Cyber Monday Prep
By Brittany Washburn
Grades K-8 Technology Integration
What teacher wants to spend the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas break lesson planning meaningful, engaging activities? We want to sit back and just make it to break without going gray.
This year, I want to help with that goal. These are my favorite low-prep technology-integrated activities that will impress your administrators without causing you one bit of stress.
This complete unit is great for upper elementary students. Each concept has an instructional video and foldable activity for an interactive notebook. The best part is that by the time your students have had all 14 lessons, they will be able to create the most incredible PowerPoint presentations without any of your help. Imagine how impressed their classroom teachers will be if you send them back with the ability to make a professional presentation without asking for help along the way!
Every student needs research skills. This 7 lesson unit provides them with all of the steps for responsible and effective online research and all of the work is done for you (the teacher). Simply load the Microsoft Word files to a password-protected page on your class website and then step back and watch the learning unfold. With right-there questions from the linked learning modules, your students can complete all 7 lessons independently. End the 7 weeks of lessons with a research project and I guarantee it will be the easiest 2 months of classes ever! (This assumes you see your students once a week like me- timeline may vary)
For your youngest students, teach them Microsoft Word skills with these instructional videos and Word templates. It will require your students to be readers so that they can follow simple text directions. I do these lessons with late first grade or beginning 2nd graders (sometimes both, depending on the group of students and their skill retention). Also note that I have similar units for PowerPoint and Excel.
I don’t know about how it is at your school, but this time of year when the technology breaks (projectors, laptops, iPads, etc.) teachers freak out. That is why I developed units that require very little of my input. I am always being pulled out of my classroom to go fix something. When a TA or a teacher has to trade places with me, I can walk away confidently because I know my students won’t need much help. These also make great substitute plans. Last school year I had to be out for a week unexpectedly, and it was so stress-free because I just used a unit like these for each grade level.
How do you stay sane this time of year? Are you organized in your planning? Do you have the required I Can Statements for your classes? Join my stress-free teaching lifestyle. You can thank me later 😉
p.s. Since I want this to be the best holiday season ever, I’m giving you an opportunity to win some money! Enter the giveaway below.
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