Topic #1: After reading the previous posts, it comes to mind that we are not in these classes solo. It is awesome to see how everyone is able to help one another with tips on how to get around technology issues. I’m fortunate to teach in a computer lab, for our digital arts class, that has 32 working stations, for the most part. I have developed a good rapport with our IT department, and they are very helpful when I have software and or virus issues. The most common one affecting our lab now is the “scareware” viruses that hit the students occasionally, when they are on the Internet. We have to contact IT and because the stations are set up with student profiles, luckily the machine is only down for the student who was hit that class period. Recently, the IT department is now able to access remotely and usually is able to fix the problem before the next day. Because the “attack” only effects 1 students profile, the next period the machine is not down for the next group of students. My biggest problem with using technology is getting students to stay on task with the specific assignment. Some students have a tendency to just “surf” and are off task. I use “smartsync” as a monitoring software and do not like to block the whole class, because the majority of students are using it for appropriate tutorials, help etc. But I have kids who use proxies to by-pass our security and then are watching videos, playing games, and in-appropriate use of technology becomes a class management issue. Teaching teenagers how to be “self-directed” at times is not an easy task.
Very cool and very lucky that you have the support and access to so much tech. In the computer labs I've worked in and especially as a classroom teacher using technology, you've nailed the challenge on the head: giving students enough quality things to do on the computers to keep them busy, on-task and focused on the learning that you want them to accomplish. It's generally NOT about the equipment, it's about keeping these energetic little minds busy, but not just busy to be busy but busy learning. That's the real challenge, from my experience.
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