The reason I am creating this resource is because I believe teachers need a resource for integrating one to one devices into their classroom. Computers and devices are a tool that can be used to help students learn, but you can’t just put a computer in their hands and expect the magic to happen. How to use technology in the classroom is a learning process that involves both the teacher and the students. 

In order for one-to-one technology use in classrooms to be meaningful and effective, teachers must believe in the power of student devices. They must have the incentive to use them on a regular basis. Then, and only then, will this be a meaningful experience for everyone. Student devices can become a fluid part of classrooms, and they can be used to do many amazing things. This website features just some of the resources out there. It also invites you to explore resources on your own, and let your students explore as well. 

In addition to having teacher buy in, it is also important for teachers to be educated on how to use one-to-one devices in the classroom. This website is a window into the world of one-to-one. I hope you are able to get something out of exploring this website. 

Synopsis: This is a set of engaging and hands- on lesson plans about how to use student computers in the classroom. This can be used to introduce the concept of one-to-one technology over 5 lessons and 4 parts. The goal is to have students that are new to one-to-one technology use become familiar with using computers daily and with different programs and websites that you can use in the classroom throughout the year. These lessons will  focus on the 4 C's: collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. They will also integrate the ISTE Standards for Students (for more information see the standards for teachers in the useful links/ video sections). 

These lessons are designed for elementary school students (grades 3-5), but can be modified and used with older or younger students. The lessons are also designed for chromebooks, but again they can be modified for any device. 

Preteaching:

Before teaching these lessons, it may be useful (depending on age, grade level, and previous experience) to do a tutorial on how to:

• Log on to computers using their username and password 

• Access the internet and different websites

• Use their student email

• Create accounts on various websites that may be used frequently throughout the year

Additionally, having students understand the rules about computers and why they are important is essential. Here is a list of rules that may be helpful to set with students. Parent buy-in on the technology policies and rules that students need to adhere to is important as well.

List of suggested rules:

1. Students use computers only as directed by teachers on a given day/ assignment

2. Students only use their own devices, unless directed or asked to use someone else’s

3. Students respect the computers and treat them with care

4. Students will not have food or drinks in the vicinity of a computer while they are in use 

5. Computers should be plugged in at the end of the lesson or day to ensure that they can be used the next time they are needed (if they go home, they should come back fully charged)

6. If a student is using inappropriate content or mistreating a computer in their vicinity, a teacher should be notified immediately 

• Note: These lessons are just an introduction to what can be used in the classroom for the whole year. They take a close look at the 4 C's and the ITSE standards, but are in no way comprehensive.  

Start by:

• Ask your students what communication means to them

• Define communication using different resources:

  • Communication lets students learn how to best convey their ideas (according to www.aeseducation.com). 

  • The imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs (according to www.dictionary.com/).

• Encourage students to contemplate what communication means within the technological context. Have students brainstorm ways they can communicate using the internet. Use mindmeister to create a map of the ways they can brainstorm. Continue to add to this map daily over the course of the week. 

ISTE Standards to review:  

• Creative Communicator: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of                purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

•  Digital Citizen: Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working       in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.

Lesson 1:  Introduction

Students will learn to express themselves using computers by introducing themselves to the class. To do so, they will choose from a variety of websites to create a presentation on who they are to share with the class. The platforms they are welcome to use include:

• Powtoon

• Animoto

• Nearpod

• My Simple Show

They will share their presentations and videos with the class. This will serve to engage students with internet resources and with each other.

Lesson 2: Safety on the Internet 

Students will discuss the rules of computer use at their school (introduced before this lesson). In small groups, they will consider: why these rules and in place, and what impact breaking the rules would have on the classroom dynamic. Additionally, they will brainstorm additional ways to be safe on the internet and with computers.

Students are presented with problems that they need to solve with technology and conduct. The teacher will present them with problems, and students will have time to discuss the solution and share it with the class in small groups. 

Scenarios:

• You find inappropriate content on computer. What do you do?

• Your computer is frozen. What are some ways you can fix it? 

• Someone else in the class is having an issue with their website not loading. How can you help them? 

• You see another student drinking water and eating while using their computer. What can you say?

• You need to use flash player to play a game, but it is not working. What can you do?  

• • You may add more problems that you have encountered or could for-see arising in your classroom. 

  • Students may have the opportunity to research some ways to fix problems. 

Students will use Padlet to post ways that they can be safe and ensure efficiency on the internet and with computers. They will respond to other posts and engage in discussions on the website. 

This will serve to:

• Introduce students to different types of interactive websites. 

• Help students think through the importance of using the computer appropriately, and to share ideas with classmates. 

Start by:

• Students brainstorm what collaboration is. 

• Define collaboration for students:

  • Collaboration shows students how to work together to achieve a common goal. ( according to https://www.aeseducation.com/career-readiness/what-are-the-4-cs-of-21st-century-skills)

  • To work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor (according to www.merriam-webster.com)

• Explain to students that they will work together to explore a list of meaningful resources and websites. They will pick one that speaks to them the most, and share what they learned about it with the class. 

• Add a collaboration bubble to the mindmeister from part 1. Continue to add to it. 

ISTE Standards to review: 

•  Knowledge Constructor: Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct                knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

• Global Collaborator: Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by                collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

Lesson 3: Construction of Resources 

Working together, students explore a list of websites and resources from the “Kids Corner” on this website.

