Friday, July 6, 2012

Techielit Techs

In a classroom full of 30 students and only one teacher, it's difficult to answer all of my students' tech questions. Last year I decided to form a mini-club to help deal with this issue.

The Techielit Techs are an elite group of students who meet once a month to discuss and explore new technology. I started the process with an application form. I only wanted students who were interested in technology and helping others. I do offer a small amount of extra credit for participation... and a button (which apparently was the reason many of them applied!).

These students are my mini-me's during class time. If a student has a question about how to format a document or update their ePortfolio, I'll direct him to a Techielit Tech. This gives me more time to float around the room and check in with various groups of students.

What excited me this past year were those students who signed up and were interested in learning about technology, but didn't have a lot of experience. Their confidence in helping other students rose tremendously by the end of the course. They were unafraid to tackle new web apps and put their problem solving skills to work.

Looking forward to next year, I want to do more with my Techielit Techs. I plan on more activities to help us gel as a group. I'm also on the lookout for online competitions that we can work on together. If you have any suggestions, please send them my way.

I know this is a bit odd in a literature classroom. I am not the computer teacher! I am heavily invested in helping my students see and understand that technology is not limited to the computer classroom and after-school activities. It is and should be a fluid tool in any curriculum.

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