Technology Tips for the Classroom
June 1999
Kathleen Eilers crandall
NTID English Department
Computers and technology will do little to advance education without technology-literate teachers. For technology
to have a significant positive effect on education, we will need technology-literate teachers who are highly
knowledgeable in their subject area.
Recommended reading for anyone wanting to incorporate technology in the classroom
In a poll taken early last year U.S. teachers ranked computer skills and media technology as more "essential" than
the study of European history, biology, chemistry, and physics; than dealing with social problems such as drugs and
family breakdown; than learning practical job skills; and than reading modern American writers such as Steinbeck
and Hemingway or classic ones such as Plato and Shakespeare.” (Todd Oppenheimer; The Atlantic, June 1977.
(http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/ 97jul/computer.htm) (accessed June 1999)
We need to teach the whys and ways of the world. Tools come and tools go. Teaching our children tools limits
their knowledge to these tools and hence limits their futures. (Michael Bellino, electrical engineer at Boston
University's Center for Space Physics)
How has technology enhanced my teaching effectiveness?
 Students can have a more active role in learning because their work is more visible to others.
 Students get faster feedback for learning when they don’t need to wait until class periods to turn in assignments
or wait until class periods to get comments on assignments. This is especially important for language learning.
 Better-looking materials are more appealing and promote greater interest.
 I have more flexibility with computer displayed materials because I can make modifications immediately or
shortly after teaching.
1. I can capture students’ questions and incorporate them in class materials.
2. I can upload course materials so students can review them after class.
Examples:
 Interactive class notes
 Handouts are available during off-class hours.
Class notes sites at http://www.rit.edu/~kecncp (accessed June 1999)
 Presentations to accompany reading materials
[\\NLCSRV1\class work\Crandall\English 102\GRR-Ch5.ppt]
 See Slides 2,3,5 – promote prereading interest
 See Slide 10 – study clues
 See Slides 29,30,31 – feedback while studying
[\\NLCSRV1\class work\Crandall\English 102\GRR-Ch4.ppt]
 See Slides 5 – provide supplementary information for reading
 See Slides 25-33 – applying mapping strategies for understanding text
 Interactive essay assignments
 Using reading – writing skills in off-class hours
 Teacher – Student communication (E-Logs and E-Journals)
 Student – Student – [Teacher] communication (English chat rooms)
http://www.rit.edu/~kecncp/ideas/chatdoor.html (accessed June 1999)
5335745473/8/2016 2:55:00 AM
1
How should you prepare for class, and what can you do if technology fails?
 When a teacher first uses technology, more time is needed for development and preparation. This reverses after
materials are developed and the teacher is familiar with the technology.
 Some general principles to follow are:
1. Allocate sufficient time to set up until you are highly familiar with your equipment.
2. Sometimes 10 minutes between classes is insufficient.
3. Get the schedule for a room to find out when the room is free and go over set up before the day of the class.
4. Keep notes on the steps you must follow to set up. Not all rooms are the same.
5. Practice with your equipment before the class day.
6. Don’t allow technology to consume valuable teaching time. On the day of the class, get to class early
enough so all equipment is on when students arrive. If this is not possible, have a short activity for students
to do while you set up.
7. Make friends with the technology staff. Make sure they know your needs well in advance. Know who to
contact and how to contact your technology staff.
8. Have alternate plans when technology fails. This doesn’t mean you should always have paper copies or
overhead copies of your materials; it means you must have something to do, not necessarily the same
materials nor for the same objectives.
What are some issues related to readability of information prepared for projection in the classroom?
 The issues for readability are essentially the same for high and low technology materials.
 Regarding text complexity - Students do not read materials that are too difficult because they are unable to learn
from them. Also, students will not learn from materials that are too easy because there is very little new
information to learn from them.