(Note: some of these websites, such as newsela, require a username/ login. Before this lesson, the teacher may want to have pre-made accounts for their students, especially if this is something that will be used throughout the year. Alternatively, students can make their own account on many of these websites)

List of websites to choose from (these can be found under the “Kids Corner” on this website, which students can explore on their own): 

• IXL Science Games

• Kids Science Challenge

• How Stuff Works

• BBC History for Kids

• Newsela

• Learning Games for Kids

• PBS Kids

• Kinetic City 

After students have spent about 30 minutes exploring websites, they will pick one as a group that they are most interested in. They will spend about another 20-30 minutes exploring that particular website. They will pick 2-3 aspects of that website that they want to show to the class (games, videos, activities).

The students will then post what they found in Padlet, or in Mindmeister. They will then present their findings to the class.

Finally, the students will have some more time to explore what their classmates have found that sparked their interests. 

This will serve to:

• Give student the chance to explore different websites

• Create a list of resources that they found were useful and interesting that they can return to and add to throughout the year. 

Start with:

• Students brainstorm what creativity is

• Teacher shares definitions of creativity:

  • Creativity teaches students to think outside the box (according to https://www.aeseducation.com/career-readiness/what-are-the-4-cs-of-21st-century-skills)

  • The ability to create (according to https://www.merriam-webster.com/)

• Guide discussion towards creativity being more than just “art.”

• Add a creativity bubble to the mindmeister from part 1. Continue to add to it. 

ISTE Standards to review:

• Innovative Designer: Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve             problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solution.

•  Empowered Learner: Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and                    demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

Lesson 4: What is Creativity?

In small groups, students are challenged to come up with 50 ways to be creative. They will have only 10 minutes to do so. 

After the 10 minutes is up, they will have the chance to post their creative ideas to Padlet or create a Nearpod presentation.

Then, students will share their ideas with each other.

Students will do a reflection in their journals of how they themselves are creative. They may share this with classmates as well. 

*This might also be a good time to introduce and explore Makerspace with your class if you are interested in having one this year. Click the link to learn more!*

Lesson 5: Invention Project

Students will use the 4 C’s in the following ways to make an invention: 

• Collaborate in a small group

• Think Critically about problems/ needs in the world and identify one problem they would like to focus on

• Use the design process to develop and create a solution to this problem (invention).

• Communicate with their groups, their peers, and other students about their invention - presentation/ google form for feedback

Lesson Plan using SAMR Model:

Students will be placed in small groups (2-3 students). In these groups, they will use the design process to create an invention that solves a problem in the world.

Substitution: Students use pencil, paper, and collaboration to brainstorm ways to solve problems in the world. They then use computers to research and explore different needs in the world. They will make a list of a few problems, an audience, and think of how they will solve their problems.  

Augmentation: Students will post their ideas on how to solve world problems on an interactive website of their choosing. They can create a survey on mentimeter of their different ideas, and survey their classmates to help them decide which one to use.  They will then pick their idea and continue to research and develop a solution. 

Modification: Students will begin to share their ideas using nearpod. They will continue to develop and tweak their ideas by receiving feedback and thinking critically about solutions. 

Redefinition: 

They will design their invention using one of the following options:

• 1. They can design their idea using tinkercad.  

  2. They may use powtoon to make a pitch if their invention is a service. 

  3. They could make a video of them creating their invention to share with the class using materials from a makerspace. 

  4. They may draw their idea on Sketchpad. 

  5. They can make an interactive imagine or video on thinglink. 

  6. They can record themselves creating something on any of these websites using Screencastomatic.

  7. They could come up with their own way of sharing! 

Once they are done creating, they will share their idea with the class.

Reflection: Students write a reflection on this process. What did they learn? How would they change what they did? What would they keep the same? 

This will serve to:

• Inspire students to realize there are many ways to be creative

• Give them a chance to explore their creativity 

Start with:

• Ask students to discuss critical thinking.

• Explore definitions of critical thinking:

  • Critical thinking is all about solving problems. (according to https://www.aeseducation.com/career-readiness/what-are-the-4-cs-of-21st-century-skills)

• Ask students when they need to think critically.

• Discuss what they need to do in order to think critically.

• Add a critical thinking bubble to the mindmeister from part 1. Continue to add to it. 

ISTE Standards to review:

•  Computational Thinker: Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in       ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.

Lesson 5: 

In small groups, students will pick a video/ scenario from TedEd, Critical Thinking Lessons.

Each link on this website offers a video on a complicated situation that they need to solve. They also have the chance to click "Think" (this offers multiple choice and open ended questions), and "Dig Deeper" (this offers opportunities to learn more). Finally, they can post on a discussion board. 

After each group has completed their activity, they will summarize what they ended up doing in their scenario, along with sharing their thought process.

This will serve to:

• Let students tinker with different solutions to complex problems

• Students discuss what they learned over the past few days.

• Take a look at the mindmeister that was created and added to throughout the course. Is there anything to add now that the lesson are wrapping up? 

• Use mentimeter to survey students on their favorite websites and interactive tools so far (make survey ahead of time).

• Students can have more time to explore different websites that they were interested in. 

• Remind students that this is just the beginning of the journey! There will be so much more to learn about computer skills, different programs, and the internet.