For Scott’s Branch Middle-High School coach and teacher Leonard Johnson, having a totally paperless classroom just makes sense.
His students do everything via computer, in classroom and out-of-classroom assignments, including using all of the Microsoft programs, from Word to PowerPoint. They don’t turn in any paper assignments, everything is emailed and tests are administered through a computer-based program, in his global studies, driver’s education and physical education classes.
“It’s all about using that technology that is so readily available to us,” he said.
Johnson creates PowerPoint presentations, which he shares with his students via free online storage places, such as Dropbox, which has a large space capacity that allows both teacher and student to share photos, docs and videos. He assigns questions to be answered from each individual slide, and as an incentive gives extra credit for each question that’s answered. After students review the slides at home, they come to class prepared to discuss the subject studied.
In his classes, Johnson emphasizes using the Internet to enhance skill learning, essentially making the textbook come alive. For example in the civics part of his global studies class last semester, the students studied political parties that exist within the U.S. Online they researched local political figures and elected officials, and chose to invite two of them to come speak to their classroom, Sheriff Randy Garrett, and 2011 Republican candidate for House District seat 64, Sonny Sanders.
“Thanks to technology, they were able to research about our local politicians and leaders online, and had well thought out questions prepared when they came to speak,” Johnson said.
Johnson finds a way to incorporate technology even into more physically active classes such as physical education and driver’s education.
In his physical education class, the students were studying the history of basketball, and different basketball tactics. Johnson assigned the students to find videos on YouTube, comment on them and send him the links to the videos.
“This way I know that the students looked at the videos, and we can discuss the different tactics that the players used back then, compared to today,” he said. “They were amazed to learn that there were great players before Michael Jordan.”
In his driver’s ed class, Johnson assigns projects such as researching fatal accidents in the largest city of every state.
“Besides learning about the causes of these accidents, students, through their research, learn about the different cities and makes themselves more well-rounded through different media sources online that provide this information,” he said.
Johnson said that today’s students are growing up on cutting edge technology such as smart phones and iPads, and if properly used, these technologies can enhance learning.
