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.  Allow students an opportunity to have one-on-one time to show the teacher their project and an opportunity to present their project to the whole class.

Set behavior standards and expectations.  Teach the students to handle the computer with respect and care.  Develop a short set of computer rules.  A computer rule form is included in the appendix.  If possible, allow students to participate in the creation of these rules.  Students take ownership of these guidelines and their enforcement if they are responsible for their development.  Mistreatment of the computer should not be tolerated and students should understand it would result in the loss of computer time.

Also discuss the care of software (CD’s and floppy disk).  Remind students to put the CD’s back in their proper place.  Demonstrate the proper way to insert a CD and diskette.  Students should never pull the protective metal covering away from the diskette and try to touch the inside disk itself.   To do so would damage or destroy the work saved on it.  Remind students to put their diskette in its proper place (provide a disk case for storage) at the end of their computer time.  Never place a disk near a magnet, which can erase the data stored on it.

If students are working with programs that have sound headphones should be provided.  To prevent head lice outbreaks, encourage students to bring their own headphones, which can be kept in a large freezer zip lock bag with names printed on the bag.

Grouping  (Tech Time) When assigning students to a block of time, arrange them in mixed ability groups of four students each.  They can choose a name, number, or color code for their group.  These groups can change every semester or grading period.  At the beginning of the school year the teacher should form the groups based on student ability providing a mixture of student ability in each group.   During each week, each group should have at least one tech time.

Within each group students assign these four jobs: Keeper of the Cup, Tech Contact (TC), Gopher, and Coach
1. Keeper of the Cup To maintain a standard noise level one person in each group can be the Keeper of the Cup.  A cup with the group’s name on it can be placed in the center of the group’s work area.  As an art activity the groups can design their cups.  Each member of the group will have a craft stick or clothespin (note:  these could be used as weapons).  If a member of the group is loud the Keeper of the Cup will ask him or her to place their craft stick inside the cup and use a quieter voice so that it can be returned.  If the entire group becomes too loud the teacher can ask the group to place their craft sticks in the cup and put it in the chalk rack until they are quiet again.  At the end of the period, students who retain their craft stick can be rewarded with an m&m or other treat.
2. Tech Contact (TC)  Another member of the group could be the TC or Tech Contact.  If students run into a technical problem during their tech time, they would ask their group’s TC for help.  Explain to the TC’s how to answer questions, how to demonstrate or explain the answer, and how NOT to solve the problem for the student.  The TC can also be in charge of making sure the group adherer’s to the computer schedule.
3. Gopher  One member of the group would be the Gopher.  The Gopher’s job would be to locate materials such as the technology journals (if they are kept somewhere other than student desks), folders, art supplies for the group.  The gopher also makes sure the group puts all materials away and leaves the computer area clean.  This cuts down on floor traffic.
4. Coach  A final member of the group would be the Coach.  The job of the Coach is to help students in their group catch up on anything that went on in class while they were away at the computer.

To keep track of whose group is scheduled for tech time during the day, post the schedule at the computer area.  Students should leave the computer when their time is over taking all of their materials away from the computer area.  They should always type their names on their work so tech time will not be wasted waiting at the printer for work to be printed.  Designate an area for completed work to be placed.

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.

Introduce new software to students prior to sending them to the computer to use it during Buzz Time.  Buzz Time could be 30 minutes set aside each morning.  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.

Another activity that can be addressed during Buzz Time would be a visit to your favorite online news site to look at today's headlines.  There are several news sites related to children or you can visit CNN (http://www.cnn.com) and summarize the news.  At the end of the day students can dictate the news story back to the teacher who types it in a word processor as students view it on a wide screen.  As students dictate the events in the story (summarizing and sequencing events) they will also include anything that they learned in the classroom that day (review).  The newsletter can be printed and sent home to answer the age old question, "What did you learn in school today?"

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
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.
 
 
 

How Can I Evaluate Student’s Computer Work?

Project Evaluation
Two common evaluation formats often used are the rubric and the checklist.  If the main goal is for students to complete an assignment a simple checklist is all that is required.  If the work is to be evaluated a rubric would work better.

Self-Assessment
Providing students an opportunity for self-assessment improves organizational skills.  The self-assessment helps students evaluate their performance on a project and assist them in achieving the quality they desire.  A sample self-assessment form in included in the appendix.

Rubric Evaluation
A rubric is a means of a measures students' mastery of learning objectives.  A good rubric also describes levels of quality for each of the criteria, usually on a point scale. To develop a rubric, decide on the project’s goals…what do you want the students to learn?  Determine the rubric levels (3, 4, 5, or more).  Develop the criteria that will be used for assessment using descriptors that rely on objective standards.  Clearly stated rubric assessment emphasizes the product and do not rely on a subjective opinion.  Students could be included in the development of the rubric.  Remember to review the rubric with students before they begin the assignment and several times during the project.

Standards
The minimum standards that are acceptable are assigned a rubric value.  For example if the project meets the minimum standards it will have a value of 2.  What would you expect the project to look like if produced by someone who worked hard and effectively?  Assign it a value of 3 and define those standards.  What about a project produced by the student who was so excited about the project that the product exceeds anyone’s wildest dreams?  Assign it a value of 4 and define those standards.  Anything less than acceptable would be given a value of 1.  If a student does not do the assignment a 0 is used.