Ten Things for Teaching Students How to Navigate Their Digital Environment
Many of us are planning to start teaching our students the digital platforms they will be using from day one. The resources below will help you when planning and teaching those lessons.
4. Scaffold with Screenshots.
One of my favorite methods for teaching a series of skills is using a learning center. Typically these include a set of brief videos showing only one skill per video. At times, longer videos are included, but steps are still chunked to break down tasks into smaller parts.
Numbers 5 through 8 below are all learning centers for tools we use in my school district. If you need to make your own learning center you'll start by finding or recording videos. Then embed them in a Google Site, upload them on Google Classroom, or create a playlist on YouTube. When you make your own videos you have the benefit of being able to include information that is specific to your class or district.
Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels
1. Teach Students to Be Technology Explorers.
We are Technology Explorers when we learn a new tech tool by trying it out ourselves instead of immediately seeking help. Savvy Technology Explorers ask themselves questions and look for familiar icons and words as they learn how to use a new tool. Children are natural explorers and you can harness that power with the resources below. Use the Technology Explorer method with individual apps or any of the digital learning platforms students will use this year.
Here are some resources for you to use:- Technology Explorer lesson plan | poster for younger students | poster for older students
- Recommended Apps for Tablets K-1
- Use ABCya for Technology Explorers lessons. Check out their Make a... Series for young learners. They even have a new Make a Mask activity!
- Remember, you don't have to pick out a new app. Try it with your districts' main tech tools. This can be done with Seesaw, RAZ Kids, Google Classroom, Google Docs, and more!
2. Carefully Plan Live Demonstrations.
We are Technology Explorers when we learn a new tech tool by trying it out ourselves instead of immediately seeking help. Savvy Technology Explorers ask themselves questions and look for familiar icons and words as they learn how to use a new tool. Children are natural explorers and you can harness that power with the resources below. Use the Technology Explorer method with individual apps or any of the digital learning platforms students will use this year.
Here are some resources for you to use:
- Technology Explorer lesson plan | poster for younger students | poster for older students
- Recommended Apps for Tablets K-1
- Use ABCya for Technology Explorers lessons. Check out their Make a... Series for young learners. They even have a new Make a Mask activity!
- Remember, you don't have to pick out a new app. Try it with your districts' main tech tools. This can be done with Seesaw, RAZ Kids, Google Classroom, Google Docs, and more!
Many of us will opt to teach our students how to navigate their digital environment by using live demonstrations. These may be done either in person or on video conferencing software. Use these tips to ensure maximum retention.
- Don't give too many steps. Remember the magic number 7 from your cognitive psychology classes? Most adults can only hold seven things in their short term memory.
- Help students encode the information as they listen. Use physical movement to activate memory cues. Students can simply hold up a finger for each step or point to the part of the screen where they need to click. I use large, exaggerated movements when possible. Students move their entire arm and shift their bodies as they point.
- Repeat yourself, a lot. The "I do, we do, you do" method works well. If you are holding up fingers, pause and repeat the steps on your fingers as you cycle back through the steps over and over.
3. Take Student Volunteers.
Whether you've had a Technology Explorer session or a live demonstration be sure to take student volunteers to demonstrate how to navigate. Technology Explorers can take turns being the teacher to demonstrate what they have discovered for the other students. Student volunteers during live demonstrations can log in with their student accounts and either lead the demonstration or follow steps given to them by their audience. This is particularly helpful if you are working on a platform where the teacher view is different than the student view.
4. Scaffold with Screenshots.
Follow up your live demonstration or scaffold navigation for remote learners with a series of annotated screenshots. This is particularly helpful for new tasks with many steps and students who have short attention spans. Here are a few samples to check out.
Use Learning Centers
One of my favorite methods for teaching a series of skills is using a learning center. Typically these include a set of brief videos showing only one skill per video. At times, longer videos are included, but steps are still chunked to break down tasks into smaller parts.
Students can self-assess prior to getting started in the learning center and watch only the videos that are relevant to their learning needs. They can pause and rewatch the videos as needed until they've mastered the skill. Best of all, if your students are working within the library of learning center videos you are now free to meet with individuals that need your help the most.
5. Google Chrome Learning Center
Use this learning center if your students need to learn how to use Google Chrome to navigate online.
6. Gmail Learning Center
Most of our students did not know they had email addresses when we went virtual this spring. Some of them caught on quickly and others still have much to learn. Have them work in this learning center to fill in the gaps in their knowledge.
7. Google Classroom Learning Center
Make use of this learning center if you need to teach your students how to navigate Google Classroom.
8. Google Docs Learning Center
Teach Basic Formatting
If you are going to have your students use Google Docs, make sure to review the formatting tools they will need for the lesson. Once students have started formatting incorrectly it is very hard to unteach. Have your students work their way through the Google Docs Learning Center from start to finish or access only the videos they need. They can also revisit it whenever they forget how to do something.
Word Processing Expectations by Developmental Level
I suspect that a lot of frustration experienced during this spring's quick switch to distance learning was because the tech skills needed for the virtual lessons were not developmentally appropriate for our youngest learners. Read the Word Processing Expectations document to manage your expectations and learn how you can still integrate technology while recognizing what is right for your students' developmental levels.
9. Use Seesaw's Get Students Started Kit
Seesaw is a great platform that just keeps getting better. It can work as your learning management system or as a tool to link within your main system. Use Seesaw's Get Students Started Kit when you need to teach students specific navigation skills. There are also Getting Started Guides for teachers at every grade level.
Seesaw is a great platform that just keeps getting better. It can work as your learning management system or as a tool to link within your main system. Use Seesaw's Get Students Started Kit when you need to teach students specific navigation skills. There are also Getting Started Guides for teachers at every grade level.
10. Teach Students About Ignoring Unrelated Content.
Many of us use free apps or have our students visit commercial websites during our lessons. These are often accompanied by advertisements. Students need to learn how to identify and ignore ads and other unrelated content that are trying to distract them from their main purpose for being online. Here are some resources for direct instruction on this topic. Use the first lesson plan to integrate this concept into your regular lessons when teachable moments arise.
- Lesson Plan
- Advertisement Lesson for Kids: Full video lesson for 1st grade and up.
- Child Focus 'E-safety' Video: Video showing popups. Good for very young students.
- 5th Grade Clickbait lesson
- Teaching Tolerance Advertisements and You Lesson
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