Connected Tech Helping teach technologyapplications in the core curriculum
Getting Started Guide
Classroom Connect®
Connected Tech Helping teach technologyapplications in the core curriculum
Getting Started Guide
Copyright 2004 by Classroom Connect, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy,recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission inwriting from the publisher.
CLASSROOM CONNECT and design is a trademark of Classroom Connect, Inc.,a Harcourt Education Company, registered in the United States of Americaand/or other jurisdictions. All other trademarks, service marks, and tradenames referred to herein are the property of their respective owners, and theiruse does not indicate endorsement or approval hereof.
Classroom Connect, Inc.A Harcourt Education Company8000 Marina Blvd., Suite 400Brisbane, CA 94005
Produced in the United States of America
ISBN 1-58282-165-8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2004
What are educators saying about Connected Tech?
ii http://tech.classroom.com
I have received my own kits for
Connected Tech and am as happy
as a lark. I have been working toward
this end for eight years and your
company has made my life a little less
stressful with an outstanding
INTEGRATED program.
Technology should not be another
thing to try to teach, but a way to
integrate and enhance your students’
acquisition of the learning being
addressed to support local results.
Teaching and learning are more
effective and fun through the use
of technology!—Cynthia BayukProgram Coordinator for Staff Development and Assessment
—Tracy W. JacksonTeacher
”’’
”’’”’’
”’’
What’s in this guide?
Connected Tech iii
About Connected TechWhat is Connected Tech?
What does Connected Tech provide?
What types of resources are there?
What do Connected Tech resources include?
How do my students use Connected Tech?
What work do students create?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1 1
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Activation and Sign-in How do I activate my subscription?
How do my students and I sign in?
Student sign-in cards
What kind of help is there?
Additional help
Using Connected TechHow do I use Connected Tech?
Where do I start?
How else can I find resources?
How can I evaluate my choices?
How do I assign a resource?
How do I teach with Connected Tech?
What types of assessments are there?
How do I keep track of what I taught?
What is Connected Tech?
1 http://tech.classroom.com
Whether you’re a computer novice or a technology expert, Connected Tech…
• Is easy to use,
• Saves planning time,
• Fits seamlessly into your current curriculum,
• Contributes to overall student achievement in core subjects,
• Improves technology literacy, and
• Motivates students to learn!
The best way to prepare students for their future is to equip them with the technology
skills they need to succeed. That’s why Classroom Connect created Connected Tech,
a Web-based, instructional program that teaches students real software applications
as they explore concepts in reading and language arts, math, science, and social studies.
What does Connected Tech provide?
Connected Tech 2
Connected Tech is for you and your students. There is a teacher view where you choose grade-specificresources, and there is an age-appropriate student view where your choices are presented to students.Connected Tech provides this in an online program that you and your students view over the Internet.
Teacher View Student View
Teacher view Student view
You get…• Hundreds of ready-made, K–8 resources that integrate
technology into the core curriculum,
• Detailed lesson plans and a Teacher’s Guide to guide you in using technology in the classroom, and
• Tools to choose and keep track of the activities your students use.
Students get…• A shared home page with engaging, age-appropriate
activities that you choose,
• Step-by-step instructions, examples, and ready-to-usetemplates for real software applications, and
• Just-in-time tips to help them along the way.
What types of resources are there?
Connected Tech offers a variety of resources designed with your busy schedule in mind. With little or nocomputer experience, the resources help you successfully integrate technology into your curriculum.
3 http://tech.classroom.com
Tutorials introduce thebasics of popular softwareapplications and othertechnology topics.
Tutorials
Resources to Teach Technology SkillsResources to Teach a Technology Integration Curriculum
Helpful Tips provide just-in-time support as students use software applications and step through activities.
Helpful Tips
Lessons provide practicein technology skills andintegrate key concepts inreading and languagearts, math, science, andsocial studies.
Lessons
Projects give studentsthe opportunity to applytechnology skills inmultidisciplinary, open-ended activities.
Projects
Supporting Resources
The Web Library provides links to more than 11,000 prescreened Web sites.
The Glossary defines hundreds of common technical terms.
For example:
• Learn to Use Microsoft® Word
• Learn to Use HyperStudio®
• Learn to Use AppleWorks®
For example:
• Check Spelling
• Cite Internet Sources
• Copy and Paste Data
For example:
• Second-graders make a slide show explaining how to make cookies.
For example:
• Fifth-graders collaborate to create a Civil War newspaper using desktop publishing skills.
What do Connected Tech resources include?
Connected Tech 4
Connected Tech’s resources include step-by-step teaching procedures, tips to adapt instruction, andassessments. Classroom Connect has correlated the resources to the ISTE NETS•S—the NationalEducational Technology Standards for Students.
Each resource includes a detailed lesson plan.
Teaching procedure
Assessment
Technology standards
How do my students use Connected Tech?
Students see only the age-appropriate student view with the activities you choose. They have fun clicking through the illustrated, step-by-step instructions and get hands-on experience and help as they use real software applications to create work.
5 http://tech.classroom.com
Students follow age-appropriate instructions to create work using real software applications.
Grade 5 student activity
In-progress student work
AppleWorks Presentation
Students get timelyand relevant helpwith technology.
What work do students create?
Connected Tech 6
Your students will be excited to show off the work they create and the technology skills they learn.Here is some work created by real students after completing Connected Tech activities.
Presentation created by a fifth-grader
Book illustration created by a first-grader
Poster created by a sixth-grader
AppleWorks Presentation
Microsoft Word
HyperStudio
How do I use Connected Tech?
Planning and teaching with technology are easy with Connected Tech. You find resources, assignappropriate activities to your students, teach using the comprehensive lesson plans, and assessstudents using checklists, quizzes, and rubrics.
