We just received new copiers. . Big ,big, heavy-duty copiers, meant to run off lots and lots of paper. I have come to the conclusion, that teachers,mind you this opinion is not based onany research, use more paper than any other profession. Between assessments, handouts, flyers, and the” 25 pages that were copied 2 sided/2 sided because someone forgot to clear the machine” or “the teacher who used it before you forgot to remove the pink paper,’ we waste a lot of paper!
That being said, I was so proud of myself when I created an environmentally friendly lesson. As a matter of fact, more and more of my lessons are “green.” I owe it all to my friend, technology. I was teaching the skill making inferences and it was almost completely green. First, my whole group lesson was obtained from SMART exchange and was shared on the SMARTboard. The students followed and interacted on the board, no paper. Next, they watched the video, “Miss Nelson is Back”, courtesy of Discovery Education’s United Streaming. After viewing the movie, they completed the “Organizing Inferences” sheet,that was posted on Edmodo, turned in on Edmodo, graded on Edmodo, AND their grade was viewed on Edmodo. And as an icing on the cake, “Mrs.Nelson is Back” was assessed using the quiz I obtained from United Streaming and typed onto Testmoz.com. The quiz was taken online, graded online,and the scores were given to the students instantly! I tell you, how much more “green” could I get?
More and more, because I have access to these tech tools, I have been moving away from the use of paper in my classroom ,and it’s a good thing. My students have begun suggesting lessons where I don’t require the use of paper. Our reading and math program have online assessments where the students’ grades can be accessed online. I have created an answer key for assessments though, it’s always good to have a hard copy and some parents do not have Internet access at home. Our state testing program is online as well. I’ve found that being “green” is not only good for the environment, but it’s good for my classroom as well!
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER 
Comments on: "Environmentally-friendly lessons!" (2)
Thanks for the really interesting post about your lesson’s going “green.” It’s awesome using technology can help the environment while engaging students. One other tool that can help you stay green is StudyBlue — instead of students creating paper flashcards, they can easily create flashcards online and then study them on their phones.
COOL… I want to get to this point. Hopefully, as I practice and “think things through” this summer, I can begin to go green too!