• Blog
    • Archives
  • Training Materials
    • E-Courses
    • Quote Colouring Pages
    • Mindfulness Colouring
    • Technology Integration
    • Character Education
    • Exit Tickets
  • Teaching Resources
  • Freebies
  • Podcast
    • Podcast Episodes
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Reviews
  Teachers Resource Force

Teachers Resource Force
​The Blog

4 ways to keep students on task and responsible in a digital classroom

26/7/2017

0 Comments

 
This past school year, my school went all "Google" and so I have been exploring the new opportunities that has brought to my classroom as well as how I can help you get comfortable going digital too!

I recently asked "Team Resource Force" (my lovely email subscribers!) what some of the barriers to going digital were, and there were an overwhelming number of you who said you had fears of students being off-task or being irresponsible online during lessons. A valid point! So I have been doing some thinking and I have come up with a range of ideas for how you can encourage responsibility and keep students on task when going digital in your classroom.
4 ways to keep students on task and responsible in a digital classroom @resourceforce
1) Start at home:
If you're new to going digital in your classroom and want to ease things in slowly and let them get the novelty out of their system a bit, then why not start with digital homework? You can give students a Google Slides resource or Google Form for example, and ask students to complete the activity at home. If you have Google Classroom set up (I highly recommend it!) then your students can submit their work to your classroom at any time and you can then check and grade it all remotely! It does eliminate all those creative "no homework" excuses though! Bummer...
2) Keep things engaging:
Although technology can definitely be a distraction for students, I've found that generally if they're kept fully engaged in an activity, the chances of them wandering off task are definitely reduced! Give them engaging activities to be completing and also try setting strict time limits during the lesson to maintain the pace so they don't have time to be messing about! If you want to try it out with something small first, give your students a digital exit ticket to complete at the end of the lesson on their phones, for example. You can inform them that it's their ticket out of the door so only students who complete it and submit it on Google Classroom are able to leave the lesson - no time for messing about and a clear incentive to get it done without being distracted!
3) Let them get it out of their system:
You know your students best so you might decide to give them the benefit of the doubt first and see how they get on, or if you think your students are very likely to take advantage, it might be worth doing a quick lesson on expectations first. Now, I think my students are generally pretty good, but when we first got on Google Classroom, the chat feature was extremely novel to them and they went a bit crazy writing to each other (while they were in the same room - don't ask...). It was harmless really. It started with someone writing "Hello", then someone followed with "it's me" and then it ended up with people taking it in turns to quote Adele's lyrics...! I decided to just let them get it out of their system until they got bored (which they did pretty quickly!). I did have one group with some members who were a little less mature and so for one or two individuals in that group, I just ended up muting them and they soon got the message! I un-muted them a week later and they didn't even notice as the novelty had well and truly worn off by then, ha! I chose to not do the heavy "lecture" with my students and just let them get it all out, and that worked. If you feel your students are still being irresponsible, then maybe a class discussion of expectations is in order first and a reminder that this technology is a privilege, not a right! If you're looking for some Technology rules prompts to spark discussions and use as classroom posters, check these out!
Technology Rules Poster for Secondary School
Technology Rules Poster for Secondary School
4) Block and watch:
If all else fails, your school / district might be able to block certain websites or even keywords using school devices or WiFi. You might also benefit from software like this that allows you to view your students' screens: this is a big deterrent as you can catch them in the act and record it as evidence, then issue any sanctions you see fit.

I hope that is helpful and gives you some ideas and confidence to get started with digital learning in your classroom!
Thanks for reading this post :) If you found this valuable, leave a comment below or share it out!
Technology is a wonderful tool to use in the classroom and is important in ensuring our students are well-prepared for the world they are going into. Technology and the internet are powerful weapons however, and our students need to learn how to use these responsibly: after all, with great power comes great responsibility!


How would you handle this situation in your classroom? Leave a comment below!
Picture
0 Comments

4 easy ways to go digital in your classroom when you don't have much technology!

2/7/2017

0 Comments

 
Over the past few years I have been taking steps to make my classroom more digital and integrate modern technology, however it has been a challenge as I moved to a new school which wasn't very tech savvy or well-equipped. So, I've really had to get creative in not only how to bring technology to my own classroom, but in how I could help my "tech-phobic" team of veteran teachers gently embrace more digital learning too!


