Practical Teaching Stratergies

Background references
http://learningforlife.fsu.edu/ctl/explore/bestPractices/docs/teachingwithlaptops.pdf
http://www.premier.nsw.gov.au/Newsroom/Articles/2009/April/090401_The_digital_education_revolution_is_here.html


This document cover classroom management strategies to get students on task, keep them focused and transition in a Laptop Environment.

Let me paint a typical scenario for Year 9.
- 30 Students
- 2 Students report at the start of class they have lost their laptops.
- Students talk on entry to class, squable over power points.
- 2 Students report their laptops have failed to work
- After 5 minutes 24 students are on Moodle - 2 Report their password does not work
- For homework 4 students report that the website given did not work.

Students will test out the Laptop system to take the initative, and hobble the teaching momentum.

With this realistic image of a classroom fresh in you mind let's look at basic whole of school policies.

1. 8:45 at the start of the school day, if a student does not have the Laptop he/she fills in an online form on a schools computer or friends laptop. This is automatically appended to their records, school records, emailed to parents, updated to teacher's electronic rolls. The student will have a profile assigned to them if necessary to be managed.

Importantly: School ICT systems have to manage online forms etc.

2. For homework, students work throught Moodle, this gives Data Logs of their activity. Students will claim that a certain website does not work. They need to email you a sequence of screen grabs, - the browser looking at the page that does not work and an agreed page that does work, showing infact that it is purely the page.

Importantly: The school needs a functioning Moodle. In the case of Epping Boys High this is administered through Maquarie University. The students need to sign a E Learning protocol so that if the try passive resistance a process addresses to seal off red herrings.

3. Students come in and sit to a seating plan. Initally, called into the class one at a time and sat down. The class is equipped with 5 - 10 power banks. These are portable emergency external power supplies. At approximately $100 each
http://www.bigboxstore.com/super-power-bank-for-laptops-battery-capacity-3-7v-20000-mah.html
Importantly they learn to keep a workbook Log of their computer activities. Thus the students 1. Come in switch on
2. Open Workbook - note date, and lesson topic.
3. Input password

4. Students are working, Teacher instructs "Rest Laptops" Students are given 20 Seconds to save and lower screens to 30 degrees. Students continuing to work are told "Rest Position". If they continue to work on their laptops, as part of misbehaviour they are asked to present take their laptop to the Head Teacher. Continued disobediance and a student is asked to fetch the vice principal, and a reflection process is initated even if the student then complies.

Important: This "Rest Laptops" is read over from military weapons training. Basically in a weapons lesson, while the student is being instructed the weapon is in the safe position on the ground.

5. Teachers need to keep Classblogs that are also imbedded in the Moodle. Students need to keep lessons notes under their profile section of Moodle along with Blogs from moodle. Their personal notes should be kept with OneNote.

6. Wireless cameras, or usb web cams can allow the student to broad cast to the IWB their key strokes.

7. Traditional written skills need to be maintained through a new system of:
1. Web cam to IWB of teachers sample
2. Class copy on A4
3. Scan on School's Photocopier to Scan Dump
4. Teacher access to Scan Dump PDF and marking
5. Publish to Moodle

8.http://www.simplywireless.com.au/home.htm