Tech Rules!

The internet is a wonderful tool to help our students to learn, develop, and grow. Being able to use the internet and technology wisely is a life skill that will benefit them for the rest of their lives! According to Jay Donovan, writer for TechCrunch.com, "The average age for a child getting their first smartphone is now 10.3 years". Too often we hear about situations that occur with a child's device that could have been avoided if some simple rules had been put into place and followed. Below are some rules that should be followed in a classroom when students are using technology:

Additional Guidance

While the rules above are a great starting point, there are a few more points that are useful in the classroom. For example, you may need to have separate rules for cell phones, tablets, lap tops and computers. One easy rule that is not listed above would be that students should not use electronic devices during instructional time unless the activity involves the electronic device. Linda Starr, a digital safety expert with Educationworld.com, goes a step further and has "rules forbidding fooling around with the computer's C drive, removing the mouse ball, and changing icons and wallpaper on the desktop". Our children are extremely creative so it is extremely important to be prepared for anything.

Appropriate Consequences

Equally important is to have a set of concrete consequences in the event that a student decides not to follow the class rules. According to research from Gradelink.com (2016, August 27), you should "create consequences without disrupting classwork". If at all possible, it is crucial that the consequences put in place do not negatively impact the students ability to complete their classwork or negatively impact the other students in the class.

References:

Donovan, J. (2016, May 19). The Average age for a Child Getting Their First Smartphone is

10.3 Years. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/19/the-average-age-for-a-

child-getting-their-first-smartphone-is-now-10-3-years/.

Starr, L. (2011, June 14). Digital Safety | Computer Rules Prevent Problems. Retrieved from

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech044.shtml.

Gradelink. (2016, August 27). 6 Top Tips for Managing Technology in the Classroom. [Blog

post]. Retrieved from https://www.gradelink.com/blog/6-top-tips-for-managing-

technology-in-the-classroom.

Image References:

Duckworth, S. (2015, August 3). Blog.Whooosreading.org. Retrieved from

http://blog.whooosreading.org/10-classroom-rules-for-using-technology/.

Equitable Digital Access. (2015, August 24). Equitable Digital Access. Retrieved from

https://educatorpages.com/site/edtechproject/pages/equitable-digital-access.

Video References:

Skoczylas, M. (2015, August 21). Technology Class Rules. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpIJes73Ebk.

Watchwellcast. (2013, May 2). Safe Web Surfing: Top Tips for Kids and Teens Online.

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrln8nyVBLU.

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