¿           On your mark:  Assess your resources

§        Student skills and attitudes:  What can students already do with computers and what’s their attitude toward technology? Do students have computers and technology at home?

§        Teacher skills and attitudes:  What can you do on a computer and how do you feel about using computers in the classroom?

§        Assess:  How much computer time can you and your students get each week? Do you have classroom computers or lab access only? How much lab time is available? How many computers?

§        Resources:  What kinds of hardware, software, and training are available? Are computers reliable? Is the available software educational software or productivity software? What types of training are available through your school or community?

¿           Get set: Goals and planning

• Get wired:  Make sure that you have Internet access and a reliable computer at home.

• Get inspired:  Find peers who already integrate technology, and learn from them. Try to observe a class—seeing it done right will help motivate you!

• Get informed:  Visit a professional organization’s web site regularly.

• Get e-ducated:  Subscribe to an e-mail newsletter and access short and relevant articles on educating with technology.

• Get involved:  Sign up for a mail list or another online dialogue, and join in teacher discussion on technology in the classroom.

• Get trained:  Find out who does technology training in your school or district, and get help if you need it. Visit the Schultz Center for class offerings.

 

¿           Go!

• Manage with technology:  Use technology to manage your classes. Average grades with a grade book program, use mail merge to send parent letters, and surf the Internet for lesson plans. Focus on using technology yourself before introducing it to your students.

• Start small:  Set an initial goal of including technology in one content area or unit a month.

• Surf in shallow waters:  Surfing students misspell site addresses and become distracted by commercial sites. Have students use netTrekker an educational search engine for Internet research.

• Online learning tools:  Learn how to use WebQuests, scavenger hunts, and other online learning tools.

• Know when to say no: Technology isn’t perfect; it can’t replace face to face teaching. Curriculum, not your computer, should be the focus of technology integration.