HIT: "Manned" Computer Labs

[South Junior High School <sjlib@IDIR.NET>]

Thanks for all your wonderful responses in regard to reasons the computer
lab should have a person in it at all times.  I've summarized all your
responses.

     Labs need to be manned each hour of the day (preferably by the same
person) as well as before and after school as the neeed arises.  We are in
this profesion because we like kids and want to help them reach their
highest potential.

     No teacher will use a lab if they have to spend time troubleshooting
computer glitches, opening files, orienting everyone to the keyboard,
solving printing problems, and having to do house cleaning every time they
enter the lab.  The result is a dirty, tangled mess of misused paper,
jammed printers, people with frozen screens and utter chaos for next class
coming in.

     Teachers WILL come if they believe equipment is reliable and there is
a support person on board.

Purposes of a lab person:

---To serve as a building contact person for district technicians.
        *If inexperienced teacher fouls up computer, the district techs have to
        spend more time trying to fix machine.

---To assist staff and students while they are in the lab.
        *Students with a teacher with less technology expertise are not
getting
        the same degree of education as those who have a more capable
technology
        expert.  The lab person helps bridge the gap.

---To provide a comfort level for teachers while they are in the lab.
        *We cannot continue to throw technology at kids and teachers.  We have
        to help educate teachers in using the software we have installed in our
        lab.  In reality we don't ask a Math teacher to teach English.  Why
        should an English teacher teach computers?

---To allow teachers to send individual students to lab for computer work
        (similar to going to the library).
        *It's not always necessary to entire class to go.

---To train teachers and students in proper/appropriate use of the computer.
        *Saving work to disk or teacher folder so information can be easily
        removed when project completed.
        *Prevent changing of files and application
        *Eliminate losing one's files or deleting application
        *Exiting programs properly
        *Shutting down system properly versus turning off the computer

---To quickly identify students who are not following correct procedures.
        *Students are not afraid to push buttons because they are curious.
        Such haste may take an untrained adult 2 hours to undo the problem as
        they probably won't know where to begin.

---To identify students that look for loopholes to cause the staff grief.

---To ensure that computers are in a "working" condition.
        *If teachers have to try 5 machines before they find one that works,
        they probably won't want to return to the lab.

---To troubleshoot on a daily basis
        *Many teachers can't program a VCR, yet we expect them to waltz into
        a room full of computers with 30 kids and do a good job.  How NUTS!
        We expect teachers to learn new software and other applications but
        this becomes next to impossible if they are always consumed with
        making sure every thing is working.  A teacher's primary job should
        be to teach or facilitate a lesson and encourage kids to be
        creative developing their upper level thinking skills.
        *No successful business in the entire world assumes that their
        machines will be trouble free if lef alone.  We, in education, cannot
        assume this either.  It is crazy and irresponsible to try to run a
        writing lab assuming it can be run effectively without a lab person
        present.

---To stay on top of problems
        *A work order needs to be faxed to tech quppost the same day the
        computer problem occurs.  Problems must be reported PRONTO if we
        expect results.

---To perform basic preventative maintenance on a regular basis.
        *Each machine is unique in its own way and unusual quirks can be
        identified and handled much more efficiently.
        *Apple recommends rebuilding the desktop of each computer once a
        month
        *Can of air to remove dust from hard drives
        *Static free screen cleaner maintenance
        *Mouse cleaning when necessary
        *Monthly removal of obsolete files, etc. from hard drive.  Too much
on a
        dirve can slow down the machine causing it to freeze.  Less
        likelihood that memory problems will occur as well.  One person
        in charge would know what the difference classes are working on and
        could remove files from hard drive or save them on ZIP drive disk.

---To alleviate "down time" for students and teachers

---To education teachers in using the software we currently have in our lab

---To ensure that all licensing agreements are in compliance with the law.
        Programs on our hard drives cannot be copied to student disks nor
        vice versa.

---To maintain an attractive room  e.g. posters, etc.

---To insure that room has some necessary classroom supplies on hand  e.g.
paper
        clips, stapler, scissors, box of disks, paper, printer cartridges, etc.

---To serve as a spokesman when hardware or software should be ordered for lab.

---To keep vandalism at a minimum

---To provide security of computers

---To monitor safety practices

---To provide security of network

---To alleviate misuse of computer
        *Keys popped off and taken from keyboard
        *Candy in computer
        *Gum in printer
        *Pop spilled on keyboard
        *Disk jams
        *Paper jamgs
        *Settings changed on printers
        *Pounding on keyboard when something doesn't work
        *Removing mouseballs
        *Foreign objects in any place capable of receiving them

---To reinforce the concept that lab is a classroom not a video arcade

---To police the screens so our students do not end up in inappropriate web
        sites (if computers are all connected to internet)






Marcia L. McPhail
Library Media Specialist
South Junior High School
Lawrence, KS  66046
sjlib@idir.net

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
To quit LM_NET (or set NOMAIL or DIGEST), Send an email message to
listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
    NOTE: Please allow time for confirmation from Listserv.
For more help see LM_NET On The Web: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=