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Classroom Technology Basics
About this course
A hands-on elective for everyday classroom technology: setting up a projector or TV so the back row can read it, using a phone as a document camera, making simple slides, spreadsheets and forms, managing shared devices, fixing common faults calmly, and always keeping a printed or board fallback. Activities need only paper, pens and the Activity Kit. For the pedagogy of digital teaching see course 5.8.
Learning outcomes
- Set up a projector or TV so that the back row can read it, and run a 60-second check before pupils arrive
- Use a phone as a document camera and keep files named and stored so you can find them in ten seconds
- Make one clear slide, one small spreadsheet and one short form for a real classroom job
- Manage shared devices with simple routines and fix common faults with a short troubleshooting ladder
- Write a one-page classroom technology plan with a printed fallback for every step and basic care and safety rules
Session plan
A Screen Everyone Can Read
Set up a projector or TV so that the back row can read it, and use a 60-second check before pupils arrive.
The Phone as a Document Camera, and Tidy Files
Set up a phone on a simple stand to show a page to the whole class, and name and store files so that they can be found quickly.
Slides, Spreadsheets and Forms: Small Tools for Real Jobs
Make one clear slide, one small spreadsheet with a total and an average, and one short form for a real classroom job, each with a paper version.
Managing Devices and Fixing Faults Calmly
Set up simple routines for shared devices and use a troubleshooting ladder that ends in Plan B within about two minutes.
Offline-First, Care and Safety: Your Classroom Technology Plan
Write a one-page classroom technology plan that gives every technology step a printed or board fallback and adds basic care, safety and privacy rules.
Assessment
| Weight | Exemplary looks like | |
|---|---|---|
| Display set-up and back-row check | 25% | Names the checks in a 60-second routine and fixes a legibility problem by measuring, not guessing |
| Device routines and troubleshooting ladder | 35% | Runs the ladder in order, decides on plan B within two minutes and sets clear sharing routines |
| One-page classroom technology plan | 40% | Gives every technology step a printed or board fallback and adds care, safety and privacy rules |
Required readings
- Accessible slide guidance: font size, contrast and sparse slides for a large room
- Short guides on what to do when classroom technology fails
- Overview of evidence and cautions on using technology in education
AI integration
AI tools can help with drafting: a first checklist, a first version of a slide outline or a tidy layout for a spreadsheet. They never replace your judgement about your pupils, your room and your devices, and they can sound sure while being wrong, especially about fixing a specific machine. Check every draft yourself, and never enter pupils' names, photos or personal data. See course 5.9 (AI Literacy for Teachers) for the full routine. No activity here needs technology; each has a paper version.