulletin board.

Connections

You can apply this lesson to different content areas in the following ways.

• English language arts: Have students color in their name on their paper keyboards and then have them type their name on a computer or tablet keyboard.

• Mathematics: Have students color the numbers 0–9 on their paper keyboards and then have them type numbers in a sequence using the keyboard on their computer or tablet.

Learning goal:

I can discuss technology glitches with peers to solve a problem.

Operational: Seeking Help From Peers to Solve a Technology Problem

Students at this age are often just learning that electronic devices don’t always work the way they’re supposed to, and it’s important to arm them with knowledge that can keep the classroom learning experience on track. For this lesson, introduce students to the technology word glitch, and instruct them on how to troubleshoot a problem with the help of peers. Some common device glitches include charging problems, a frozen device or app, and password problems. Additionally, working with a peer to problem solve helps students gain collaboration skills, which will transfer into independent troubleshooting and a variety of academic learning activities.

Because the purpose of this lesson is to lay the foundation for independent problem solving when working with digital devices, it helps to introduce students to some common troubleshooting techniques ahead of time. For instance, students should know how to:

• Recognize universal technology symbols and language (camera, trash, share, record, settings, text, close, type, voice, and so on)

• Manually close stuck apps

• Shut down and restart devices when they freeze or another glitch arises

• Plug and unplug devices to charge them

• Respond if an alert pops up (Students should always ask you before pressing anything that unexpectedly appears on their screen.)

With this information, students already have an excellent foundation for working together to solve common problems.

Process: Solving a Technology Problem

Use the following four steps to teach students how to work together to identify and solve basic problems they may encounter with their devices.

1. Create an anchor chart, like figure 1.5 (page 26), to discuss with students a glitch or problem that may come up when using classroom technology.

2. Discuss with the class what students can do to solve the problem.

3. Ask students to work together and use the anchor chart as glitches arise on their devices. If they can solve a problem, have them discuss the problem and how they solved it with the class.

4. When students face a problem they can’t solve together, have them discuss it with you, and make it a teachable moment for the class that you can then add to the anchor chart.

Connections

You can apply this lesson to different content areas in the following ways.

• English language arts: Have partners clarify and discuss what a glitch is and give personal examples of glitches they have encountered while using different types of technology. Work with their examples to build a new anchor chart that addresses problems they experienced.

• Mathematics: Partners work with their device’s calculator app to practice doing simple mathematics problems and then pressing the C button to clear the previous problem before moving on. Students should talk together and problem solve how to reset the calculator if it does not clear properly or if a glitch appears.

Figure 1.5: Sample anchor chart to help students solve a glitch on a device.

Wow: Solving Technology Problems With Tech-Sperts

In this lesson, students will extend their existing learning by becoming tech-sperts—technology experts at a specialized task. Using tech-sperts in the classroom is a management strategy that helps students collaborate to solve technology problems. In this way, students learn to take over responsibility for solving problems so you, as their teacher, can focus on instruction. To that end, you will facilitate a discussion on what it means to become a tech-spert and explain that your classroom will assign student tech-sperts to help peers solve problems with specific apps or devices. The purpose of this lesson is for students to independently identify how to solve a problem or when to seek additional help with technology.

Learning goal:

I can become a classroom tech-spert at a specific task, and I know who other classroom tech-sperts are that I can talk to so I can problem solve a technology glitch.

Process: Nominating Tech-Sperts

Use the following three steps to guide students through the process of becoming experts in a technological process and then nominate students as tech-sperts for individual tasks.

1. Lead a class discussion on what expert means. Then, with your class, define the term tech-spert as a technology expert. Explain to students that they will each become a tech-spert with an application, a program, or at taking care of devices.

2. Through observation and notetaking, evaluate students’ fluency with using specific applications or device features in your classroom. As you identify individual student strengths, solicit volunteers who can answer questions about specific apps or glitches, and nominate them as tech-sperts for their area of expertise.

3. Create and share a tech-spert anchor chart, like figure 1.6 (page 28), with your class so students know whom to go to when glitches or questions arise. Continue to monitor student abilities throughout the year and update your anchor chart as students gain proficiency in a variety of applications.

Connections

You can apply this lesson to different content areas in the following ways.

• English language arts: Have partners work together to discuss advanced features of different apps and websites that you use in the classroom that are related to language instruction. Through classroom discussion, identify which students best understand a given app or website and nominate them as classroom tech-sperts.

• Mathematics: Have classroom tech-sperts demonstrate how to use a mathematics app related to classroom instruction. Make them available to other students to answer any questions they have when trying to use the app.

Figure 1.6: Sample anchor chart for identifying tech-sperts.

Introducing LMS Features to Students