As a working technology teacher, I get hundreds of questions from parents about their home computers, how to do stuff, how to solve problems. I’ll share these with you. They’re always brief and always focused. Enjoy!

Q: I’m afraid of getting slammed with viruses, malware, all that bad stuff that comes with visiting the internet. What can I do?

A: If you take reasonable precautions, the chances of being hit are minimized. Here’s what I do: (more…)

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: 8 Tips to Teach Tomorrow’s Students

Tomorrow’s student is no longer a passive observer of his/her educational journey, expecting a teacher to impart knowledge that will shape his/her future. Tomorrow’s student takes charge of their learning, sifts through available options and selects what works for them, spirals up or down when required, asks for scaffolding when it’s lacking, accepts accountability for their progress as a stakeholder in the process, adapts to change as needed. They look for rigor in their learning environment and rise to the challenge when required.

Here’s a poster with 8 unique tips for teaching tomorrow’s students:

Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.

What’s your favorite tech tip in your classroom? Share it in the comments below.

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As a working technology teacher, I get hundreds of questions from parents about their home computers, how to do stuff, how to solve problems. Each Tuesday, I’ll share one of those with you. They’re always brief and always focused. Enjoy!

Q: My screen is sideways 90 degrees. How do I fix that?

A: If you ever needed this, you’re going to be blessing me. If you’ve never faced that off-kilter screen, you’re going to wonder why I’d post this tip.

Of course, I’ve faced it–I run a tech lab and there are always those pesky prodigies who want to outsmart me. They know if they push Ctrl+Alt+(down arrow), it’ll turn the screen upside down. The first time it happened, I was at a loss. That’s when a different pesky prodigy told me how to fix it:

Ctrl+Alt+(up arrow)

I used it at least once a month when I was in the classroom.

Note: This is a reprint of an earlier tip. I left the comments because they may be helpful to readers. (more…)

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. These tips are quick, short. If you’d like more, search the blog for more details, or add a question in the comments.

Today’s tip: 7 Ways to Use Social Media for Professional Development

1. Keep your social media streams pure.
2. Don’t mix personal and professional.
3. Always answer visitors.
4. Keep your lights on—add new content daily or weekly.
5. Keep entries short.
6. Include pictures.
7. Keep your profile up-to-date.

For more detail: Visit “7 Tips for Using Social Media for PD” on Ask a Tech Teacher.

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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.

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If you’re the tech teacher, this is a must. If you’re a classroom teacher trying to infuse your class with technology, here are ten steps to help you geek out:

Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.

What’s your favorite tech tip in your classroom? Share it in the comments below.

(more…)

As a working technology teacher, I get hundreds of questions from parents about their home computers, how to do stuff, how to solve problems. I share those with you. They’re always brief and always focused. Enjoy!

Q: My taskbar disappeared. What do I do?

A: Push the flying windows key (it’s located between Ctrl and Alt on the bottom left of your keyboard). That brings up the start button

Need more?

Windows 11

• Step 1: Check Taskbar Settings to see if the taskbar is set to auto-hide.

Open Settings by pressing “Windows + I” on your keyboard. Navigate to “Personalization” and then click on “Taskbar.” Ensure the “Automatically hide the taskbar” option is turned off. 

• Step 2: Restart Windows

Press “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” to open Task Manager. Look for “Windows Explorer” in the list, click on it, and then click “Restart” at the bottom right. This action will refresh the taskbar, bringing it back if it was unresponsive.

Windows 10

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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 

Q: When tech gets difficult, my students stop trying. What do I do?

A: After well over a decade of teaching K-12, I know kids will try harder if it’s fun. The challenge for us teachers: How to make a multi-step skill that they may rarely use ‘fun’.

The answer is keyboard shortcuts–aka shortkeys. My students love them. I start in kindergarten with easy ones–like Alt+F4 to exit a program–and build each year. Throw in a few quirky ones and you’ve won their hearts and minds. Here’s a starter list:

Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.

What’s your favorite tech tip in your classroom? Share it in the comments below.

(more…)

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: 7 Netiquette Tips

Category: Internet

Sub-category: MS Office, Keyboarding

Q: What are the most important netiquette tips for students when using the Internet?

A: Here’s a poster:

Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.

#digcit

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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: Basics in Every Lesson Plan

Here are four skills to be included and reinforced in every lesson plan. Don’t teach them! Blend them into your core lessons, as part of the workflow. Include them as you do when you teach reading (in non-reading classes), using a pencil, and handwriting:

• Keyboarding
• Digital citizenship
• Vocabulary
• Problem solving

For the other two, watch this video:

–summarized by NoteGPT

Summary

In this informative video, Jacqui Murray discusses effective technology integration in K-8 classrooms, highlighting the current supportive landscape for using technology in education. Murray emphasizes that this is an ideal time to be involved in teaching technology, whether or not one considers themselves a tech expert. The discussion begins with an introduction to Murray’s extensive experience in education, focusing on technology’s role in lesson delivery and integration into the curriculum. She introduces six key topics or “strands” that are essential for creating engaging lessons that reflect modern educational standards, blending subjects together rather than treating them in isolation.

