1. Managing Computers in Your Classroom Jason Callaghan Education Advisor - Learning Technology

2. Things to Remember Use a variety of management techniques throughout the year to cater for equitable access. Build up a routine Make a timetable The most difficult part of using a computer in a room is knowing that children are missing out on what you are teaching the rest of the class, and there is no easy way to ‘catch up’. Remember, you are still teaching the students. You decide how the computer is used and you make the activities into valuable, relevant learning experiences.

3. Big Book Use a datashower or a large monitor Everyone sits around and watches Direct Teaching model Good for modelling new skills or for group compositions Students get bored quickly with this approach

4. 1:1 with parent/aide Children work individually or in pairs with adult assistance Good for special needs students Takes a long time to get through the whole class

5. Roster/Timetable Each child is allocated a time (maybe half an hour) during the week when they may use the computer. Good for drill and practice. Inappropriate for research or word processing Needs a strict routine with lots of rules

6. Access On-Demand The teacher identifies times throughout the week when the computer could be used. Students write their name in a ‘queue’ to access the computer when required Use your classroom strategies for conferencing. Great for research and publishing A real-world model of computer use May not provide for equity of access

7. Learning Centre The computer becomes the centre of a learning centre consisting of worksheets, books, software and other guided activities. Eg: Webquests Great for activities where you don’t have many resources. Useful for a reading/writing centre, science activities or integrated units. Gives students choice.

8. Follow the Leader Teachers prepare activities for the computer Teachers identify times throughout the day when computer may be accessed Teachers use the class roll to determine the order in which students use the comptuer Can use the ‘domino’ peer tutoring method.

9. A Listening Post Plug a listening post into the headphone socket of your computer. Use for living books, encyclopedia commentary or text to voice synthesising. Great for a quiet classroom trying to use a computer. Watch the cables being tangled up.

10. Rotating Groups Make a computer activity part of your rotating maths/English /science rotating groups. Plan one small computer activity per session. Great for problem solving Easy to set up and use Many children use the computer in a short period of time

11. Contracts If you normally use contracts, have some activities that can be completed on the computer. Provide a blank timetable for the children to book the computer. Great for upper school. Make sure you have the computer being used in a variey of curriculum areas.

12. Multiage Classes Divide the class up into three groups One group works with you, one with the computer and the third group with a teacher aide or on self directed work. Rotate groups. Great for small schools. Great for ability groups. You need a variety of software to keep this approach working. Lots of preparation needed.

13. Book a Lab Book your school’s lab. Plan a variety of activities for students to complete. Great for direct, traditional teachers. Very difficult to use with student centered learning.

14. Invade! Send your children off to other classes to use their computers. Great for the upper school when long, word processed assignments are all due at once.

15. I Can’t believe it’s not a Computer! Put the computer on a desk in your classroom. Students use it for normal lessons. Rotate students if required. Emerging trend in private schools (laptops on booklists) Children learn the limitations of learning technology A good short term experiment Need a lot of software