Instructional Technology for Teachers

Objectives

• Students will know how to integrate technology to enhance instruction. Emphasis on: lesson templates, Test Trax, Accelerated Reader, Star Reader, CD Rom, Software packages, GLC website.
• Students will learn how to write lesson plans.

Lesson Plan Templates

Purpose

Lesson plans are not written for teachers to read to the class. They are used to structure the lesson and to help with the flow of the class, especially when something has occurred to distract everyone, including the teacher.

Thinking Parts

Lesson plans are first of all a thinking process.

This thinking process basically is completed in four parts.

First, determine the curriculum; that is, what the children will learn, what they will be able to do upon completing the activities or work of the lesson.

Second, determine what the students already know, before beginning the lesson, that can lead into the new curriculum of the day.

Third, determine at least one way to assist the students in learning the new curriculum.

Fourth, determine at least one way to evaluate the learning outcomes of the students.

Written Format

There are many different formats that can be used to write daily lesson plans. Formats that are most useful are very simple to follow and are well structured. An outline format can be used very easily during class for quick references by the teacher. It can be followed and accessed very quickly by the teacher in case there is a distraction or in case the teacher loses his(her) train of thought.

Differentiated Instruction

To differentiate instruction is to recognize students varying background knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in learning, interests, and to react responsively. Differentiated instruction is a process to approach teaching and learning for students of differing abilities in the same class. The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize each student’s growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is, and assisting in the learning process.

TestTrax

TestTrax is a service available to any school district which utilizes standardized test scores to gauge student performance. They store the data for the school district, offer analysis options, and produce easily understood reports and graphs suitable for school OR home use.

Accelerated Reader

Accelerated Reader (AR) is the world’s most popular reading management software. Used in nearly 60,000 schools, Accelerated Reader provides teachers with an easy and effective way to monitor all forms of guided reading practice.

StarReader

The perfect complement to Accelerated Reader, STAR Reading helps teachers accurately assess the reading levels of their students, measure growth throughout the school year, and predict results on major high-stakes tests—all in less than 10 minutes per student. And with STAR Reading, teachers have the consolidated information they need to enhance decision making and manage student achievement.

Virtual Classrooms

E-learning systems, sometimes also called Learning Management Systems (LMS) or Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) allow teachers (professors, lecturers...) to create and administrate course websites through a browser (Internet Explorer,Netscape, Mozilla, ...).

They can:

• Publish documents in any format (Word, PDF, HTML, Video...).
• Admin public or private discussion forums.
• Manage a list of links.
• Create student groups.
• Compose exercises.
• Structure an agenda with tasks and deadlines.
• Make announcements (also via email).
• Have students submit papers.

Experiment on your own with some of the OSI (Open Source Initiative) CMS below.

Smart Technologies

SMART Technologies Inc. is both the industry pioneer and market leader in versatile, intuitive group collaboration tools, including interactive whiteboards, multimedia furniture, whiteboard capture systems and software. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, SMART also has offices in Japan, Germany and Washington, DC.