 Follow good visual design principles for displaying materials to be read:
1. Direct students’ attention by limiting the text on the screen to the point you are making.
2. Competing messages are distracting.
3. Display conceptually related information.
4. Don’t display visual distracting information.
5. Allocate sufficient time to look at the display. It is difficult for students to have to look back and forth
between the display and the teacher.
6. Do not display more than 6 to 8 lines of text at once, or more than 2 graphics at once, or an equivalent
combination of text and graphics.
7. Use large enough type size, preferably 24 point to 32 point.
8. Don’t use such a large type size that reading suffers; it is difficult to read when only 2 or 3 words of a
thought are visible.
9. Use color schemes to maximize clarity.
 Know techniques for changing print size.
For example:
1. You can change MS Word quickly. Use ctrl A to select all information, and then change type size. This will
not affect other formatting and will ensure that a full line is visible. A full line is not visible when you
increase by zooming. Try it with this document.
2. Very quickly, you can change Netscape Communicator. Use Ctrl ] to make text larger, and Ctrl [ to
make text smaller. Try it with this a web page. (NOTE: Use Ctrl + and Ctrl - with new versions of
Netscape.)
3. In MS Internet Explorer, you need to override the default settings for type size.
4. Set PowerPoint type size during the development stage; later you will need to shuffle information to
accommodate a larger type size.
5. With MS Excel and MS Access, you can use the magnifier utility in Windows 98. The magnifier will work
with all programs, but is more distracting to students than the above techniques.
 When you are selecting and designing materials for a visualizer (video camera document reader), remember that
enlarging does not compensate for line length. Thus, you will reduce line length when you enlarge.
1. An easy way to solve this problem is to design your materials for the visualizer with two columns.
2. If you intend to display students’ class work, ask students to fold their papers in half length-wise to make
two columns.
 Students with visual-motor needs may need a special easy-to-manipulate mouse or may need to learn shortcut
keys to manipulate programs.
5335745473/8/2016 2:55:00 AM
2

Students with limited sight may not see text or graphics on a classroom display. They may need their own
individual screen with a magnifier utility
How do you make sure that technology enhances rather than hampers effective instruction, especially
communication?
 Use technology when it serves a specific purpose in your teaching. Don’t use technology for the sake of using
technology; your teaching will suffer. There is no clear evidence that computer technology or the internet is the
wonderful educational panacea it was promised to be. (Todd Oppenheimer. The Computer Delusion. Atlantic
Monthly. July 1997)
 When you see technology getting in the way of your teaching, do not use it.
 Technology does not improve poor teaching. It may, however, make good teaching better.
 Overuse of technology, or overuse of any one particular display style, doesn’t promote interest in learning.
What are some of the communication issues you have faced?
 A classroom loaded with equipment can reduce visibility of signs when the teacher or students have equipment
in the way of their hands.
 In a classroom in which students and teacher have computers, it is often a challenge to regain students’
attention.
1. You and your students need to agree on a procedure that you will use to get students’ attention. For
example, you may agree to flash a display on the screens of those students whose attention you want.
Make sure students know what message will be displayed. Make sure the students understand that they
will temporarily lose control of their keyboard, but that this disruption doesn’t cause them to lose their
work.
2. Plan your class time so there are not too many switches back and forth between teacher display and student
displays. I find it reasonable to start with a teacher display; next, go to an individual or a small group
student activity on computers; then return to a common (teacher or one student) display for the remainder
of the class time.
What are some special issues regarding the interaction of Deaf students and technology?
 As with any population, there is considerable variation in experience students have had with technology.
 A few students have had little exposure to technology and will experience technology anxiety. The teacher
must meet separately with these students until they feel comfortable in the technology-loaded classroom.
 A greater challenge is in developing skills to use the technology intelligently. This involves:
1. Teaching students how to select the right information.
2. Teaching students how to evaluate materials for relevance to assignments, for readability, and for
credibility. The first two areas – relevancy and readability – need to be applied to traditional library and
text materials as well. The last area, credibility, must be developed to a higher degree when using internet
materials.
