The library lab is a hot topic. The lab is checked out weeks in advance and it has become a frustration for all parties involved. We have rules on when and how to check out the lab and due to the high demand some teachers just avoid it all together. About five teachers routinely check it out and want to use it even more if possible. Multiple teachers have expressed interest in having a classroom set of netbooks instead of textbooks. Knowing the up front cost would be much to high for the administration to accept, teachers have been pushing idea of having one mobile computer lab for each department. The cost would be low since most teachers just need a word processor and internet browser. Netbooks can be purchased for $250 each so the cost could be kept under $10,000 for a classroom set of netbooks including wireless equipment and cart. This would allow the teachers who want and need to use technology the most the opportunity to finally find space in the computer lab or in the classroom.
Is booking a computer lab in your school difficult?
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It can be difficult here for some of the same reasons. It is alleviated somewhat by the language arts class having 10 computer mini labs. The big problem is when teachers don't check out the lab correctly i.e. they sign up for the full day when they just need an hour. Or when they check it out and then just don't show up because stuff happens which changes the L.P.
ReplyDeleteTraining and courtesy are the keys.
bf
This last week we split the lab times in half. Now teachers have the option of signing up for just 25 min blocks. It has seemed to help!
ReplyDeleteOur media center lab is also the source of much frustration but lately it has become a little easier to use. Until this year we submitted our media center requests to the media center specialist, she then took all requests as they came in. Once she read them they were put onto the ical we post from our school home page. There was often people too that really only needed it for half the hour so we tried to work with each other plus only request half the hour. We also have 2 lunches for teachers so it was easier to share our 3rd hour requests. This year there were budget cuts made so our media center specialist actually goes between the middle school and high school. Our library is closed when she is not there. So we actually get administrative rights to go in and set up our own requests on ical for the use of the computer lab. This really has worked out so much better, you can check for yourself if our lab is available rather than waiting for a response before you make plans. Also we have 2 additional computer labs that either have an actual computer class in it or may be checked out by a teacher to use. If you have too many students to fit into one of the labs if there are extra computers in another lab and a teacher to supervise we are all pretty flexible in that respect.
ReplyDeleteIt is a major struggle to find a time to get to the media centers lab. In fact, many teachers get irritated with a few of the teachers who seem to "hog" the computer lab time. We have an exploratory class offered at our middle school that requires the use of a specific program. Each day throughout the year, the media center is unavailable 2nd hour. We have tried to split computer use time in half, but with 43 minute class periods it is difficult to rotate classes through and have students be able to accomplish a task in a 21 minute period.
ReplyDeleteIn my school there are two days in which the tech lab is open to teachers the other three days it is in use all day with actual technology classes. It is difficult to get in there on those two free days unless you sign up weeks in advance. Unfortunately for me a lot of my planning is done a week in advance and I have had to do some hefty bargaining at times to get my class in there. The other fifth grade teachers have had some similar problems and so we talked to our principal and tech director to see if we could possibly get a few computers to put in the activity room that adjoins our classrooms. Sadly the money wasn't there and we were told there were not even any "old" computers that we could use. It's frusterating!
ReplyDeleteGina
ReplyDeleteOur Woods/Drafting teacher had the same problem. He took it upon himself to buy 6 computers at an auction. They were just as old as the library computers but he purchased them for $5.50 each. The administration agreed to hook them up. Kinda hard to refuse.
We had the same problem their seemed to be a few teachers that would use it all the time. As of right know we don't even have a computer lab. After next week every student in our middle school will have HP Minis. Know the problem will be how slow will the network might be if a bounch of students are trying to log on at the same time. Plus over the last few days the network has been running very slow and the students don't even have the minis yet only time will tell.
ReplyDelete