Theme Teaching in the Computer Lab

Having been a regular classroom teacher (sometimes called being a "Real Teacher") I have a love for units and themes. Now for those of you who are youngsters and don't remember teaching units let me give you a little background.

Teaching a "Unit" lesson means that you center every activity around a theme. I did a unit on bats one year and everything from math to art centered on bats. The kids LOVED it and it kept their interest. It was easy to teach because they wanted to learn. Now with all the standardized testing it is just plain boring...but I digress....

Teaching themes in the computer lab is still a great way to tie things together. This month I am using the Dr. Seuss classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas to teach research skills to my kids in grades 3-5.  They are learning to search effectively in a way that is fun and won't overwhelm them. I mean, who is less threatening than the good Doctor?
I had to make all of my own materials but that is part of the joy of teaching. I use Power Point presentations to introduce the lesson and as a way to capture their attention. The presentations are liberally sprinkled with bad jokes, a little singing and even a dance step or two. The kids love it.

Remember that teaching is a work of heart. Don't get into a rut and let it drag down the whole process. Also, don't forget to be human. I make mistakes and when I do I use them as a time to tell the kids that I am human too. When a lesson starts going to the dogs I have been known to have the kids stop, log off of the computer, go back to the door and come into the lab again to start over.

The research sheets I am using are currently under review as I have found that there are questions that lead to confusion instead of learning. As soon as I perfect my sheets I will post them to share!

A bit of trivia for you....the original Grinch had no color except for pink eyes. The green color and yellow eyes were added by Chuck Jones for the cartoon.