How Can I Make Sure All Students Get Equal Time?
Making sure all students have equal tech time can be a problem, but there are some   methods that can make it easier.  Explain to students up front, that there will be instances that their tech time will be interrupted, but that this is a part of life, to prevent future whining.  Remind students that Friday is established as a Tech 2 Do date to be used by their group in the event they miss their tech time. The following methods can provide the teacher a quick scan as to who has had a computer turn:

• Craft Sticks  Materials: marker, craft stick for each student, 2 clear jars

Write each student’s name on a craft stick.  Label one jar “not yet” and one jar “been there.”  As the week begins all sticks will be in the “not yet” jar, but as students have a tech time, they move their stick to the “been there” jar.  By looking in the “not yet” jar you can quickly determine who still hasn’t had a tech time.
 
• Make a vertical pocket chart out of two sentence strips that are pleated and stapled on the bulletin board right beside the computer. Then make cards with the student's names on then and put a name in each pocket. When the child has had a turn at the computer, he/she turns over the card with the appropriate name on it, and then knows that another turn will come after all  the other cards have been turned over.   Shuffle the cards before replacing them in the pockets, so they all have equal chances at being first.

• Clothespins

Materials:  Display board (poster board, or science fair display boards), one clothespin for each student
Write each student’s name on a clothespin.  Draw a line down the middle of the poster board and label each side, “Not Yet” and “Been There.”  As students use the computer students move their clothespin from the “Not Yet” to the “Been There” side.  On the “Been There” side ther could also be a  list of other activities the group needs to complete in order to keep the group on task.
 
• Scheduling a Tech 2 Do make-up session (every Friday) will allow students who are absent or missed their regular tech time due to pull-outs, an opportunity to catch up.  Set a policy who miss their tech time because they forget so students know the consequences in advance.  Have a clipboard near the computer center for students to sign up for the Tech 2 Do sessions.

• If your schedule permits, provide each group with 2 sessions.  This will provide an opportunity for a pair of students to work at the computer each week.  Use of an egg timer (set by the students when their computer period begins) assures that each student in the pair gets an opportunity to navigate the keyboard.  The ICQ program has a timer that can be set up to signal when the tech time is over if desired.

• At the end of each project have students write a “My Contribution” paragraph telling how they used the computer and contributed to the overall success of the project.

• Keep up with student progress using the checklist of student progress form and hold student-teacher tech conferences.  If students are pulled out of class during their tech time, they miss their period.  Change the computer period every six weeks, so students will not miss it all year or if possible rearrange groups to prevent this from occurring.  While students are at the computer, the rest of the group will remain seated and complete the classroom activities.

What Do I Need to Teach The Students About Using the Computer?
Introduce New Software
Ask each child to provide a spiral notebook to be used for a Tech Journal.  In these journals students can record step-by-step directions on the use of software and everyday procedures such as saving on a disk.   These instructions can be explained during Buzz Time.  The journals can also be used for research notes needed for technology-based projects.  When the student goes to the computer the Tech Journal goes along too.  If a student has a problem, ask to be shown where they are in their directions in the Tech Journal.  This stresses to the students the need to follow directions.

Introduce new software to students prior to sending them to the computer to use it during Buzz Time.  When new software is introduced provide a simple activity, which will allow the student to become familiar with the software before giving a graded assignment or project.  Introduce the software during a whole group time using the large TV monitor.  As directions are explained, one student (the Navigator) sits at the computer and demonstrates each step.  The remainder of the class record each step in their Tech Journals (see the section on Tech Journals).  Do not correct or supply spelling while students are making these notes.  These journals are meant as a resource for students as they attempt to use the computers, so they will be most helpful if they are in a form the student can read.
Added Bonus:  Special computer terms can be added to the weekly spelling list to enrich student’s vocabulary.  Also if Buzz Time is conducted at the beginning of the school day it will encourage those who are tardy to be on time to class since they will miss out on how to utilize new software.

Handouts from the online Tech Tutorials (http://207.125.93.3/tutorials/) can also be printed and kept in a notebook at the computer areas for reference.

Track progress on student projects by keeping a checklist of progress at the computer center and ask students to check off what they have accomplished after each session.

Saving Your Work (PC Instructions)
Provide students a diskette for their saved work.  The diskettes can be labeled with a number rather than a name so that it can easily be reformatted and reused in following years.  Also train students to save their work at times on the hard drive.  This is especially important if the file is too large to fit on a diskette.  Create a folder on your hard drive for the entire class and within that folder create a folder for each child.  To do so follow these steps:
1. Open (double click) My Computer
2. Open (double click) the C: drive
3. Click File…New…Folder
4. Name or Rename the folder Class and the school year.
5. Press enter to set the name.
6. Open the class folder (double click it)
7. Now create a folder within that folder for each child.  Click File…new…folder and name the folder the name of a student in your class.  Continue this process until you have a folder for each child.
Train students in a whole group how to save on both their disk and folders asking them to write the directions in their Tech Journals.

Whenever students save a file, give them the exact name they are to use for the file.  Such as spelling list 12 csc (their initials).  Use of the initials is helpful in the event that students mistakenly save their file in the wrong location.

Include a technology-based assignment for the computer each week that relates to classroom instruction.  Students work in pairs or individually at the computer during their assigned time.  During the first 30 minutes of their group time, one pair (numbers 1,2 ) works at the computer, then during the last 30 minutes of time, the other pair (numbers 3,4) may work.  During the Buzz Time discuss the assignment to be completed on the computer and have students note it in their journals.  Journals may also be used to keep software instructions.

The Buzz Time can also be used to view news on the web to be used in a closure activity.  Reserve a 10 minute block of time at the end of the day for a reward tech time.  Also use the last 15 minutes of the day for the closure newspaper activity.
 

---