Category: Classroom management
169 Tech Tip #120–Why Use Airplane Mode
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.
Today’s tip: #120–Why Use Airplane Mode
Category: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Sub-category: Hardware, Internet
Q: Why would I use airplane mode when I’m not flying?
A: Airplane mode stops your phone from searching for an internet connection. If you don’t use it on a long flight, you’ll find your battery drained by the time you land because your phone ran through its power searching constantly for a signal that didn’t exist. If you know you aren’t using the internet for a period of time, switch your phone to airplane mode.
169 Tech Tip #119–What to do when Computers are Down?
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.
Today’s tip: #119–What to do when Computers are Down?
Category: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Sub-category: Problem-solving, teaching
Here are six suggestions:
- discuss digital citizenship
- build a digital citizen
- review computer hardware
- assess student knowledge with a blank keyboard quiz
- play Tech Challenge
- play a tech-themed Jeopardy
169 Tech Tip #117–How to Use an Internet Start Page
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.
Today’s tip: #117–How to Use an Internet Start Page
Category: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Sub-category: Internet, Search/Research
Q: My students get distracted when they go on the internet by all the ads, bling, and websites that are not age-appropriate. What do I do?
When students open the internet, it should kick start their browsing experience, not leave them searching for a bookmark. As a teacher, you make this happen with what’s called an internet start page. It’s also your first line of defense in protecting students from the inherent dangers of using the internet because it focuses them on safe, age-appropriate sites that you have personally approved.
169 Tech Tip #116–How to Take Screenshots
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.
Today’s tip: #116–How to Take Screenshots
Category: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Sub-category: Keyboarding, PC, Mac, iPad, Chromebook
Here are the screenshot shortkeys for five platforms:
- Windows: a tool included in Windows called the Snipping Tool
- Chromebooks: Ctrl+Window Switcher key
- Mac: Command Shift 3 for a full screenshot; Command Shift 4 for a partial screenshot
- Surface tablet: hold down volume and Windowsbutton
- iPad: hold Home button and power button simultaneously
There are also screenshot programs you can download like Jing and Printkey (the latter uses your keyboard’s Print Scr key) or use from your browser (like Nimbus or Snagit). Each has a different selection of annotation tools. You may find this works better for your needs.
169 Tech Tip #115–Three-click Rule
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.
Today’s tip: #115–Three-click Rule
Category: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Sub-category: Teaching
Q: Some websites require so many clicks, I get lost. What’s with that?
A: I hadn’t put a lot of thought to this until I read a discussion on a teacher forum about the oft-followed 3-click rule made popular by Web designer Jeffrey Zeldman in his book, Taking Your Talent to the Web. This claims that no piece of content should ever be more than three clicks away from the main page.
This applies to teaching tech to students, also. During my fifteen years of teaching tech, I discovered if I keep the geeky stuff to a max of three steps, students remember it, embrace it, and use it. More than three steps, I hear the sound of eyes glazing over.
169 Tech Tip #80–17 Ways to Add Tech without Adding Time
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.
Today’s tip: #80–17 Ways to Add Tech without Adding Time
Category: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Sub-category: Teaching, Writing
Let’s start with seven ways to blend technology into your everyday teaching:
- Include digital ebooks in your class library.
- Include online libraries with student resources.
- Expect digital class presentations to include video, audio, music, or a mixture of digital tools.
- Encourage students to tape class presentations to replay later and/or study from.
- Allow students to join the class virtually–through Skype or Google Hangouts–in emergencies.
- Make research tools like dictionaries and thesauri accessible from all digital devices.
- Empower students to solve common tech problems.
Then, add these next ten to redefine your classroom:
169 Tech Tip #74–What’s My IP Address
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.
Today’s tip: #74–What’s My IP Address?
Category: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Sub-category: Security, Internet
Q: I need my computer’s IP address, but I don’t know where to find it. Help!
A: Let’s start with why you might need your IP address. Here are a few reasons:
- Your Web hosting company needs it to troubleshoot your internet connection or an email problem.
- You fear your computer has been hacked so want to know where it last was accessed.
- You need to link your printer (or another digital device) to your computer.
- You need to verify legitimacy for an online company you work with.
There are lots of places online that provide your IP address for free. Here’s one: My IP Address.com.
169 Tech Tip #60-How to Add Shortcuts to the Desktop
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.
Today’s tip #60–How to Add Shortcuts to the Desktop
Category: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Sub-category: PCs, Chromebooks
Q: How do I create a shortcut on my desktop so I can find programs easier?
A: On PCs, there are two ways to do that
- click the icon on the start button and drag and drop it to the desktop, OR
- right click the icon on ‘all programs’ (click start button; select ‘all programs’) and select ‘send to’, then ‘desktop (create shortcut)’
This is a great tool for students so they can easily access the programs they use most often. If students are in fourth grade or up, let them do this themselves. They’ll feel empowered and they’ll add shortcuts you didn’t consider.
169 Tech Tip #15–Save Early Save Often
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to today’s tech-infused education.
Today’s tip #15–Save Early Save Often
Category: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Sub-category: Keyboarding, Problem-solving
Q: My computer crashes often. How do I keep from losing my work unexpectedly?
A: Saving is easier than you think. I know–you think it is easy, so what’s the deal? Have you ever lost your work because… it just disappeared–maybe a power surge, maybe you pressed the wrong button. Who knows, but hours of work evaporated. Encourage students to make it a habit to save every ten minutes.
Here’s what you do:
15 Good Replacements for ScreenChomp
For years, TechSmith’s ScreenChomp app has been my go-to resource for whiteboard drawings, screencasts, and for an uncluttered online art platform for students using iPads. ScreenChomp did a masterful job of making everything needed for each of these activities intuitive even for young users. For older students, ScreenChomp made it easy to provide personalized feedback by writing or recording comments directly onto their digital work and then sharing it back to them.
There are more uses, but none of them matter right now because ScreenChomp has been retired. According to TechSmith, it no longer fits their larger business goals. I’m not here to judge those; what matters for teachers is that we must now fill the hole left by the loss of ScreenChomp. Like Kerpoof, thousands of educators are scrambling to replace a fundamental tool that was to be an integral part of their 2016-17 lesson plans.
Let me help you with that. Here are options for the most common four activities (art, picture annotation, screencast, and whiteboard) you probably used ScreenChomp for. Since it was an iPad app, I’ve limited the replacement options to that platform:
Art
Create a drawing by fingerpainting, adding stamps, and inserting text. You can even connect with a friend to draw together over the Internet. Price: Free
