The Wizard’s Computer Club Training

Club Goals for Children Positive relationship with university student  Academic mentoring  Encouragement to set high goals and attend college Media literacy skills  Locating, analyzing, evaluating information Literacy skills  Reading, writing, speaking, listening Problem-solving skills Social skills and collaboration Engagement and enjoyment in after-school setting

The Club operates from a website.

Get acquainted with our site. Take a few moments to visit the site now and become familiar with it.site  Read the Wizard’s Story.  Click on the maze and explore the websites the children will be using.  You will also teach the children how to use Google and other online resources.

How the Program Works The children explore each room in the maze by exploring the websites in the room.  The websites are grouped by topic. The children communicate daily through the LearningWeb blog.  They may write to the Wizard about what they have done and about friends, family, school, etc.  YOU are the Wizard for your children and write back to them.  They may also choose to write to peers in the Club and respond to others’ posts.

On the First Day You will be assigned two students. Get acquainted by chatting together. Have each child fill out a student survey individually.  You may write in the child’s answers. There will be an icon for the Club on the desktop. Open the site, and read the Wizard’s Story together. Begin to explore the websites.

Time Schedule 3/4 hour for learning using sites on the Wizard’s Computer Club website.  At the end of the 3/4 hour, discuss with the children what they have learned. Write what they say in your daily report. ¼ hour of writing time.  To the Wizard.  To friends at the Club. ¼ hour personal writing after the children leave.  Write back to the children as the Wizard.  Write a daily report of your activities.

How to Explore with Your Children Enter rooms until you find one that interests your children.  The sites do not contain games. They are for learning.  Most children know how to find games and are unaccustomed to using the internet for free-time exploration and learning. They will need guidance. Ask your children what they already know about a site’s topic.  Example: What do you know about Egypt? If their background knowledge is lacking, show your student how to use Google to find additional information.  Example: Google images to find pictures of Egypt and a map of Egypt. Encourage them to be curious and find out more. If they get involved in exploration, allow them to continue.

Types of Club Sites  Simulations  Learning games  Math facts  Online reading  Areas of interest  Animals, space, health, maps, art, music  NO games for entertainment only  These are games that involve chasing or manipulating objects.  If children get on game sites, redirect them.

Writing Writing is part of the Wizard Club experience. Children should write each day before they leave. If they wish, they could write to the Wizard.  Click on Share and Communicate/Your Location on the Club webpage.  Sign in. Click on New Post/Compose.  Help make writing to the Wizard a rich, meaningful experience for children.  Encourage them to write about where they went, what they learned, and what was fun and why. You may type while the children dictate.  Children may follow the same process to write to other children in the Club.

Responding to your children’s letters YOU ARE THE WIZARD FOR YOUR CHILDREN!  But don’t let them know.  Allow the playful fiction of the Wizard to exist. Respond to their letters before you leave and while they are not with you.  Be sure to answer every week, even if you are going to be absent. The Wizard is not absent.

Before You Leave, Write a Daily Report Content:  Full names of the students you worked with  Room and site(s) visited  Student learning you observed  Student interactions with the material  Your interactions with the students  Any interesting observations and/or areas of concern

What do I need to know to work with my children? Help your children become engaged.  Let your children  Type unless they become frustrated.  Use the mouse.  Read directions.  Figure out what to do. Do not rush. The goal is to EXPLORE and LEARN, not to finish.  If your children become deeply involved in  exploring a topic, let them continue. If they  are not learning, encourage them to move on.

How to Mentor your Children Use the student survey form and your interactions to learn their needs. Help them become interested in sites.  Their interest can be aroused by your enthusiasm. Assist with reading at the level they need:  Have them read, with your assistance on hard words OR  Take turns reading with them OR  Read to them while they follow along Explicitly teach what your children need.  Parts of speech for online Mad Libs  Math facts  Any academic content or background knowledge you notice that they don’t know

Be alert for teachable moments: Thinking for yourself The value of planning ahead An “I can do it” attitude Reading and writing and keyboarding Locating resources Resolving conflicts through conversation Seeing others’ points of view SETTING HIGH GOALS AND GOING TO COLLEGE.

Maintain interaction. Children need your attention and interest. Ask questions and encourage. Teach new content. Ask children to explain what they know. Don’t zone out or just cheer your child on.

What about boredom? Allow your children to read, interact, and make choices as much as possible. Encourage them to help each other. Prompt them rather than taking over tasks. If a site is too easy or too hard, help them choose another. Do not allow them to spend their time doing something you consider a waste of time.

How should two children use one computer? Insist the children take equal turns mousing. Encourage them to discuss ideas and plans and to read together.  They should not sit silently.  One child should not zone out while the other mouses. Allow them to take the lead and make choices.  The program has been designed with two children/mentor to encourage verbal interaction.

What if …? My children are bored?  Show enthusiasm and ask questions. My children can’t agree?  Encourage them to take turns choosing.  Divide the time to manage the mouse.  Explain that the one who is mousing makes the final choices.  Don’t be afraid to make rules.

More What if’s…. My children want to spend lots of time on one site?  That’s okay as long as they’re learning. My children aren’t behaving?  Handle it yourself. You may give a child a time-out at a table.  Ask a Townsend Center worker to intervene.

Attendance Model good attendance and punctuality for your children. Arrive five minutes early.  Pull up the website on your computer.  Walk around and find your children.  Bring them to the Club room after their snack and get started.  Do NOT wait for someone else to boot your computer and find your children. Stay to complete your Daily Report and Wizard letter to your children before you leave.

If you are ill or cannot attend one of the coordinators as far in advance as possible.

Course Credit Keep your OWN LOG of your hours. Your professor will be notified of your hours.  Your hours will be verified through your daily reports.

Have Fun with Your Children!