Modeling Technology Procedures For Students

By Thomas Hammerlund -
Today I gathered my students around the whiteboard and I prepared the computer to do our grammar exercise. But I soon found that I had not yet scanned in the sheet I wanted to use.

I decided to make mini lesson out of it. 

So as I scanned in the grammar sheet, I walked the students through it and vocalized my thinking. I asked the students questions about what I should do next. I asked them where I should click. Before I knew it, they (or a few of them) were practically walking me through the procedure.

One important part of the lesson was having them look for icons and buttons. Very often I will be with a group of students and half the students will be paralyzed because they don't know what to push or click. I liked having the time to let them scan the monitor for something that might help them.

I was able to do this mini lesson again the following week and I was impressed at how much of the procedure they remembered.

On a side note ...
For the Winter Session of our After School Activities, I am thinking of doing a course inspired by +Vicki Davis about a different iPad and/or PC program each week.

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