FREE Technology Syllabus for ALL!

Here is my technology syllabus that I use every year. This is HOW I teach and grade my students. For my students, this is the first syllabus they have ever seen. I love being the first one to introduce this format that they will continue to see in high school and college, so it is very important to emphasize the importance of this document.

You may edit this and adapt it in any way you wish as this may fit my needs, but may not perfectly fit for your situation. I recommend entering all your contact information and tweek your grading policy to your needs. I usually spend the first class period of the year going over this syllabus and answer any questions my students may have.

The Most Common Question I get every year:

“Can I bring in my [name-brand] headphones?”

My Response: If you are working with elementary, I do recommend just $5-$15 headphones that have the top connector because earbuds tend to fall out of little ears. For my older grades, I say:

“I do NOT want you to bring in your expensive Beats, Skullcandy, AirPods, or really anything over $20 dollars. The reason is, while those headphones are amazing, they are also not needed for my technology lessons. I need you to bring in headphones that can be left here at school preferably some cheap earbuds. If you have a pair at home that you use, keep them at home; you need a cheap pair you can keep at school. I would like to see Dollar Store or Five Below kind of cheap earbuds to kept here at school. Something that if you lose it, or they break, it won’t break the bank to get a new pair. The other reason is that….not that any one of you would take another student’s nice Beats headphones, I just don’t want something that expensive around here at school getting misplaced or lost.”

Important: Talk with your school about their headphone policy for electronic devices. They may have headphones available in their computer lab, or individual classrooms. My one-to-one school offers to provide earbuds at a $3 cost to each student which helps those who can’t get to the store. Then they are stored in a tiny 2×2 inch storage bin with a number written on it. It makes sorting through them much easier for students rather than the sandwich bags.

Accommodations: Of course, you can make accommodations for students with hearing issues, or other pre-existing conditions. I have made accommodations for some of my responsible 8th graders who asked to bring their own affordable wireless earbuds because the kind our school provided hurt their ears. It is all up to you and the school. The goal is to make sure students have headphones they keep and use at school.

Clean Classroom: Under “Performance” on the syllabus, you will see the line: “Student treats equipment carefully and appropriately.” When I get to this part of the syllabus with my students, I always tell them, “When you come into a room, I want it to look as good or better than it was when you arrived.” (This is particularly helpful when you share a classroom.)

Confidence: If you’re feeling confident, or maybe a little dry-witted, I have said at the end of class: “Now I recommend all of you to keep this syllabus in your binder or Technology folder, others of you may want to put it in a frame in your locker or in a place of honor to remember this class.”