getting started

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Fran Lo on August 10, 2008 at 6:56am

1. I only have 1 in my room, but also teach in the dedicated computer lab, with 26 computers.
2. I'm lucky, teach language arts and also computer skills, so can do a lot of cross-curricular work. This year, my 7th graders have computer skills daily with another teacher (who I coordinate with) and my 8th graders have computer skills daily with me. My hardest task is getting other teachers to let me know about what they're doing so that I can plan extension activities and enrich what they're doing. Part of my job is increasing use of technology across curriculum, so this is an ongoing task.
3. For those occasional students without computers at home, they have access to school library computers before and after school.
4. Haven't done this yet, so that's a good question. Ask me again in December.
5. An excellent point. We have to provide instruction on why not to share passwords. Usually, somebody does it, their friend does something lame and gets them into trouble, and everybody learns from this painful experience. But I have to say that I have my students for 2 years, know their "voices" well, and can usually pick up on someone doing somebody else's work.
Fran

Permalink Reply by Vee Paisie on August 10, 2008 at 5:46pm

Hi Fran, thanks for the reply. As I learn about all the 'neat stuff' out there, I get more envious of your job teaching LA with computer integration (although it sounds like you do two teaching jobs in one day. Yikes!). The friend-doing-friend's work still bothers me, but you're right, knowing their 'voice' is kind of like knowing their voice in writing essays and stories; I probably won't worry any more about that.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Hall on November 22, 2008 at 8:25pm

1. I have one desktop computer and a cart with 25 laptops that I share with 4 other teachers.
2. I use computers in my English class 2-4 days a week. The students also work on my electronic assignments (mostly based off of our online forum) throughout the school day from the library and in other classes and after school/on weekends.
3. I survey the kids at the beginning of the school year and then work with other teachers and the librarian to make sure the kids without access have time during the school day to get on a computer.
4. I mainly have my students do creative writing and then workshop that writing online. Sometimes I will do reader response discussions on our forum, but I have found that many of the students will do as you say and just copy. I also use the forum for individual research projects.
5. Honor system, mainly. My students have to use their district username and password/student number and they have been taught from an early age not to give out that information so they are pretty good about that.

Permalink Reply by Merle Hall on March 29, 2009 at 7:34am

I have 33 computers in a lab situation. I use a blog to assign work and for students to turn in work. We are not allowed to use music or videos so many of our assignments are traditional in methodology. Students work on keyboarding and spreadsheets in my 6th grade classes in support of language and Math core classes. We do timed writing on the blog. Students work can be password protected if we use Microsoft products.
In 7th grade we work on HTML and JavaScript programming in support of the history classes. We make webquest and research different parts of Missouri history. Each student has a different topic so it will not give them an advantage to copy from other students.
In 8th grade we do economics. I mainly use the computers as a method for students to prepare powerpoints. I use other technology such as video skits to make presentations as well. I am moving to a paperless classroom. I am in the process of converting all my test and assignments to forms that can be placed on the web. Some of my lectures are done using technology like voicethread. I also have the students read everyday on the computer. I send them to different websites and I use www.readprint.com or www.gutenberg.org.
Some of my students do not have access to computers after school. We have an after school program that runs till 5:00 which makes computers available to those students. We also have a public library with a small computer lab.
I do not have everything on the computers yet. Much of our classtime involves inclass participation. I do use the blog as a bribe for students to get work done.

Permalink Reply by Jamie Winfield on July 14, 2009 at 4:07am

Hi, I teach 6th grade social studies.

1. I don't have any computer stationary in the classroom, but my school has 2 large computer labs and 12 laptop carts. I check out carts almost every day for my students to use.
2. I keep a blog with classroom assignments, links for classroom use, and a place for cool sites I find. I plan on having my students keep a classroom blog this year to share with students around the country/world, so we'll see how that works out. But in years past I have integrated technology in the classroom in the following ways - online tests and quizzes, webquests, research, presentations, digital videos, podcasts.
3. I live a very diverse area - some kids have computers and high-speed Internet access, some have dial-up, some have no computers (and in reality, no running water). All of the assignments I require outside of class require NO Internet access, just because it wouldn't be fair. If students need to use a computer to research or finish an in-class assignment, I will arrange for them to stay after school to use a computer, use a computer in the school library during the day, or ask them to visit the public library.
4. I haven't used this model in the classroom, but maybe you could require students to use some part of the original blog post in their response. Or is there a way to close comments until all students have posted? That way they cannot read posts before making one. Once all students have posted, you can make comments visible once again, allowing discussion.
5. Tough one, since the only way I know of is the honor system. While students know they shouldn't share usernames and passwords, we know they probably do. The only advice I can offer is to stress the honor system. Also Fran mentioned knowing the "voice" of each student.

Permalink Reply by Kelli L. Frazier on July 18, 2010 at 8:01pm

1. I only have two student computers in my room. However, I do also have access to laptop computer carts (one-to-one) on a sign-up basis. So, realistically, I have one-to-one computers in my classroom as often as I can sign up. Knowing if I don't sign up well in advance, it's hard to get them, I go in at the first of the year and sign up for them for two days every other week (usually Thurs/Fri). I can also get access (almost one-to-one) in the library.

2. I do it as part of classroom projects/assignments, but I also have things I assign the kids to do on their own time to be turned in at the end of each 9 weeks (projects) or as extra-credit, etc.

3. I work in an urban school, so I have MANY kids without access and have a feeling it may be more this year and people get down to just being able to afford necessities in my kids' homes. However, I don't let them off with that as I let them come in at lunch to use my computers, they can go to the library at school (with my class or on their own with permission) and they all have computers at a nearby neighborhood library they can use. I don't want them to have to not learn it just because they might have to put in some extra time to get access - I make them do it.

4. If you know your students when they do this on other assignments, you'll know when they do it this way too.

5. You don't, but again, you'll know. My students know I have a VERY strict cheating policy and they know that I don't ask questions - if assignment or test answers look too much the same, I give a zero to both students. They don't push it very often.

Permalink Reply by Amanda Westman on August 20, 2010 at 4:24pm

Happy New Year!

1. 7, but only 4 work well enough to use during class.
2. Tech is usually a small part of every lesson. I don't plan anything that requires each person to be on the computer for more than a few minutes, but everyone does something on the computer at least twice a week.
3. I have more like 18 of 32 who don't have Internet access at home. They work before or after school or go to the library.
4. Sorry, I don't have a good answer for you. Our district won't let us blog. We're working on that, but it's a slow process.
5. You don't.

I've answered so that you can see that if you're able to use blogs and wikis regularly, you're way ahead of some of us! Enjoy your resources, use them well, and don't beat yourself up for what you're not doing!