Incorporating Technology into Your Classroom at a Low Cost

Many children are easily diverted from reading and their studies by digital distractions. Computer simulation games and television are some of the many lures that entice children. Instead of discouraging technology as an indulgence, educational leaders should embrace it as a learning tool. Teachers, parents, and administrators should consider how to make technology a part of classroom learning to better prepare students for the twenty-first century.

There are many options for bringing technology into the classroom. The Smartboard is an electronic whiteboard that can greatly enhance classroom learning. The Elmo revolutionizes classroom projection by displaying still and moving objects for the entire class to see.

But not all schools can afford Smartboards or Elmos. Here are some suggestions for incorporating technology into your school at a low cost. Most of these technologies are free and available on the internet. The only materials you will need are your computer, a projector screen and a connection cord.

Word Documents as a White Board and PowerPoint Lectures

Forget about chalk dust. Throw away the dried out dry erase markers. Projecting a Word document from your computer to a projector screen can provide a cleaner way to produce, display, and organize class notes.

Class Notes: A Collective, Collaborative Activity

• Connect your computer to the projector, and show a Word document on the projector screen. You can display pre-written notes, or you can type into the Word document as your students collectively brainstorm and write on their worksheets.
• Invite students to the computer to type. Students will feel special typing on the class notes. It will personalize the notes to the class giving them authorial ownership of the lesson.
• Utilize the highlight, font, color, and various writing styles as it fits to your lesson.
• Teach the writing process by editing a document as a class on a Word document. Use the insert comments and tracking changes feature of Word processing programs.

Organizing and Sharing Class Notes

• Create a folder on your computer for each class period where you can save the notes for each day.
• Print worksheets and graphic organizers for students, and display them from your computer screen as you teach. Fill out the worksheet on the computer as students complete it at their desks.
• Upload the notes as attachments onto a class website where students and parents can easily access material from home. The routine of using a computer in the classroom can encourage more technology and computer integration for daily lessons.

Making a Class Website

You do not need to be a computer science engineer or a coding expert to create and utilize a functional, classroom website. Knowing some basic HTML or web design skills can help, but it is not essential. There are many online companies that allow you to easily construct a website for free. All you need to do is click and drag.

Website Content

Giving students and parents access to a class website can greatly enhance learning. It can keep parents up to date with what their students learn in class, and students can easily find notes and assignments. Here are some ideas for what a class website should include: