What do you have available to you?

 

In order to incorporate technology into your lesson plans you need to know a few things about your school and your students.  In the next week see what you can find out.  Be prepared to share the information you have found with the class.  This needs to be typed written report and should be saved on a disk and brought with you to the next class.

 

  1. How many computers are in your classroom?  Type of computers (based on information covered in first class.)
  2. Is there a computer lab? Can you schedule that lab?  What types of computers are in this lab?
  3. Do your students go to a regular computer class?  Would the computer teacher work with you on special projects?
  4. What programs does your school have for you to use on a check out basics or are located on the computers in your room? (This you will need later for your software review.)
  5. What programs does your school have site licenses to operate? Where are they installed?
  6. Is there a word processor, spreadsheet, database, and presentation program available?  What is it?
  7. Does your school have an STC or TRT? (School Technology Coordinator or Technology Resourse teachr)  Give a short description of what they do.  How can they help you?
  8. Survey your children to find out information on how much they know about computers. This will have to be adjusted depending on your grade level.  Lower Grades you might want to sent home a small questionnaire to your student’s family to get their views.   Here are some sample questions:
    1. Do they have a computer at home?
    2. Do they play games? (If they are very young, find out types of games played.)
    3. Do they access to the internet?

                                                              i.      Do adults monitor them? How?

                                                            ii.      Do they have an email account?

                                                          iii.      Have they ever been in chat rooms?

                                                          iv.      Do any of them have a web page?

    1. Have they ever used the following programs?

                                                              i.      Word processor – MS Word

                                                            ii.      Spreadsheet – Excel

                                                          iii.      Database – Access

                                                          iv.      Presentation Programs – PowerPoint, Kid Pix, Hyperstudio

9.  What other type of technology does your school have?  PDAs, multimedia projectors, scan converters, digital cameras, scanners, CD burners, etc.?   Can you use them?