How to Use Computers to Teach Language Arts
As far back as 1983, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) made a resolution to "explore the effective use of computers in the teaching of English and language arts." NCTE urged schools to ensure all students had access to computers for instruction, regardless of a student's background or capability. As a result, teachers have searched for useful and creative ways to integrate computer usage into their language arts classes. Balancing traditional instruction with computers offers students unique challenges in a fun learning environment.
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Instructions
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Using the computer in your classroom can help you find new ways to teach and correct student writing. Decide what you want students to learn by using computer technology in your classroom. You might decide you want to make learning more fun or find fresh ways to teach a concept or skill. Or, you may be looking for a way to breath new life into a traditional subject. Using a computer can help accomplish any of these goals.
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After writing by hand, some students will find writing on the computer more comfortable. Assign a writing task that students need to complete using a computer. Computers can be used to generate writing prompts, explore vocabulary options and provide feedback on sentence structure. Many education sites, like Scholastic.com and EnchantedLearning.com, offer technology-driven lesson plans and assignments online for free or a small fee that you can review as you explore and create your own ideas.
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Book research is often tedious for a child. Ask students to research a topic related to the writing task they just completed. Students can focus their research using a WebQuest.org or with teacher guidance. For example, if a student wrote about a magical lake, he can research lake ecology and use that research to enrich his writing about the magic lake. Without even knowing it, the student is also getting a science lesson about lakes!
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Children often appreciate the novelty of working on a computer when they are bored with a subject. Use computers for learning games that reinforce vocabulary or emphasize reading comprehension. Some children's book publishers, including HarperCollins and Random House, have free online games based on their books. Check the publisher's website for any books you use in the classroom to see if it offers online games and activities for your lessons.
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More and more schools have dedicated computer labs. Be flexible. Every teacher knows that sometimes students learn something other than what you thought you were teaching. Using computers to teach may increase the chances of this happening because their use in the classroom is relatively new, but rest assured that students are learning a valuable lesson -- even if it's not the one you thought you were teaching!
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Tips & Warnings
Some education companies have computer software for phonics, writing and reading instruction that you can purchase online or in stores that sell educational software.
Because so much information is available online, help students focus their research so they don't become overwhelmed.
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- Photo Credit computer image by Kit Wai Chan from Fotolia.com writing image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com writing image by sasha from Fotolia.com little einstein 106 image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com child reading image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com computers image by Olga Chernetskaya from Fotolia.com
