Tami Brass's List: Technology Classroom Management

• Classroom management skills are a prerequisite to good teaching. When laptops or other mobile devices are introduced into the classroom, it is critical that the teacher is equipped with skills to manage the students use of these devices. Lack of management skills will doom these efforts to either insignificance, frustration, or a backlash against technology.
• 1) Start small, and then grow.
• Teachers need to feel in the driver’s seat, and the kids need to know that use in the classroom is a privilege and not a right. So, at the very start, the laptops may only be used by a few students at once. I
• 2) When you first begin using laptops in class, make sure it’s a focused assignment all kids are doing at once, and that you have time to actively circulate as they do the assignmen
• 3) Create a culture of good use. This means that good academic uses by individual students should be praised, but mis-uses should be acknowledged and possibly affect everyone’s use.

  • I'm not sure I agree that all kids should be punished when a few misuse.
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• 4) Have strategies for gaining or refocusing student attention.
• lids down

  • I also have kids put hands on their heads or behind their backs. Physical response is a good thing.

  • I say 45 and the kids lower their screens half way.
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• Hands Up Pop Quiz”
• 5) Be wary of “note-taking with computers.” It is a challenge to take good notes with a laptop. Tablets make this much easier. Since note-taking on laptops is a challenge for students, you may not even want to try it until you have a good culture of laptop use.
• 6) Technological monitoring and filtering solutions are not perfect.
• "Non-virtual proximity control" ;) is a good idea!

  • In other words, walk around the room and let the kids know you're watching and interested. Notice everything (and try to be positive).
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• 7) Don’t forget your established classroom management skills.
• 8) Consider using internet logging software

  • Teach kids about Internet history. Let them know that deleting it implies guilt.
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• 9) Be realistic. Kids need time to develop maturity with the use of laptops as tools.
• 10) Victory is different for different kids.
• Try to find ways to celebrate all sorts of different successes.
• 11) Catch them being good!
• 12) Create Student "Buy-in" Have the kids buy in by creating some of the rules and expectations.

  • Having kids police each other's behavior will also help. Create a culture of mutual responsibility.
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• 1) Start small, and then grow.
• Teachers need to feel in the driver’s seat, and the kids need to know that use in the classroom is a privilege and not a right. So, at the very start, the laptops may only be used by a few students at once.
• 2) For the first “full class” use of laptops, make sure it’s a focused assignment all kids are doing at once, and that you have time to actively circulate as they do the assignment (such as writing a paragraph about something, or visiting a specific website for information).
• 3) Create a culture of good laptop use. This means that good academic uses by individual students should be praised, but mis-uses should be acknowledged and possibly affect everyone’s use. If several people can’t manage to use the laptops correctly on Tuesday, then perhaps non-laptop projects should be done by everyone for a few days.
• 4) Lids down.
• 5) Hold off on “note taking with computers.”

  • I don't think I agree here. I get the point, but it doesn't translate into my practice. We shouldn't punish the whole group for a few kids with issues.
• 6) Don’t look for technological solutions.
• This is kind of a joke, and it’s better just to circulate in the classroom.
• 7) Don’t forget your established skills.
• All the same tools work for managing kids—the computers simply need to be put and kept in their place and used as you want them used.
• 8) Consider having GURL Watcher software installed

  • This might be an option for kids with issues.
• 9) Be realistic. Kids need time to develop maturity with the use of laptops as tools. They’ve had years to use them as toys, and they aren’t going to use them as tools overnight.
• 10) Victory is different for different kids. Some kids will blow you way with innovative uses and processes and results. Other kids will have more basic achievements. Some will really struggle. Try to find ways to celebrate all sorts of different successes.
• teachers often have to step up their classroom management techniques when laptops are in use. If you stay glued to the front of the room while those screens are open, then you’re inviting your students to get off task.
• However, we also try to let natural consequences take care of poor behavior when possible.
• Letting natural consequences take care of things also applies to behavior out of school, especially when it comes to instant messaging

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• Lesson development: First and foremost to any classroom management technique is your lesson plan.
• MWA, Management by Walking Around.
• If you see a kid off-task because of his or her computer, deal with it appropriately. Make sure you circulate in a way that allows you to see the most in one view.
• Pick your battles:

  • I'm not sure I agree here. Have high expectations for what happens in your classroom and notice everything. Let the kids know you notice, and do it in a way that doesn't sacrifice mutual respect.
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• Be consistent with rules and how laptops are used.
• Use timers:
• As for laptops, tell them clearly what you expect, such as no idle surfing, no Instant Messaging, etc.
• let them know that you expect to see what they completed for the day. Students are less likely to goof on their computers if they know you expect a two-page paper.
• Down time:
• If they know they might have time to do their own thing at the end of class, they'll be less likely to get off-task during class.

