Hit: Computer Lab Monitoring

[Sharon Mabe <sharondcm@HOTMAIL.COM>]

Dear LM_Netters:
Thank you so much for all your responses!  It has certainly helped me and
given me some great ideas!

Thank you!
Sharon Mabe

I have nineteen computers for student use in my library and I have them all
arranged so that I can see the monitors from the circulation desk.  On each
computer I have a little sign that says: Not Allowed on
LibraryComputers...no email, no chatrooms, no games, no downloading, no
surfing for fun.  If I catch anyone doing any of those, they are sent back
to study hall or class immediately. The kids know I mean business. Those
computers are only for accessing our online magazine databases,
encyclopedias online and other subscriptions online.  They can use the
Internet if they have specific addresses and/or assignments from their
teachers.  I make sure the teachers notify me of their research assignments
and if they forget, I get the information from some of the reliable smart
students. I am not always at the circulation desk and as I walk aroud the
library, I will walk past students using computers. IF they immediately
scramble to get back to the desktop as I stroll by, they are kicked off the
computer and sent out. They were up to
no good and were trying to hide it.  I do not have sign up sheets.  The
teachers reserve the library for designated hours and those computers are
theirs.  If no one is using the computers, then the study hall students can
use them.  I've got the teachers trained to sign up EARLY to reserve the
library...like several days to a week in advance, not one minute before the
class begins!!  I do hear students running in the hall to get to the library
first, and if they enter the library running or in a noisy manner, they are
sent out in the hall to reenter the proper way. If you have any questions,
I'd be happy to answer!


Our high school has the students login and logout using their names anda
password provided by the school. We have had many bomb threats thispast year
and this helped to monitor the use of the Internet because itleft a record
of who had been on the computers and at what times. Wealso had Acceptable
Use Policies the students as well as staff had tosign. I wish you the best!


Our students have Internet Cards that they must display on their keyboard at
all times while using the net.  First of all, we have a district AUP, so
that has to be sent home and the student and parents read and sign it. The
student returns it, and we askhim/her to tell us three things about internet
use at school. Then, if successful, we issue an "internet driver's license,"
which must be presented when he/she wants to use internet. We also have a
sign in sheet,with name, period, teacher's name,and computer number.


Hi Sharon, I am the district media specialist, and oversee the middle/high
school library. Students must sign in when they enter the library. We have
24 computers in the library's computer lab. We had sign in sheets
onclipboards on each computer cart. The student had to sign in, also signout
when they were finished. The sheets also had a space to list any problems.
We have only had computers in the library for 2 1/2 years. The hardest thing
was getting the students to sign in. This past year, weinstalled a network
system. It's wonderful. The students log in on thecomputers. With the
network, you can
see what the students print out. If it's unappropriate, you can also turn
off their accounts. Then they can'tget on the computer. Most of the time,
students are on the computers. Ispend most of my time walking around the
computer lab, helping with thoseproblems. Our school system also has a
student responsibility sheet thatmust be signed by both the student and
parent. It states that they won'tgo on any inappropriate ares on the
Internet. Network chat is prohibited! When I made their library cards, I
placed a "computer" spine label in the upper right hand corner. I used to
make them show their card if theywanted to get on the Internet. That way I
knew if they had the sheet signed. Have you thought of getting any of the
software that can let yousee what sites students are on? Hope any of this
information helps. If you have any specific questions, let me know.

We have a 21 computer lab that is only accessible from our
library. Ithas full Internet access with filters that can be removed or
replaced atwill by the librarian machine by machine. Unfortunately, the
filters andother control devices can also be changed by the students, who
quickly learnhow to get around those and any other controls. We do have a
sign-in, whichtakes a lot of time and effort to monitor. It doesn't really
stop kids fromdoing things that they shouldn't, but it makes them wonder if
they will beaccountable for things that they see or do on the computers.
This spring,we saw a demonstration of a relatively inexpensive lab
monitoring programthat looked very good. By designating one of the computers
(presumably yours) the "control" computer, the adult can flip through the
screens of allthe computers in the lab. When you are teaching a lesson and
want thestudents to all be on the same screen you can freeze all the
keyboards andkeep everyone's computer to the site that you select. I think
that you can also freeze any one computer at a time. Since I'm at home now
and I don'tremember the name of the program or the company that markets it,
you can write back to me if you'd like me to find out the name and address
of the company. Otherwise, I'd suggest that you make sure that the computers
are easily seen from your desk or from the checkout counter. Or you can ask
forteachers or parapros to help you man the lab. Good luck!


Sharon,
I use a sign-in sheet. In the beginning of the year we just had them
sign-in, we would check the circulation system to see if they had an AUP on
file. (an asterisk indicated they had) Then the student could go online. By
the middle of the year we updated our form to be more specific and numbered
the workstations. A velcro dot was put on the upper left hand corner of each
workstation. A numbered dot was put peside the velcro. Students were
assigned computers and given a hot pink numbered square with velcro on the
back.  We could see easily who was legal on the Internet by the pink "flags"
on the monitors. We have 11 compuer stations and 1750 students in our
school.  Sign-in sheets included today's date, time on, time off, student
name,
subject of reference work. Signing off seemed to be more important as the
year progressed. Students were told they were responsible for the computer.
If they walked away and someone went to an inappropriate site, or off their
topic then they lost priviledges. It realy made them see how accountable
they needed to be. After a very few incidents, students got the word. We
have no filtering. We had a few incidents but I could count them between
both hands and with all the kids in our school I was proud of my
students.Hotmail was the usual problem. I posted signs that said email and
chat were not allowed in the library setting. Most kids caught doing
inappropriate
things were in their email. I check histories twice a week.
I have not done this but a friend of mine has made two barcodes and the
"books"are titled something like Internet and computer. When a student wants
to usethe computers they go to the circulation desk and check out the
appropriate "book" Because the data is stored on the computer she can
generate statistics on usage.


I entered each computer into my automation system andbarcoded cards for each
one. Students have to check out thecomputers to use them.

Thanks again for all your help!

Sharon Mabe, New Librarian next fall!
North Stokes High School
Danbury, NC  27022
sharondcm@hotmail.com


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