Planning A Computer Lab Activity

"Education Planner" is so easy to use that most of your students will have no trouble navigating the site and finding the information they need. You may find, however, that the most effective way to introduce the site to them is through a directed activity in your school's computer lab. You may also find that teachers will want to use some of its features as part of the academic curriculum.

Here are some suggestions for planning a directed activity in your computer lab:

1. Know your school's computer system.
   
   How reliable is your school's computer system? Can students sign on and access the Internet quickly? Do you have problems with server speed? Will you be using laptops that will need to be recharged between class sessions? Is your wireless internet access reliable? Computer problems will slow down the class session, limit the amount of material that can be covered, and add a sense of frustration for both the students and the facilitator, so these issues must be considered in the planning process.
2. Know your time frame.
   
   How long are your class periods? How many class periods will be dedicated to exploring Education Planner? These factors will determine how much material can be covered in each period and how each lesson plan will be constructed.
3. Know your audience.
   
   What is the general reading level of your students? What is the level of computer literacy and keyboarding skill of your students? What is the most appropriate material to be covering with the grade you are working with? These factors will determine how long various activities will take and how much material can be covered in each class period.
4. Know your colleagues.
   
   Which teachers will be willing to give up instructional time so that their students can explore Education Planner? Are the activities you wish to conduct part of a regular class, such as English, Reading, or Guidance, or will you need to take students out of the classroom? Can you conduct the exercise as part of a required computer class? Getting a buy-in from your colleagues will add credibility to the exercises you want to conduct with your students.

Once the activity has been planned, there are a number of things the facilitator can do to help the process go smoothly during the class period:

1. Reserve the computer lab; then make sure the lab is unlocked before students arrive.
2. Have students report directly to the computer lab, not to their regular classroom. This maximizes the amount of time you will have available. Attendance can be taken as students are working in the website.
3. Be very familiar with the website before delivering instruction. Students are quick to pick up on the fact that a presenter is unorganized or unprepared.
4. Walk around the lab throughout the period. This makes it easier for students to ask questions and easier for the facilitator to maintain control of the class.
5. Check frequently to be sure all students are working in the appropriate section of the website.
6. Keep one eye on the clock, keep things moving along quickly, and remember how much material you want to cover in the class session. Time flies when you're in the computer lab, and keeping the activity fast paced will help hold student interest.
7. Avoid lengthy interruptions, and resist the urge to spend extended periods of time with individual students.
8. Keep it light and make it fun so the students will want to return to the site on their own time. Students will naturally want to talk to each other as they review the site and find things that are of interest to them. They are also very good at helping out a classmate who may have gotten lost along the way. Allow this type of conversation to occur as long as the group stays focused, does not get too loud, and is able to quickly move on to the next topic when instructed to do so. Quite often, allowing this type of focused conversation will result in the facilitator having a handful of "teaching assistants" in the room.
9. Don't be afraid to admit that you don't know something, or that you are not totally familiar with a particular part of the site. When put in this situation, encourage students to explore on their own and try to find the answer to their own question. This promotes creative thinking, investigation, and problem solving. Many times a student will find the answer and inform the whole class. As a result, the teacher learns from the students, and that is a healthy instructional environment!

Your students are going to enjoy exploring Education Planner. By doing an effective job of planning the class session and facilitating the activity, you can ensure that this is a meaningful educational experience for them as well. Please feel free to contact us with any additional hints or suggestions you have for introducing this site to your students.