 Teachers have added responsibilities when making web assignments.
1. When teachers direct students to outside web sites, teachers need to have selected and reviewed relevant
sites.
2. Teachers need to be aware of the changing nature of web sites.
3. Teachers who want to prepare their own web sites need to develop new skills.
What are some tips for preparing effective presentations?
http://www.udel.edu/learn/technology/tt4delivery.html#effective (accessed June 1999)
1. Test your presentation on equipment that is identical to what you will actually be using. Some colors that look
fine on a computer monitor do not look as good on a projected video screen.
2. Keep in mind when developing your presentation that some laptops cannot display graphics details or
gradations as well as desktop computers. When using a laptop and LCD panel, you may be limited to 640x480
resolution and 256 colors. Capabilities for projection units vary.
3. Most laptops support simultaneous internal video (on the built-in screen) and external video (for the projected
image). Be sure you know the function keys necessary to activate this feature for your laptop.
4. Minimizing the light in a room maximizes the visibility of your projected image. Consider turning down lights
and closing blinds and doors.
5335745473/8/2016 2:55:00 AM
3
5.
6.
7.
8.
Turn off your computer screen saver prior to the presentation to avoid loss of your video image.
Connecting to the campus computer network requires changing the network address for the computer you will
use. You need to know how to change that setting for your operating system.
Laptop users will want to bring power adapters and ethernet cables for their computers. It is often helpful to
bring along an external mouse for easier navigating during a presentation. Wireless mice also are an option. Be
sure that the necessary mouse driver software is installed prior to your presentation.
PowerPoint and other slide presentation programs suggest the following guidelines:
maximum six words per line
maximum six points per slide
maximum one main idea per slide image
maximum three colors and two fonts per slide
minimum font size of 18 points
What are some tips for developing effective course web sites? (from
http://www.eng.clemson.edu/~laptop/tips.html, accessed June 1999)
Ten years of research shows that active learning is more effective than the lecture only mode.
The laptop should be used to enhance good teaching practice, not replace it.
A course web site can be a valuable communication tool.
Course web sites should have a minimal content:
Syllabus.
Course objectives.
Discussion board (with at least a "Meet the Class” topic).
Additional content might include
Announcements: a place to look for late breaking news.
Calendar page: a sentence or two about what you did or are about to do during a class period.
Outlines of course material:
Homework assignments:
Project assignments:
Student teams: for group projects and jigsaw homework assignments.
Library and web resources:
Download page: class simulations, tutorials, worksheets.
On-line reading tests, tests of mastery, basic skills tests: provide instant feedback for both student and
instructor.
Surveys: find out more about your students, access your students' learning styles.
Chat area.
Private discussion boards for workgroups.
Access to information about grades.
Course web site access modes: public, private, semi-private.
What is a productive design for a homepage?
Put all essential information within one screen size (800x600 is recommended)
Try to design the homepage so it loads quickly. The smaller, the better -- total load time target is under 30 seconds.
Use meaningful graphics.
Use text that communicates your point clearly.
Give users options for linking to the topics they need to use. See examples at
http://www.winmag.com/web/howto/ultimate.htm. (accessed June 1999)
Include a link to a site map if you have a more complex site.
Build templates that will work for you.
You can build a start page easily with a free download at http://www.oneseek.com/SmartStart.htm. (accessed June
1999)
Tips from David W. Methvin. (Dare to Design. Windows Magazine, Winter 1999)
 Avoid very large tables (browser waits until entire table is loaded, break up large tables into several smaller
ones)
 Don’t use graphics that must be loaded to understand the page. Include HTML ALT text; for image maps, also
put text links on the page.
 Large image tricks:
5335745473/8/2016 2:55:00 AM
4





use a thumbnail on the main page
add the LOWSRC tag to the image and load that as a preview image
Use color, not graphics to speed things up
Pick the best format
Jpeg compresses the most and looks the best for photographic images
Gif is good for small images and line art
Always use height and width so browser will leave a correctly sized hole for the image and move on to render
other items without waiting for the image to load.
