So here is the start of my ABC's of hints and tips for being a better ICT teacher:
- Appreciate the expertise within the classroom. This should NOT be an excuse for poor preparation because we really should be an expert in the software or techniques that we expect the students to use. But in many cases a particular student may be able to teach you and / or their peers which gives them great satisfaction and helps to model collaborative learning techniques.
- Be hands off - don't continually take over and DO things for the students, this doesn't help them to learn to do it themselves and it also can significantly dent their confidence with ICTs if we make them feel bad that they can't do it as quickly as we might be able to.
- Care should be taken to not just use technology for technology's sake... what is the purpose? Will it improve the learning? Are their better ways? Model the critical thinking we expect of our students and try to not 'cheapen' technology by using it as a 'gap-filler'.
- Don't give up! The first time we teach something or try something new, never goes perfectly! That's ok! Spend time reflecting, discussing, evaluating and improving for next time.
- Explore and investigate - when the stakes are low! Try things out beforehand, early on and think critically about what is happening. Evaluate new techniques and approaches in a formative environment before the pressure is on.
- "F1" - use the help function (keyboard shortcut F1) and expect students to do likewise. When something doesn't work, take a moment to think about it carefully and troubleshoot. Model good habits by not just getting tech support immediately something doesn't work!!
- Guidelines - Give clear guidelines every lesson. What function of the computers are we expecting the students to use this lesson? What is not appropriate for this lesson? Create some classroom language that helps the students to be clear about what is expected.
- Hypocrisy hurts the learning environment - model appropriate use of computers by following the same guidelines you have given to the students. If we expect them to be working on task, lets not become hypocrites by checking our email frequently, being on facebook or twitter, checking the cricket scores or just randomly searching the web for "funny cats photos" while in class. Students tend to respond really positively if they see that the teacher is working as well, rather than just standing over them checking that they are on task.
- "I need everybody to close their laptops and listen in". Create similar routines to things like "pens down" or "diaries out" which apply to the use of computers such as "Lids down" or "Sleeping laptops".
- Just because it's on a computer, doesn't change the fact that lost work is still lost work! Whether it's a corrupt / lost USB, disorganised files or an email that has disappeared, many times students are simply trying to con us and even if it is genuine, learning the backup / recover work is an important skill for everyone to learn.