7 http://tech.classroom.com
Find Look through Connected Tech’s
resources, reviewing the lesson
plans and student activities.
AssignAssign those activities that
meet your current teaching
objectives.
TeachFollow the lesson plans to
prepare and introduce the
material, then provide
support as students step
through instructions.
AssessUse the assessment resources
to determine student mastery
of lesson objectives and
technology skills.
Where do I start?
Connected Tech 8
Connected Tech’s Ready to Go! SetsTM are a great place to start. These collections of resources take careof planning and pacing for the entire school year. In just one hour a week you can teach the Ready to Go!Sets for your grade level and cover all the technology standards.
Ready to Go! Sets take care ofplanning and pacing for you.
Grade 4 Ready to Go! Set
Find Assign Teach Assess
How else can I find resources?
You can also quickly find resources using the easy-to-navigate resource catalog. Find a math activity that uses spreadsheets or a word processing activity for reading and language arts.The right resource is just a click away!
9 http://tech.classroom.com
Find resources by subject, technology topic,or software application.
Find resources bytechnology topic.
Find resourcesby subject.
Find resources
Find resources by software application.
Find Assign Teach Assess
How can I evaluate my choices?
Connected Tech 10
As you look for resources, summaries help you quickly find the right match for your curriculum. In a click you can read the lesson plan or take a look at the student activity. Or, flag resources that you wantto come back to later.
Review the lesson plan andstudent activity. Or, flag itfor later.
See the studentinstructions. Flag this resource
for later.
Word processing resources
Lesson plan
Find Assign Teach Assess
How do I assign a resource?
Just look for the Assign button to add an activity to the student view. In one glance, you see what youassigned and when.
11 http://tech.classroom.com
Click the Assign button to add an activity to the student view.
Current assignments Student home page
Find Assign Teach Assess
How do I teach with Connected Tech?
Connected Tech 12
Use Connected Tech just like your other favorite teaching resources—follow the lesson plan to prepareand gather materials, introduce the activity to your students, then provide guidance as they work.Connected Tech helps you teach technology with confidence.
?
Integrate technology into your normal routine by following the lesson plan. Confidently answer questions by reviewing the student instructions beforehand.
Find Assign Teach Assess
Built-in Technology and Content Assessments Stand-alone Technology Assessments
What types of assessments are there?
Connected Tech’s assessments inform your instructional decisions and help you evaluate student skills. You can assign technology-related assessments to your students, or evaluate their technology and content skills using the built-in assessments.
13 http://tech.classroom.com
Self-assessment checklists allow students to evaluate theirown technology skills before orafter activities.
Quizzes assess how much students know about a particular technology afterthey’ve had several experiences with it.
Self-AssessmentChecklists
Quizzes
Assessment checklists help you determine if studentsmet activity objectives.
Rubrics help you clarify what is expected of students andassess their work.
Assessment Checklists Rubrics
Grade 1 project rubric Grades K–2 word processing quiz
Find Assign Teach Assess
How do I keep track of what I taught?
Connected Tech 14
Connected Tech keeps track of your assignments and the technology standards they addressed. As theyear progresses, remove old assignments when students are finished, then use the Tech StandardsReport to help you identify what to teach next.
Review your past assignmentsand the Tech Standards Report.
Grades 3–5 Tech Standards Report
Remove finishedassignments.
Current assignments
See your past assignments.
How do I activate my subscription?
Activate your subscription today! It’s easy and you only have to do it once. In just a few minutes, you’ll befinding and assigning activities you can use now.
15 http://tech.classroom.com
Connected Tech sign-in page
Step 1 Go to the ConnectedTech Web site.
Step 2
Step 3 Create your profile.
This is where you createyour user name andpassword.
Activate your subscription.
Your activation code was sent to you by your localadministrator.
How do my students and I sign in?
Connected Tech 16
You and your students follow the same steps to sign in, but you see the teacher view and they see thestudent view. You created your user name and password when you activated your subscription. Wecreated a shared user name and password for your students. Find it under My Profile, after you sign in.
Step 1 Go to the ConnectedTech Web site.
You Students
Teacher view Student view
Step 2 Sign in!
Student sign-in cards
Copy and fill out these handy student sign-in cards and attach them to the
computers your students use.
17 http://tech.classroom.com
Connected Tech Sign-in
http://tech.classroom.com
User Name:
Password:
Connected Tech Sign-in
http://tech.classroom.com
User Name:
Password:
Connected Tech Sign-in
http://tech.classroom.com
User Name:
Password:
Connected Tech Sign-in
http://tech.classroom.com
User Name:
Password:
Connected Tech Sign-in
http://tech.classroom.com
User Name:
Password:
Connected Tech Sign-in
http://tech.classroom.com
User Name:
Password:
Help Using Connected TechHelp Integrating Connected Tech IntoYour Classroom
What kind of help is there?
Connected Tech 18
Refer to the Help to answer your questions about how to use Connected Tech. Or, look in the Teacher’sGuide for guidance about using technology in your classroom. Help is right at your fingertips.
Help
The Help provides step-by-step instructions for how tofind resources, how to change your password, how toprint a lesson plan, and much more!
The Teacher’s Guide describes how Connected Tech’sresources correlate to the ISTE NETS•S, and providesstrategies for making the most of Connected Tech inyour classroom.
Teacher’s Guide
Additional help
19 http://tech.classroom.com
For technical questions…
Contact technical support between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.
• Call 1-800-638-1639, select option 3
• Send an email to [email protected]
For activation issues or billing inquiries…
Contact customer service between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.
• Call 1-800-638-1639, select option 2
• Send an email to [email protected]
Notes
Notes
ISBN 1-58282-165-8