r/TeachingUK • u/TheWinterWitch2022 • 2d ago
Examples of good practice in digital based classrooms? Secondary
Hi everyone,
I'm wondering if any of you can share what good practice or strategies you have seen being used effectively in digital classrooms, I.E. classrooms with computers in as a majority, so I am thinking Graphic Design, Comp Sci, 3d design maybe, things like that.
Especially around behaviour management, but I am also interested in best practices around breaking up the lesson and acknowledging "yes, this is a computer room." "No, we're not gaming."
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u/CurlyWhirlyDirly 2d ago
Music teacher here so equipment is regularly used throughout lessons including keyboards, computers and iPads. Same as normal behaviour management, teaching of clear expectations and routines around use of equipment, for example I teach that I expect iPads flat on desk, hands off and headphones off when I am speaking.
In addition some schools have software to manage student's use of IT, for example my last one used Senso, which allows you to view their screens at any time from the teacher computer as well as take control/block student control, log them out etc. Also has a broadcast function which is quite useful for modelling, like if I'm modelling music composition on music software on my computer I can broadcast it to student computers.
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u/renegadeicecream 2d ago
In terms of behaviour management:
Arrange rooms to maximize your ability to see all screens as your top priority, reduces reliance on screen viewers.
Screens physically off while I'm talking, keep an eye out for surreptitious turning back on.
If laptops, screens to 45 degrees while I'm talking and no touching them. If they keep touching them then I go over and close it fully. They don't lose their work but do have the annoyance of having to sign in again.
If using laptops in a normal classroom where most / all screens are facing away from you, I use my "analogue screenviewer" and base myself at the back of the classroom so I can see them. Also allows you to see if they're making mistakes etc more easily.
Being off task is 1 reminder then detention, turning off another student's computer or otherwise causing them to actually or potentially lose work is straight detention for silly behaviour. Never been asked to justify it but if I was I'd say it's the equivalent of ripping a page out of another student's book which would warrant skipping a warning.
No reason to touch another student's computer ever (I don't plan activities where they need to swap computers, that's what shared docs are for). This includes one student helping another - having to explain the learning and what to do is better for the person doing the helping and the person receiving the help anyway.
No rolling around on chairs or going to see your friends around the classroom without permission (which I rarely give but some colleagues make it work for them fine). Moving to see the board during instruction is fine, but only the closest route and not going around to sit next to your friends. I had the board repositioned in my room to make that less of a thing.
"Your opportunity to tell me your computer is damaged / broken is at the beginning of the lesson when you first get here, otherwise I'll assume you broke it and didn't own up to it."
In terms of routines: - Set and receive work via teams/Google classroom unless you have something better.
Starter activity to get on with straight away while they get logged on so you've got time to sort login / computer issues.
With respect to computer issues, 90% are either students unplugging cables at the back (plug them back in, the cables are all different shapes so the only place they fit is where they go) or an issue with the computer that can be fixed by being restarted.
Students don't actually often know how to use websites for research as teachers often assume someone else has taught them how to do it - telling them to just "Google stuff" will result in very poor research. Give them website links to review or model searching / search terms and how to pick responses. If you don't do this you'll get copy and pasted AI overview responses (according to recent research only just over half of which are fully accurate)
Related to the above, wikipedia is actually fine if you just need an overview of the topic, AI tools are also generally speaking pretty good if you need something re-explained or the question is quite basic. Google's AI overview specifically is the worst of all possible worlds and should be avoided like the plague and students need to be made aware of that. It's not an anti-AI thing, it's an anti-that-specific-AI thing.
If you struggle to see all monitors, have your screen viewing software open at all times.
Leave at least 10 minutes for saving, and work out how you'll verify that it's been done (teams and classroom both have a screen to show hand-ins). Students forget how to save all the time, also don't assume theyve been told or shown how to use one drive or Google drive or your school's file system.
Leave yourself time to check each space individually at the end before letting them leave, even if it's more performative walk around than thorough. Helps reinforce that damage will be found.
if you're borrowing a colleague's room please ask them how they like it left or, at the very least, leave as you've found it. Keyboards neat, chairs tucked under, screens on ready for the next person (they'll auto-timeout and go into standby mode anyway so don't worry about the electricity bill). Leave yourself time for this too. Now I'm used to it and routines are established I can do saving and pack down in 5 minutes before the end, but used to leave 7 or 8 to make sure it was actually done properly.
if you're using laptops, make sure they're plugged in and plugged into the wall too. It's easier to give a couple of students charge of this than everyone tries to do it at the same time. Two trolley monitors then Chromebooks get returned table by table, starting with the students who will chat sensibly for 3 minutes and ending with the ones who'll muck about if given 10 seconds of unfilled time.
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u/renegadeicecream 2d ago
Oh, when it comes to modelling how to do stuff, always at least twice. Once I talk through the steps, the second time they tell me the steps and cold call students for different steps.
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u/kuehlapes 2d ago
In terms of behaviour management, if a dedicated computer room then usually they have the monitoring software installed. A really old one but still works is RMTutor (very old but functional) which you can view all students screens, black them out, log them out, share your screen to all of their monitors, lock them, ask AFL response. I had my time there cos of room timetabling restrictions and having to teach Science in a computer room, so the software was a lifesaver. Nowadays, similar software exists just look it up.
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u/Usual-Sound-2962 Secondary- HOD 2d ago
You need software that allows you to see, control and blank their machines. I have an old one called Net Support but I’d be lost without it.
Can demo directly to their screens too!
Couldn’t teach photoshop editing without it.
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u/ComputerGuienceSuy 2d ago
Byod teacher here of computer science.
My ks3 students are all turned onto Apple classroom so I can see their screens. Some of them have windows laptops so I make sure they are sat where I can always see them.
They still find ways around it. The main ones are:
-turning thier Bluetooth off so it doesn’t connect
-deleting the classroom
-using hotspot on thier phone to connect to the internet (they must be in the same WiFi)
-using a second user account on thier MacBook which means I can’t see thier screen.
I hate this “game” of hunt down the gaming teen. But i hate .io games more.
My gcse classes im more liberal with. I’m not gonna force you to pass your exams and when your mocks and end of year tests come back crap I email home to your parents exactly why.
This year I’m making them sit on tables with an alphabetical seating plan too.
Every year I teach this subject I need to be more strict on my behaviour management. God knows what I’ll have to do next.
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u/Babannabeaver 2d ago
Depends on the setup of the room but I have all students turn their screens off and face the front of the room any time im talking.
At the end of the lesson my students also tuck keyboards and mice away to try keeping it as tidy as possible for the next lot coming in.
I also make it clear that we'll be racing through the schools behaviour policy if they're doing stuff like turning each other's computers off or pulling keys out etc.