What does it seem like to kick off the varsity 12 months in a tech-friendly classroom? In the event you’re searching for first day of college actions, or one thing to check out the primary week of college (or anytime of 12 months), I’ve compiled a listing of a few of my favorites. These are “attempt tomorrow” actions which might be “low lifts” by way of content material. Nevertheless, they’re good for serving to college students get to know one another and learn to navigate an EdTech instrument you’ll use all year long.
In the event you’ve learn my books EdTech Necessities or Duties Earlier than Apps, you’ve in all probability seen me use the phrase “open-ended creation instruments.” These kinds of instruments are basically a clean canvas. College students can create a lot of various things as an alternative of only one factor. It’s a instrument you need to use for many totally different initiatives and in varied topic areas, too. For instance, a movie-making instrument, an book creation instrument, and a slide-based presentation instrument all fall into this class. I’ll point out a couple of under, however you would possibly have already got a favourite in your instrument belt.
First Day of Faculty Actions
All About Me
I really like an all-about-me venture! If I’ve visited your faculty or led a demo lesson in your classroom, I usually use this “low stakes” exercise to introduce a brand new piece of know-how to a bunch of scholars. This kind of exercise can examine many packing containers for a primary week or first day of college venture. As a substitute of asking college students to analysis new info or synthesize info from a bunch of sources, any such venture is decrease stakes and doesn’t have a “incorrect” reply because it’s all about them.
For any such exercise, you may need a easy construction for college kids like:
- embody your title
- share a purpose you’ve got for the autumn
- discuss a favourite piece of content material you’ve consumed this 12 months — like a guide, film, television present, podcast, or YouTube video
It’s a chance for college kids to learn to use a instrument for the primary time with out the stress of sharing one thing new they simply realized. Relying on the help your group wants, you would possibly give just a bit little bit of an introduction or mannequin extra explicitly how you already know what button to press when.
Do this out with Adobe Specific or Ebook Creator — two favourite open-ended creation instruments
Group Scavenger Hunt
You might go huge or small for any such first day of college exercise. For instance, you would possibly make a sequence of QR codes connecting hyperlinks that every play a brief video, audio clip, image, or article. I exploit the time period group broadly right here. This might embody your classroom group (good for elementary college students), your faculty constructing, or one other shared area like a media middle.
When college students scan a QR code, they will discover one thing like:
- a video that tells them a enjoyable reality a few workers member of the varsity
- an audio clip with info on expectations for that individual spot
- a brief message with directions on the place to go subsequent
Do this out with QRStuff — or ask college students to make their very own scavenger hunt by introducing the way to create QR Codes.
Seize Photos & Video
In the event you plan to make use of video and images loads this faculty 12 months, begin off the varsity 12 months with a camera-friendly exercise. As a substitute of asking college students to snap an image of a main supply doc and discuss what they realized — or an analogous activity that may be a heavy carry for the primary day of college — you would possibly ask college students to snap photos or report a video with a decrease stakes activity.
After introducing college students to the way to use the digicam on their system, ask them to:
- snap an image of one thing within the room formed like a circle
- report a video interviewing a classmate about their favourite colour
- take a selfie exhibiting how they’re feeling being again at school
Do this out with Seesaw or Flip (previously Flipgrid) — or use no matter camera-friendly instrument in your instrument belt this faculty 12 months.
Mannequin a Digital Learn Aloud
In school rooms the place college students won’t have entry to know-how on the primary day or first week of college, you would possibly need to attempt an exercise that doesn’t require college students to have their very own units. Use this as a chance to indicate college students the way you suppose aloud in regards to the distinctive options inside digital textual content as an alternative. This will lay the inspiration for modeling a talent like utilizing context clues that may come later within the 12 months.
As you mannequin a digital read-aloud, you would possibly say one thing like:
- I observed how after I faucet a phrase, it exhibits me the way to pronounce it.
- If I need to spotlight the textual content, all I’ve to do is drag my finger throughout it.
- I observed that the star button lets me add this guide to my favorites.
Do this out with Newsela or Epic! — or use this chance to introduce a platform the place college students will entry ebooks or articles this faculty 12 months.
Share a Favourite Shortcut
Did you catch my latest podcast episode that includes Google Calendar suggestions? Or see the Instagram Reel I created that includes the record? Properly, I really like a very good shortcut, and your college students may need a favourite keyboard shortcut to share, too. For instance, they could have found out the way to rapidly open a brand new tab in a Chrome browser. Or maybe they know the way to duplicate a slide when utilizing MS PowerPoint. If a keyboard shortcut isn’t one thing your college students use but, you would possibly ask them to share a favourite tech tip as an alternative.
To get college students began, you would possibly share examples and say one thing like:
- I do know that if my wifi isn’t linked, I all the time search for this image.
- A fast means I can copy and paste textual content is to make use of these keyboard shortcuts.
- After I use this shortcut, it makes my display brighter.
Do this out with Google Slides — college students can share their suggestions utilizing a single slide in Google Slides (or one other favourite) to make a category presentation of favourite suggestions.
Actions for the First Day of Faculty
What’s your favourite option to introduce a brand new piece of know-how to your college students? These actions for the primary day of college or the primary few weeks of college are an effective way to perform a number of targets. You may assist your college students develop into accustomed to a brand new piece of know-how, and provides them a low-stakes alternative to discover a brand new instrument. And you may assist them study their classmates when you get to know them a bit higher, too.
Do you’ve got a favourite venture for the primary day of college? share it on social media and tag me @ClassTechTips in your favourite social media platform (Instagram, Twitter, Fb).