Hi,
I teach second grade in central New York. I have 4 computers with internet access in my room. I also have one printer. We have a lab that is open for classroom teachers every other day. On the other days we have a teacher assistant that teaches computer classes. The children have computer class once in our six day cycle.
I love how the children are so comfortable using the computers and they are so willing to help each other out.
My biggest concern is that they often sit unused day after day in my classroom. Learning centers are frowned upon in our district. The children can use them in the mornings when their morning jobs are completed but that doesn't give them much time and excludes those who eat breakfast or get brought to school at the last minute. I do use Bookadventure.com frequently after we've read a story. I use the lab for typing reports and math drill. I'm hoping someday to figure out a way to use the computers in our room on a more frequent basis.
I've combined the Frosty Reader project with writing a class book for publication through Studentreasures.com. The children have written many types of winter poems. One they did for Frosty Readers on Kidspiration2 and another poem they're doing for publication in our class book. Hopefully the snow will stop and we'll get back to school to finish both projects before being on vacation next week.
I'd welcome any suggestions on how to use the computers in my room during instructional time.
Nedra
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Every morning the students start and know that when they are finished, they tap the next student on the list. I post a class list next to the computer for my students to refer to.
The only time we "take a break" is when I am instructing a full-class lesson. When they go back to their seats to complete seatwork, the next student on the list goes back to the computer for 15 minutes. Most students end up finishing their independent work, but sometimes you have to modify for those slower workers.
You can also use this cycle process for journal writing and other activities. Honestly, you will never see any of your computers unused for more than a half hour a day if you do it this way.
Hope this helps.
:)
Hello there, I do a lot of internet workshops for science based lessons. They are a lot like a scavanger hunt. They have worksheet that is filled with questions and then they go to a certain prechosen site and look for the answers. It covers reading, writing and research skills, along with the science and technology. The students love it. I have only four computer too, so they usually work in pairs. I pair a high and low student together so there is some peer tutoring involved. While eight of them are at the computer I'll have the rest of the class working on science paper work or something the like. It is a great way to get more use out of the computers then centers and writing.
I would use them as part of their independent work time at thier seat.
What about using them for writing. Put story starters on each on the computers and assign all children in the classes to one of them. Instruct the students to add two or three sentences to the story and perhaps even a small picture....Kid Pix would be great for this.
Also you could use for a newspaper. Set up a simple template and again ask each to add two or three sentences and a picture.
For math, you could ask each child to write and illustrate a math problem. Put them into powerpoint or Kid Pix slide show with the answer on a separate slide and run them for math practice.
There are lots of great math sites...here's a good one for math...time http://www.teachingtime.co.uk/draggames/sthec3.html
Asssign them three minutes..or whatever...egg timer??? to work on it.
Good luck!
JudyS