Repeat performance – reuse images that are already in the cache on successive pages. Tweak them with new
height and width settings.
Don’t use Java, ActiveX, or graphics when HTML and JavaScript will do. JavaScript takes much less time to
load than a Java/ActiveX control or an animated GIF.
What classroom design principles improve teaching and learning? http://classrooms.com/principles.html#design
(accessed June 1999)
Empower Faculty
 Provide the technology that faculty request in enough campus classrooms to meet instructional requirements.
 Pedagogy should drive the design.
 Focus on a user-friendly approach with attention to simple controls and signage.
 Presenters should be able to operate equipment at eye-level, without undignified crawling around on the floor or
fumbling with poorly labeled controls in the dark.
 In addition, dual window coverings, multiple screens, functional light switching and ceiling fans give presenters
control over the classroom environment.
Emphasize Flexibility
 Serve multiple users with many teaching styles.
 Designs should include many options while excluding very few.
 Technology that faculty need must be permanently placed in the classroom.
 Cabinets or closets are needed for storage.
 Cover the front of the room with boards and screens. The design must permit projecting images on the screen
and using the board at the same time.
 Two screens permit simultaneous display of multiple images for comparing and contrasting.
 Classrooms should be easy to change as presentation technologies evolve and screen proportions widen.
Encourage Interaction
 Create a collaborative learning environment with instructor as a mentor.
 Provide easy access around the room. Curved rows provide the essential eye contact for convening an
interactive class rather than just conducting a collective assembly.
 The lectern for the presentation computer needs to be small and placed at the right or left front of the room,
allowing the presenter to face the audience. Small lecterns do not create the psychological barriers between
presenter and audience that complex bunkers do.
Stress Simplicity
 Make classroom technology as simple, friendly and non-intimidating as possible.
 Technology should inspire presenters who rely on improvisation, spontaneity and audience participation.
 The addition of computers should not make simple AV devices like overhead transparencies, slides and
television more difficult to use.
 A simple lectern with "plug & show" capability permits the presenter to display laptop computer output on a
large screen. Complex installations tend to be awkward, expensive to change and require almost continuous
upgrading.
What special communication skills will students need to master? http://www.fresno.edu/dept/sps/tutor/ (accessed
June 1999)
1. Establishing communication with the course instructor
2. Joining the course listserve / mailing list
3. Using a Web Discussion Board
4. Sending attached files
5. Search Engines
5335745473/8/2016 2:55:00 AM
5
6. Web Indexes
Online Communication Skills: Self-Assessment -- http://www.webproject.org/info/onlineas.shtml (accessed June
1999)
Place a check mark next to the skills that you think you have acquired, regardless of their level. To perform at a
basic level, participants need to gain the skills listed at Level 4. This doesn't happen overnight, so please don't panic!
What are some tips for successful search engine use?
(Windows Magazine, Winter 1999)
Following these steps will save time and yield better results:
1. Use a specialty search engine if one is available for your topic
2. Try a metasearch (a simultaneous search of a number of data bases)
3. Use enough words, not just one or two and include synonyms
4. Search for exact phrases
5. Avoid letters and numbers
6. Forget Boolean unless you are willing to learn each engine’s idiosyncrasies (AND, NOT, OR , NEAR are
interpreted in different ways; some parse left to right; others assign operator priorities)
7. Use plus (+) and minus (-) signs to indicate what should and should not be included
8. Do not forget Usenet
Excellent information on using search engine is available at:(all accessed June 1999)
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/MetaSearch.html
http://www.seekhelp.com
http://www.searchenginewatch.com
Some metasearch engines are:
http://www.dogpile.com
http://www.oneseek.com
5335745473/8/2016 2:55:00 AM
6