I'm trying to help a co-worker who is having a challenge, but I've never taught computers, so I'm unsure how to help. I teach elementary school. She teaches middle school and also 11th and 12th grade, and several of her students consistently finish early. She's a first year teacher and doesn't know what to have the students do when they finish an assignment early. I've never taught her subject matter before so I'm at a bit of a loss. She's currently letting them practice typing if they finish early. I think it would be useful if she had a plan for her higher acheiving students. Right now, I think she's coming up with things to keep them busy on the spur of the moment. Some differentiation here might help, but as I said, she's new and still learning. If anyone has any ideas to share, I would really appreciate it.
On 11/30/16, bgmx wrote: > I'm trying to help a co-worker who is having a challenge, > but I've never taught computers, so I'm unsure how to > help. I teach elementary school. She teaches middle > school and also 11th and 12th grade, and several of her > students consistently finish early. She's a first year > teacher and doesn't know what to have the students do > when they finish an assignment early. I've never taught > her subject matter before so I'm at a bit of a loss. > She's currently letting them practice typing if they > finish early. I think it would be useful if she had a > plan for her higher acheiving students. Right now, I > think she's coming up with things to keep them busy on > the spur of the moment. Some differentiation here might > help, but as I said, she's new and still learning. If > anyone has any ideas to share, I would really appreciate > it.
Another avenue I've been working on is using that time as an avenue for developing critical thinking/creativity skills. I've developed a set of activities where the students are given pictures of three things (could be paper clips, paper towel rolls, plastic cups, combs, index cards, etc.) and they must design something that wold be useful to the public. It could be a bird feeder, toy, catapult, key holder, or whatever. The students love it, and they get an opportunity to hone their "outside-the-box" thinking skills. You can get a free copy of the activity over on mitchfairchild.com.
On 11/30/16, bgmx wrote: > I'm trying to help a co-worker who is having a challenge, > but I've never taught computers, so I'm unsure how to > help. I teach elementary school. She teaches middle > school and also 11th and 12th grade, and several of her &g...See More