The six strands include digital citizenship, keyboarding skills, problem-solving, research skills, vocabulary expansion, and publishing and sharing. For each topic, Murray offers practical strategies for teaching and integrating them into existing lesson plans. She talks about how to establish a foundation of digital citizenship by making students aware of online safety and etiquette from early grades. Murray discusses the necessity of keyboarding skills in today’s tech-driven world and how to incorporate them seamlessly into instruction.

Murray further explores the importance of problem-solving skills, encouraging students to troubleshoot and find solutions independently. She emphasizes safe and effective research tactics, urging students to critically evaluate sources. Expanding vocabulary through digital tools is highlighted, as is the critical element of sharing and publishing student work for collective learning and empowerment. Ultimately, Murray encourages teachers to view these strands as a cohesive framework that enhances learning and prepares students for future academic challenges.

Highlights

• 🎓 The importance of blending subjects to create cohesive lessons that reflect modern educational standards.
• 💻 Digital citizenship is essential from an early age, requiring ongoing discussions about online safety and etiquette.
• ⌨️ Keyboarding skills should be integrated into lessons, enhancing students’ competency with technology.
• 🛠️ Problem-solving skills transform students into independent learners who can troubleshoot tech issues.
• 🔍 Research skills empower students to critically evaluate sources, making them more informed consumers of information.
• 📚 Vocabulary expansion is essential in education, encouraging students to actively engage with words and definitions.
• 🔗 Publishing and sharing student work creates a sense of community and enhances collaborative learning.

Key Insights

• 🌐 Digital Citizenship is Essential: Murray highlights that it’s crucial to integrate discussions about digital citizenship into lessons at every grade level. This approach trains students to navigate the online world safely and responsibly, emphasizing that education about digital behavior is continuous and should evolve as students progress in their understanding of technology.
• 💡 The Role of Keyboarding Skills: Teaching keyboarding isn’t merely an added layer; it’s essential for enhancing classroom efficiency. By embedding keyboarding education into daily lessons, teachers equip students with necessary tools for success across subjects. This practice fosters dexterity that will serve students well in their digital interactions, allowing them to focus more on the content rather than the act of typing.
• 🔄 Encouraging Problem-Solving: Murray’s emphasis on fostering problem-solving abilities reflects a shift toward student autonomy in learning. By guiding students to find solutions independently, teachers streamline classroom management and empower students to take control of their learning experiences, ultimately making the educational process more dynamic.
• 🔍 Effective Research Skills: Educators must emphasize the importance of teaching students how to ascertain reliable information online. By preparing them to discern reputable sources from biased or misleading content, students become not only consumers of knowledge but also critical thinkers capable of navigating the complexities of information on the internet.
• 📖 Vocabulary Matters: The intentional teaching of vocabulary through multiple mediums can enhance comprehension and engagement. Murray suggests that using technology to aid vocabulary acquisition allows students to seek definitions and gain deeper understanding dynamically, rather than superficially glossing over complex content.
• 🌐 Collaborative Learning Through Sharing: Emphasizing the importance of publishing and sharing work transforms how students interact with their learning. In fostering an environment where students contribute to a collective body of knowledge not only democratizes learning but also leverages peer feedback for continuous growth, helping students to learn from one another.
• 🤝 Integration Across Subjects: Murray’s call for the integration of the six strands across disciplines underlines education’s interconnectedness. Teachers should consider these elements as intertwined rather than isolated, optimizing educational outcomes by enhancing student engagement and contextual understanding across subjects.

To finish up, read this article:

“What is the 21^st Century lesson plan”

Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.

What’s your favorite tech tip in your classroom? Share it in the comments below.

(more…)

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: How Twitter improves learning

Here are 11 ways X/Twitter improves education:

1. Students learn to be focused.
2. Students learn to share.
3. Writing short messages perfects “headlining”.
4. Tweets are written knowing tweeple @reply.
5. #Hashtags develop community.
6. Students learn tolerance for all opinions.
7. It breaks down barriers to talking to other people.
8. Students are engaged.
9. Twitter acts as the class notepad.
10. Twitter is always open.
11. Twitter isn’t intimidating.

A note: Before using X, get the buy-in of involved parties such as administration and parents. You don’t want them surprised by what they might think of as a tool for socializing rather than teaching.

Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.

What’s your favorite tech tip in your classroom? Share it in the comments below.

(more…)