Things to check before using educational technology

If you have decided to use computers in your curriculum, then you should be prepared in advance. Even if you are well-aware of everything, if your students know what to do, you should consider all the details and situations as everything can happen. Check out the following list of things to do before using a computer room.

1. Get to know whether the computer room is still available, there may be some changes in a timetable or some equipment may be on repair.
2. If the room is free, then check whether there`s any help for pupils with software usage. You can ask the ICT coordinator to bring some guides or you may create posters with keys by yourself and use them during the lesson.
3. Check the number of computers available, whether all of them work in an appropriate way, as this matters much to the way you organize your work during the lesson.
4. Check whether printing is possible, and whether you need to bring your own printing paper.
5. Check whether necessary software is installed and works.
6. Upload files and materials you need for the lesson on the computers, if there`s Internet connection you may share it there. You may ask a coordinator to help you with this.
7. Check whether it will be easy for pupils to get needed files. Think of directions you can tell them to find the materials quickly.
8. Check whether pupils need to have own user`s ID to log in the Internet. If yes, make sure you bring the passwords.
9. Check whether these IDs will let students use the materials you have prepared for them. Do this in advance not to waste time solving problems during the lesson.
10. Make sure you can quickly demonstrate your presentation on the whiteboard. If you are not sure in something, then ask a coordinator and get prepared for the lesson. Think of all the nuances that may happen.
11. Pupils should use computers with a certain goal not just because you have booked a computer room.
12. Prepare some additional activities, which can be done without computers in case there`s no electricity or something goes wrong in the middle of a lesson.
13. If you would like to use some websites, then check whether they are not blocked by the school computer system, check the ads, which appear, whether they are not pornographic ones.
14. If you are going to ask students to do some research work on the lesson, prepare some sources to warm them up and show what exactly they should look for.