As teachers, we are generally known for having a love of all things paper and stationery! However, we are teaching a generation of students who are growing up in a technological world which we cannot ignore. By teaching them using the media they are familiar with, we will benefit their learning greatly and help prepare them for the world of work they will be entering.


Yes, it can be a challenge to go digital, especially if you've been teaching for a while and have always done well the "old school" way. Furthermore, sometimes the lack of technology available to you can feel like a barrier in integrating technology, but it doesn't have to be that way!


If you are wanting to start embracing technology but don't know where to start or going completely paperless scares you, then this will give you some easy ways to begin. You don't need to be a 1:1 school to start embracing technology and including digital learning in your classroom.

​
By making an effort to integrate technology in our students' learning, we can find ways to increase engagement, different learning and help better prepare our students for their future lives in the workforce!
4 easy ways to go digital in your classroom when you don't have much technology! | www.teachersresourceforce.com
Sadly, many of us are in situations in our schools where we're suffering with serious budget cuts or students not treating existing resources with respect, which can make bringing more technology in classrooms really challenging. Therefore, I would like to share with you some ideas for going digital in your classroom even with limited technology available:
  • Set up a Google Classroom or make use of Google Drive / One Drive / Drop Box to share digital resources with your students. This year, I have managed to reduce the amount of printing I need to do as some resources I was able to keep as digital versions for students to complete on a computer. We're not 1:1 in my school, but I am able to book out an IT room or set some tasks to be completed at home.
  • Speaking of home, you can also set homework to be completed online or on a Google doc for example. If you use Google Classroom / Canvas or online storage solutions such as Google Drive / Drop Box, students can then easily share their work with you. No more "the dog ate my homework" excuses at least! ;)
  • Make use of your interactive whiteboard ​if you have one! Even a projector is fine really, the idea is to use technology to aid students' learning so if you are able to show something on screen or have students come up to the front and physically interact with technology then that's great.
  • If your school permits is, adopt a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) where students can use their own phones to complete tasks, which effectively makes you a 1:1 classroom!
If you're stuck for ideas of how to do this or want some to get you started, check out the following digital resources that can be used for any subject:
Picture
Picture

​Both of these units are forms of exit ticket activities that can be completed using technology. With the emoji exit tickets, students can type straight onto the document and share it with you so you can immediately see their level of understanding (plus it is so wonderful not having to deal with loads of paper!). The one on the right is an interactive exit activity where students click on a number which will reveal an activity they have to do in class - no need to share any resources with this one! 


If you're looking for somewhere to start you off gently, I recommend trying one or both of these out at first, and as your confidence builds you can explore more ways to integrate technology in your classroom.


Keep checking back as I'll be sharing more ideas with you for how to embrace technology in your classroom soon!
Thanks for reading this post :) If you found this valuable, leave a comment below or share it out!
This generation of students that we're teaching are extremely tech savvy - we need to be reaching them on a level they can relate to in order to not only engage them in lessons, but also ensure they are better prepared for this rapidly growing technological society they will soon be the adults of!


What are some of your fears with integrating technology in your classroom? Leave a comment below!
​

Picture
0 Comments

    This section will not be visible in live published website. Below are your current settings:


    Current Number Of Columns are = 1

    Expand Posts Area =

    Gap/Space Between Posts = 15px

    Blog Post Style = card

    Use of custom card colors instead of default colors =

    Blog Post Card Background Color = current color

    Blog Post Card Shadow Color = current color

    Blog Post Card Border Color = current color

    Publish the website and visit your blog page to see the results

    Picture
    Growth Mindset Coloring Pennants @resourceforce
    Picture
    Christmas Emoji Dot 2 Dot: multiplication times tables @resourceforce
    Teachers Standards Evidence Binder (UK) @resourceforce
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Teachers Resource Force

    Promote your Page too
    Picture
    Picture

    Middle School Blogger
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    RSS Feed

TEACHERS RESOURCE FORCE (www.TRF.one)
© 2013-2023 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

​Privacy Policy   |   FAQs

​🎙️​ SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES 🎙️
  • Blog
    • Archives
  • Training Materials
    • E-Courses
    • Quote Colouring Pages
    • Mindfulness Colouring
    • Technology Integration
    • Character Education
    • Exit Tickets
  • Teaching Resources
  • Freebies
  • Podcast
    • Podcast Episodes
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Reviews