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Computer Centers – Take 2
In the last few weeks many of you have talked with me about wanting your students to use the classroom computers as a center for meaningful learning, but you’re just not sure of the best way to go about it. This blog post is a repost of one from last December, with some new ideas and pictures added in.
First, start by deciding how you want to manage the rotation of students at the computers. It’s important to keep in mind that classroom computer use shouldn’t be just for the “smart” kids, or the ones who finish their work early. Classroom computers should be looked at as a learning tool for all children. So how do you manage getting all of your students onto the two or four computers in your classroom? That’s going to depend on both the make-up of your class, and your teaching style. There’s no one right way!
One option is to have a list of students posted by the computer. Students simply go to the computer in sequential order, crossing their name off the list when their turn is over. Another option is to assign groups of students to each day of the week. Post the lists so students don’t have to keep asking if they can go the computer that day. Keep in mind that they don’t have to work independently on the computers, let them collaborate with partners or in small groups. Look at the make-up of your class and decide what will work best. Remember, you don’t need to have all of your students use the computer in one day, or even in one week. It might take you a week or two weeks to cycle students through.
Once you know how you want to rotate the students to the computers it’s time to decide when they’ll use them. Ideally, anytime you’re not doing a direct teach to the whole class is the perfect time! If this doesn’t work for your teaching style, then set some specific time aside each day. Remember, they’re not just playing on the computer, and it’s not just for those who finish early. They’re learning!
The next step is to decide what activity/activities you want the students to do on the computer. Remember, you generally want to reinforce or expand knowledge with an activity based on what you are teaching right now. You may also want to use the computer center to cover topics in which some students need reinforcement. Think of computer center activities as micro-integration lessons, which the students complete without teacher help. The activity could be something with a traditional application like Kidspiration, KidPix, Pages or Keynote, it could be an online activity like a word cloud, or it could be skills reinforcement on a website linked from their K-2 or 3-5 start page. Ideally, computer center activities should take between 5 – 15 mn., depending on the grade.
Planning is the key to success! When you’re working on lesson plans you might get an idea about something the students can do with the computers. Or, look at the ideas on our Integration Resources website and in the Technology Templates folder in your grade level share folder. Also, feel free to ask me if you need an idea. Once you get comfortable with the computer center concept you can even plan different activities for different groups of students based on their needs. Technology is a perfect tool for differentiation!
Don’t forget that if you don’t see what you like or need, you can create activities. A perfect example is this activity created by Laura Sorensen at Wheeler for her third grade students. She created it in Kidspiration, saved it as a template, and placed it in her class folder inside the third grade share folder. Click on it to view full size.
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I suggest that you introduce whole class computer center activities to the students by using the SmartBoard. If you’re going to have small groups doing different activities, introduce the activities to each small group at the computer center.
Make use of your classroom computer experts. Chances are a student or two will have questions while you’re working with a student one on one or in a small group. Post a list of 2 or 3 computer helpers that students can go to when they can’t ask you.
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Help build your students’ technology independence. Write various center reminders on index cards, and tape to the computer, but not on the monitor. Give students directions how/where to save, how/where to print, and how to find templates or websites. You might also want to add any special direction reminders for the activity.
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Here’s how it can all look when taped around the computer:
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Start slow, give yourself and your students time to learn and grow through the use of the computer center activities. Give yourself permission to make mistakes and realize it might not flow very smoothly the first few times you try it. You may have to make adjustments to what you’re doing based on your first few tries. Talk with your colleagues about what is and is not working. Share your ideas with each other! Most importantly, remember to ask for help if you need it!
October 25th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Hi Ann,
Thank you for sharing Laura Sorensen’s 3rd grade lesson plan in Kidspiration! It looks great.
You may be interested in also sharing with your readers our Inspired Calendar, which provides lesson plans and examples by educators around special days and holidays. To view October’s Inspired Calendar, go to http://www.inspiration.com/blog/2010/10/october-inspired-calendar/. We have another calendar coming out for November on the 1st!
Also, be sure to check back for our Inspired Sites, which will highlight wikis, blogs and other sites created by educators in the past.
I’d love to connect with you further on our blog, Facebook or Twitter. You may also email me at connect(at)inspiration.com.
Thanks for mentioning us!
Sarah Cargill, Inspiration Software
inspiration.com/blog
facebook.com/InspirationSoftware
twitter.com/InspirationSW
October 26th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Hi Ann,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! You can visit my blog anytime at: http://hayeskristenedm310.blogspot.com/
My name is Kristen Hayes and I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. I was assigned your blog to comment on and I’m very happy to do so. I loved this post about helping other teachers to help their students using technology. This class is teaching me all sorts of things about technology in the classroom and I have seen so many different approaches it amazes me. I loved your suggestions and I believe they will be so helpful to many teachers who are needing this advice. I have a good bit of school left before I get to jump into my career as an educator, but I will keep in mind your ideas for the technology use in the classroom. I really liked how you told us what we can do as well as informed us that it will not be perfect and to always leave room for mistakes. This is a key idea, I think, in teaching because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from this class it is that every teacher makes a mistake and no teacher is perfect nor will their plan be. I also like how you posted picture examples for us visual learners
October 26th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Some great ideas here to just lower the affective filter that some teachers have about getting students on the computer. Love the rotation idea. And you’re right- the computer shouldn’t just be for the smart kids or the ones who finish early– it’s a learning tool for everyone.
October 27th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Ann, these are great suggestions for how to make use of those few, precious classroom computers. They shouldn’t be for those students who finish their work early alone! Great ideas, many I used, and can testify work, in my own classroom!
November 3rd, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Hi Ms. Carnevale,
I really glad you shared this information for us. I remember back when I was in Middle school and how hard and confusing it was for everybody in the class to share computers. I liked the way you gave us pictures to help visualize ways to help the students. I really think this can help a lot of teachers. You can see my blog Here.
November 21st, 2010 at 10:44 am
I love the cards! Thanks for sharing this post. At my school, we are required to do literacy centers during our 90 minute reading block. When I was in the classroom, I always had a computer center. One very valuable tool for me was our classroom portaportal. It, or course, provided online activities, but it gave the students very clear direction on where I wanted them to go. We usually focused our units of study around the novel that we were reading. Here is the portal I used in my last classroom: http://guest.portaportal.com/lanning I have also seen portaportals designed with tabs for individual student differentiation. Here’s a good one http://guest.portaportal.com/belllle2 Thanks again for the very helpful post!
December 5th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Hi! My name is AnMarie Lane and I am currently in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class at the University of South Albama. I was assigned to comment on your post, and I must say that it was very beneficial for me to read it. Thanks so much for all of the wonderful advice on how to get computers worked into everyday teaching and plans! I am looking forward to getting to integrate all of this new technology into my classroom when I become a teacher, but I really do not have any plans on how to do so yet. All of your tips were very useful and helpful and I will definitely keep them in mind when I do have a classroom of my own. Thanks again for the great advice!