Planning Web-Based Activities

As the technology coordinator, I am expected to always “protect and defend” the use of technology in the classroom. Evidently this can be translated to mean I expect every teacher to use technology in every lesson, and that I use technology in every lesson I teach. It seems as if a cold wind blows through the room when I say anything that remotely sounds like a traditional method of teaching will work just as good for some lessons. Usually the teacher turns to me, with their mouth open, and has that “I can’t believe you just said that” look on his or her face.

Believe it or not, there are times when technology is not the best option for teaching a lesson. Sometimes students need to write with a pen or pencil. Sometimes students need to look up words in the dictionary to practice their alphabetizing skills. Sometimes students need to visit the library and find resources since not everything is online yet. Sometimes you just need to hold the book and smell the pages to really fall in love with a story. Sometimes you need to underline, circle, draw arrows, and box words to understand grammar. Sometimes you need to draw, cut, glue and use some creativity to make a really great poster for a presentation where there is no electricity.

Just to shock one of the teachers that gave me “that look,” I sent him an email with the following link to a web site titled, “5 Questions for Planning Successful Web-Based Activities.” (http://blog.learningtoday.com/blog/bid/25774/5-Questions-for-Planning-Successful-Web-Based-Activities) My notes simply said, “Ask yourself these 5 simple questions before choosing to use technology in your lesson plans.”

1. What is the curriculum related purpose of the activity?

2. Does the Internet enhance the activity?

3. How will students use the online resources?

4. Do students have necessary information analysis/information synthesis skills or am I including these in instruction?

5. Do I have the necessary time and support for the activity?

I have presented many times to faculties about lesson planning, preparing for technology integrated lessons, and implementation of 1:1 programs in all curricular areas. If I had used this as a model for professional development, I would have altered this list basic list. I would have taken this concise list and added my own experience to the questions. After I sent the email, I realized that I would have asked a few more questions. If I had to add my own questions to this list I would add:

6. How can you determine if the students know this material and doing an extensive lesson or activity is unnecessary?

7. How can this material be learned the quickest and most efficiently?

8. Who is doing most of the work for this lesson, the student or the teacher?

9. Did you as the teacher learn more preparing for this lesson or will the student learn more from participating in this lesson?

10. Even though there is a technology activity equivalent for every traditional activity, which will the student benefit from the most? http://arnoldtechhandbook.wikispaces.com/TraditionToTechnology