If Computer Lab = Alien Place, Than Alien Place = a GREAT Place to Learn!  Tess Keller, East Fayette Elementary School Fayette County, GA

            Lori Miller, of www.alienteacher.com, will be every new computer lab teacher’s newest hero and resource when they hear about her great ideas.  Her session was full of fabulous ideas that can be implemented right away.  My students and I have experienced great satisfaction implementing several of her proposals.  Some of the ideas suggested were having students create the wallpaper in the lab, displaying an “Art Gallery” in the lab, and setting your Word Wall up like a QWERT keyboard.  She even uses Styrofoam hamburger boxes to represent the keys on the Word Wall.  One of the themes suggested was a Hollywood “Tech Idol” theme relating to a student favorite, American Idol.  When a class achieves a goal, they get a star our front, and the class with the best manners for the month gets a DVD Popcorn party in front of the SmartBoard. 

Excellent classroom management is imperative in today’s classroom. To encourage such, seats are assigned in a boy-girl fashion, and the children have laminated cards that say “Help!”  Procedures and rules should be established right away.  LogIn cards are set out for children in the lower grades, and they are created in all CAPS to match the keyboard.  Neighbors helping neighbors is encouraged.  However, they are to teach by telling, so they are not to take the mouse away.  When students encounter something inappropriate on the internet, they are to turn off their monitors.  The students will not get into any trouble as long as they keep it to themselves.  Faux Paw is a book and site about a cat suggested for internet safety. Lining up students using different characteristics like “all odd numbers”, after adding a color, shape and number to each computer can be a fun educational ending to class.   

Kindergartners typically come into school with varying degrees of technology experience.  Putting colored stickers on the Enter, Tab, and Escape keys can increase their awareness and independence.  Simon Says or I Spy can be played to learn the computer parts.  Teaching the children that their pointer finger is the clicking finger, and to type enter after clicking on an icon can ease the difficulty of “doubleclicking” without moving all the icons around. 

  Motivating teachers and involving parents is another component of the computer teacher’s job, and it can be fun!  Have a Tech-Share, where each teacher is to share one idea used during the year.  Your morning T.V. broadcast could spotlight teachers “caught” using technology.  Tech tip emails can be sent out weekly.  Parents love learning about the programs though parent workshops.  A “Techstravaganza” is a fabulous way to showcase student work at night. 

As a new computer teacher, I have already implemented several of Lori Miller’s ideas.  We should all be checking her website to keep refreshed.  Under curriculum, you can find an idea for every standard for every grade level.  Don’t miss out on this fabulous chance for all teachers to integrate technology!

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