  • I don't completely agree here. Technology shouldn't be a reward. That just reinforces the "technology as entertainment" mentality that so many kids already have before they come to school. Instead, have a list of options tied to your content or a skill you want kids to practice. They should be rewarding experiences, but not bribes.
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• Be sure to take time to teach proper use and never assume they know how to use the laptops.
• By showing them that he knows how to search their computers, they stay on task.
• When you're ready to have the entire class use the laptops at once, make sure everyone is doing the same assignment.
• have kids use pen-on-paper rather than using their laptop

  • WHOA! I totally disagree. Most colleges expect kids to use laptops for notes. This is one of the greatest benefits of tablet computing - handwriting notes and annotating documents by hand.
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• Lesson plans: Make sure you include time in your lesson plan to review how to use the technology. If you are having them do a PowerPoint presentation, don't assume they know how to do one properly. Build in time to teach these skills.

  • Again, I have to disagree here. Yes, the kids needs to learn the skills at some point, but it's better to have kids learn together and from each other than to do rote step-by-step all the time.
    Instead, show an example of what you want and how you got it and provide print or video documentation, but don't make all the kids sit through a training only a few may need. Differentiate. Use the kids to teach. They'll be more engaged and more likely to master both the skill and the content.
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• Let the kids know when and when not to have their laptops out for use.
• As safely as possible, have power bars around the room, but make sure they're set up in a way that you don't create tripping hazards.

  • But make sure kids have instruction on proper battery/power management and let your tech coordinator know if a specific student has issues that might get in the way of learning.
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• Find students who seem to be naturals with computers and use them to help with general troubleshooting and application help.
• Move your desks into rows, if you have to, so you can sit behind the students and see every screen at once.

  • Yes, arrange your classroom so screens are visible to you, but don't let the arrangement get in the way of collaboration. Walking around the room is essential for you to properly manage the class.
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• You will likely have students with and without computers, so move your paper-users to one side and your computer kids to the other side. This reduces the number of computer screens you have to watch.

  • I don't agree here. Sometimes this works, but sometimes kids without computers should look on with others who have them. Being without the computer isn't always the student's fault, and we shouldn't deprive them of their instructional experience as a result.
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• Have any instructions on the chalkboard for everyone to see.

  • Visible instructions - great.
    Paper checklist - great.
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• Sit in the back of the room with a hard copy of the test. If a student has a question, ask himher to come back to you with the computer instead of your answering the question at their desk and thus turning your back on the other kids.

  • It may not be a good idea to have the student come to you, especially if there are a lot of cords. Be sure kids know proper safety and handling and are reminded frequently.
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• Test Set Up:

  • Please, please, please don't focus your classroom energy on using a computer for testing alone. Yes, a computer can be used as a tool for testing, but this barely scratches the surface. A computer can be used to create, communicate, collaborate... A test does none of this.
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• Give them an Acceptable-Use policy to sign.

  • This isn't a teacher's place. This should be a school-wide AUP with discussion at school and at home.
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• The most important strategy, while the most obvious is the one most often ignored: Use the laptop in class. Many teachers expect kids to be distracted by the laptop, so they rarely use them in class. They give up before trying. Then, when they want the kids to use the laptop, they are surprised when the kids are off-task, or they didn't bring them to class at all. By using the laptops every day (even if it's just for 5 minutes one day), kids are more likely to stay on task, more likely to bring them to class, and their laptops seem to break down less often when they are used more often.

  • This is great as long as the use is authentic, organic. Kids should be in the routine of using technology to enhance learning, not just because their teacher wants them to use it.
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