Learning goal:

      I can discuss technology glitches with peers to solve a problem.

       Operational: Seeking Help From Peers to Solve a Technology Problem

      Students at this age are often just learning that electronic devices don’t always work the way they’re supposed to, and it’s important to arm them with knowledge that can keep the classroom learning experience on track. For this lesson, introduce students to the technology word glitch, and instruct them on how to troubleshoot a problem with the help of peers. Some common device glitches include charging problems, a frozen device or app, and password problems. Additionally, working with a peer to problem solve helps students gain collaboration skills, which will transfer into independent troubleshooting and a variety of academic learning activities.

      Because the purpose of this lesson is to lay the foundation for independent problem solving when working with digital devices, it helps to introduce students to some common troubleshooting techniques ahead of time. For instance, students should know how to:

      • Recognize universal technology symbols and language (camera, trash, share, record, settings, text, close, type, voice, and so on)

      • Manually close stuck apps

      • Shut down and restart devices when they freeze or another glitch arises

      • Plug and unplug devices to charge them

      • Respond if an alert pops up (Students should always ask you before pressing anything that unexpectedly appears on their screen.)

      With this information, students already have an excellent foundation for working together to solve common problems.

       Process: Solving a Technology Problem

      Use the following four steps to teach students how to work together to identify and solve basic problems they may encounter with their devices.

      1. Create an anchor chart, like figure 1.5 (page 26), to discuss with students a glitch or problem that may come up when using classroom technology.

      2. Discuss with the class what students can do to solve the problem.

      3. Ask students to work together and use the anchor chart as glitches arise on their devices. If they can solve a problem, have them discuss the problem and how they solved it with the class.

      4. When students face a problem they can’t solve together, have them discuss it with you, and make it a teachable moment for the class that you can then add to the anchor chart.

       Connections

      You can apply this lesson to different content areas in the following ways.

      • English language arts: Have partners clarify and discuss what a glitch is and give personal examples of glitches they have encountered while using different types of technology. Work with their examples to build a new anchor chart that addresses problems they experienced.

      • Mathematics: Partners work with their device’s calculator app to practice doing simple mathematics problems and then pressing the C button to clear the previous problem before moving on. Students should talk together and problem solve how to reset the calculator if it does not clear properly or if a glitch appears.

Figure 1.5: Sample anchor chart to help students solve a glitch on a device.

       Wow: Solving Technology Problems With Tech-Sperts

      In this lesson, students will extend their existing learning by becoming tech-sperts—technology experts at a specialized task. Using tech-sperts in the classroom is a management strategy that helps students collaborate to solve technology problems. In this way, students learn to take over responsibility for solving problems so you, as their teacher, can focus on instruction. To that end, you will facilitate a discussion on what it means to become a tech-spert and explain that your classroom will assign student tech-sperts to help peers solve problems with specific apps or devices. The purpose of this lesson is for students to independently identify how to solve a problem or when to seek additional help with technology.

      Learning goal:

      I can become a classroom tech-spert at a specific task, and I know who other classroom tech-sperts are that I can talk to so I can problem solve a technology glitch.

       Process: Nominating Tech-Sperts

      Use the following three steps to guide students through the process of becoming experts in a technological process and then nominate students as tech-sperts for individual tasks.

      1. Lead a class discussion on what expert means. Then, with your class, define the term tech-spert as a technology expert. Explain to students that they will each become a tech-spert with an application, a program, or at taking care of devices.

      2. Through observation and notetaking, evaluate students’ fluency with using specific applications or device features in your classroom. As you identify individual student strengths, solicit volunteers who can answer questions about specific apps or glitches, and nominate them as tech-sperts for their area of expertise.

      3. Create and share a tech-spert anchor chart, like figure 1.6 (page 28), with your class so students know whom to go to when glitches or questions arise. Continue to monitor student abilities throughout the year and update your anchor chart as students gain proficiency in a variety of applications.

       Connections

      You can apply this lesson to different content areas in the following ways.

      • English language arts: Have partners work together to discuss advanced features of different apps and websites that you use in the classroom that are related to language instruction. Through classroom discussion, identify which students best understand a given app or website and nominate them as classroom tech-sperts.

      • Mathematics: Have classroom tech-sperts demonstrate how to use a mathematics app related to classroom instruction. Make them available to other students to answer any questions they have when trying to use the app.

Figure 1.6: Sample anchor chart for identifying tech-sperts.

Introducing LMS Features to Students

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