TEXASTECHNOLOGY.COM

You may have wonderful resources available in your classroom to teach technology, but unless your students are as prepared and excited as possible about the experience, there’s no amount of innovation that can save a lost learning opportunity.Following are some guidelines — a checklist of sorts — to make certain your students and your class as a whole are best prepared for the new technology they are about to learn.

1. Prepare your students well in advance about what they are about to learn. By putting details in your syllabus you’ll evoke an opportunity for excitement and anticipation to occur.
2. Always provide clear and detailed instructions. Remember that you may be well-versed in the technology you are teaching, but this is very new to most (if not all) of your students. Never take for granted their exposure to what you are teaching.
3. Be patient for the same reason listed above. Some students will naturally gravitate toward the new technology while others struggle. Avoid frustration by keeping students engaged through enthusiasm and patience.
4. Solicit feedback from your students at regular intervals so you can make adjustments where necessary. If students know their feedback (often in the form of frustration) is being heard, they’re more likely to stay engaged until the frustrations turns to confidence.
5. Have a FAQ handout to give to your students so they have a resource to consult when you’re not available. And don’t be surprised if some students learn more by this resource than others you provide since written instruction is commonly a more natural method of learning for a segment of students.
6. Likewise, if the technology warrants it, consider a glossary or terminology handout so students can resource this is on their own if some of the “jargon” confuses them.
7. Keep it simple and remember that even though there may be a lot of enthusiasm to move quickly, patience is the keyword. Not to be trite, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and without a firm foundation your students may falter down the road.
8. Stick with your plan and don’t become derailed by the frustration that some students will exhibit. If you have some students that are progressing more quickly than others, encourage peer tutoring to keep spirits and energy elevated in the classroom.