Why Technology?

All the hype is about technology in the classroom. Why all the hype? Is it really that important? Do we want to spend all this money to bring the digital world internally? I say yes! That is where our students are and where they are going. We need to get on board and not hold them back. Move ahead!

Games on my Google Page

I have uploaded several PowerPoint game templates to be used by teachers in classes. To see my Google page, go to:
http://lcox67.googlepages.com/

Educational Games

Here is a great game site for computer education:

http://www.quia.com/cb/8260.html

How about this one for Economics:

http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/economics/trade/index.html

Creating a Business

This is a neat lesson to combine art with business:
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1017.html
Students create an imaginary business and in art class design a log for the business. Then in computer class, they create the business cards, letterhead, posters, flyers, etc., for this business. This is a lesson I have done several times and it works really well.

Lesson for grades 6-12
Technology used: Word, InDesign, PhotoShop or any number of other software programs

Career Scavenger Hunt

Here is a lesson plan for a career scavenger hunt:
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/929.html
Student go to a website and read an article. Then they answer questions from the article. This lesson involves technology from the standpoint of going to a website and searching for the information there rather than going to a textbook.

Age group: 7-12
Technology used: Internet for doing the searching

Teaching Excel Charts/Graphs

This is a lesson plan for teaching graphing in Excel:
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/CIMathGraphingWithMicrosoftExcel68.htm
It gives a procedure for teaching Excel graphs to students.

Lesson Plan for Understanding Computers

Here is another lesson plan for a computer class:
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/understandingcomputing/
It has ideas for presenting a very visual lesson on understanding what computers can do. There are some great discussion questions to get students thinking about what computers have done for us and our society.

Lesson for ages 7-12
Technology used: computers and Internet