The next step is to learn about the project activities. To do this, read the Teacher Guide. It has detailed instructions on how to teach the project. This document includes preparatory steps, material list, lesson plans, and answer keys. To open the file, use a PDF viewer such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or Kami. Refer to Step 2 Install a PDF Viewer for assistance. The Teacher Guide is designed to be printed double-sided. However, it can also be viewed digitally.
TechnoKids Teacher Guides come in one of two formats to organize content: Six Sessions or Assignment List.
The Teacher Guide is an excellent tool for guiding instruction. It will help you prepare to teach and deliver each lesson. Please note, TechnoKids tends to give teachers more than what they may need. This is done to provide flexibility. Select the activities that fit with your instructional time and meet the needs of your students. You can omit assignments to shorten a unit or lengthen it using the reviews, skill reviews, and/or extension activities.
- If necessary, open the downloaded TechnoKids project folder from Step 1. If you downloaded multiple versions you may need to pick the one you want such as Office 2019 or Google. The TechnoKids project folder has a path like this:
technokidsMMDD > category-project > version
For example: technokids1215 > int-biography > Google
- Open the Teacher Guide in a PDF viewer. The file name will be TechnoProject Guide version.
A Teacher Guide with sessions, divides the content into six main parts or units. Each session revolves around a problem-solving task that relates to the theme of the project. The assignments in each session guide students to complete the task.
The Teacher Guide contains the following sections:
- Getting Started - This section contains a material list, project overview, implementation and technology integration ideas, and preparatory steps.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THIS SECTION first.
- Project Instructions - This section contains the project instructions divided by sessions. Each session includes the following parts:
- Overview – an explanation of the session activities and their purpose.
- Materials – a list of handouts, sample files, templates, and teacher resource materials needed to teach the session.
- Teaching Strategies – instructional methods recommended for teaching the activities.
- Lesson Plan – a detailed list of each step in the session.
- Learning Objectives – a summary of the content knowledge and technical skills taught throughout the session.
- Assignments – a session consists of assignments completed by students. Actions to be performed on the computer by the student are indicated with a triangle (▷). Background information is indicated with a dash (–).
- Review – a session review contains a list of fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, or short-answer questions intended to review concepts and tools (answers included).
- Skill Review – an additional assignment to practice digital literacy skills in a different context (includes completed sample).
- Extension Activity – an optional enrichment activity that relates to the problem-solving task presented in the session.
- Appendices - This section contains additional information or materials including the following resources:
- Assessment Tools – skill summary and marking sheets to evaluate completed project(s).
- Glossary – a definition of each term.
- Contact Information – how to contact TechnoKids Inc. for curriculum support.
- Overview - Summary that outlines details about the project including purpose, objectives, preparation steps, materials, activities, extension activities, assessment, and notes.
- Technology Integration Ideas - List of themes or topics for integrating project activities into subject areas such as language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, geography, history, computer studies, or visual arts.
- Prepare to Teach - Preparatory steps that should be completed before teaching. Typically, this includes installing apps and sharing student resources.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THIS SECTION before teaching.
- Assignments - Detailed step-by-step instructions, duplicated from the student workbook, explain how to complete a task. Use these worksheets as a guide when teaching or provide them to students to work independently.
- Extension Activities - Additional assignments for enrichment that extend learning.
- Appendix A - Assessment tools including skill summary, marking sheets, and/or rubrics to evaluate completed project(s).
- Appendix B - List of instructional materials and their location in the TechnoProject Resources folder. This includes assessment, handouts, samples, templates, and any other files.