Teaching Middle School Kids Technology
Motivating Students with Lessons that are Interactive and Relevant
May 19, 2009
Technology can be motivating to a student because it requires active participation. When students are actively engaged with a lesson they are also developing higher-order thinking skills and practicing problem solving strategies. Whether teaching a new technology skill or using technology to motivate students, remember to keep the lessons interactive and relevant.
Teaching Technology to Middle School Students
Though technology in and of itself can be motivating, students will lose interest if it isn’t interactive and relevant. For example, when learning to type it is common practice to be interactive with the keyboard so the student’s fingers learn the key placement, but it can be more relevant if using interactive software that is a game or uses content that is aligned with other lessons in the classroom.
Junior high age students can learn about the computer parts by taking apart a machine. They can then physically hold and explore the components while researching what each is, how it is made and how it interacts with other parts. Then they can not only type a summary of their research but also include how this part is important for how they use a computer.
Using Technology to Motivate Students
Using technology as a motivator does not mean using it as a reward. Technology education should be available to all students, not just the ones who met the terms of the reward. Integrating its use into the curriculum allows for all students to learn how to work with various forms of technology, either through the lesson or from their peers. It also provides valuable practice with problem solving skills since students are more motivated to explore their interests and expand their knowledge.
Students can learn to use technology while learning other primary lessons. Glencoe provides technology integration information through its Teaching Today series. One of their highlights for middle school lessons is that students learn to use technology by doing other things. For example, a lesson can be taught through a WebQuest while providing students with valuable strategies for searching and using the web, students can collect and display their favorite assignments through a digital portfolio which exposes them to databases, or students can learn to communicate with others through E-Pals web sites.
Teachers know that technology is motivational for middle school students. The difficult part is designing lessons that integrate technology in ways that draw relevant connections to students’ lives. This piece will vary by regions, schools and even the individual makeup of each class but is a vital part to teaching technology to junior high students. By making the technology based lessons relevant and interactive students will motivate themselves to learn.
 |
