Education and Technology - Tutorials
Today's students are, in some ways, nothing like students twenty years ago.
The average high school student - let's say aged 15 - was born about 1992. By the time these kids could read and write, computers were in almost every home in America. Chances are they learned to type at the same time they learned to write.
Twenty years ago, that average student would have been born in 1972. Computers were still reserved for big business - Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were just graduating from high school themselves. The idea of 'technology' probably referred to an eight track or a television - not to a computer, digital projector, or streaming online media.
With this new generation - and undoubtedly future generations - technology is an integral part of life. As educators, we need to tap into that technology and use it in the classroom.
That's easier said than done, considering that many teachers are a generation older than their students. If you didn't grow up with computers, don't worry - it's easier than you think.
In Tech Tutorials, you'll find straightforward, step by step tutorials that show you how to bring technology into your classroom. If you've got a specific question or something that you'd like to see done - e-mail us at tech-tutorials@teachbabel.com - suggestions are always welcome!
If you're like me, you'll have an opportunity to use at least half a dozen computers in a day. If all your documents are at home on your desktop, you're outta luck. If you've got a flash drive, though, you can carry everything with you. This tutorial will show you how to connect a flash drive, put files on the flash drive, and disconnect it safely.
Ever think that you kill a whole lot of trees making handouts for class? Well now you can do away with some of those handouts, if your students are going to have access to computers. This tutorial will show you how to create and share those documents with Google Docs.
Read the full tutorial on Google Docs Handouts in the Tech Tutorials section.
The internet is a wealth of information. The problem is, sometimes there's too much of it. How do we narrow down what our students encounter on the web? One way is to build a list of links on del.icio.us - a social bookmarking site. Then, students can begin their research by browsing your approved sites. Read how in the full article on creating a resource list in del.icio.us.
Have you ever thought of creating a class website, but didn't think you had the skills to do it? Well, it's a lot easier than you think.
Even the complete novice can create a website, and an experienced computer user can take that same web site and customize it quite a bit to his or her liking. Creating a simple website, using blogging software, is a great first step in bringing the Internet and technology into your classroom.
The latest article in Tech Tutorials is a step-by-step guide to creating your first class website. No experience necessary. Just jump on over and read the full article on how to create a class website with Blogger.com.
Previous page: Use Task Cards to Give Directions to Differentiated Groups
Next page: Use Blogger to Create a Simple Class Website