From: Suzanne Alejandre <salejan@empirenet.com>
To: Teacher2Teacher Public Discussion
Date: 1998062901:19:15
Subject: Suggestions for one-computer classrooms

This is pretty general but here is my theory on one-computer 
classrooms.

1. Find a way to project that one computer onto a large monitor. 
   If it is a Mac you need to have a video out port and a LTV 
   Portable Pro or some sort of device that will translate the 
   Mac video out to be read by the TV.

   Another possibility is to use a LCD projection panel. If the 
   school has one, great, but to fund that personally is too 
   expensive, particularly if you want color. Then of course 
   there is the ultra-expensive video projector, which again 
   works great IF the school has one available.

2. Once you have a means to have the class view the computer 
   together, then here are some things that you can do:

   a. Demonstrate something that you are going to do in the lab.

      The day before going to the lab, go through the lesson 
      showing the class using your monitor. This cuts down on 
      time that you have to instruct in the lab and focuses the 
      students so that you maximize the one-day shot in the lab.

      Example: Tessellations
  
      http://forum.swarthmore.edu/sum95/suzanne/tess.intro.html


      Show the step-by-step procedure using ClarisWorks. You 
      could have the step-by-step directions available as a handout 
      for the students OR you could have the students take notes as 
      you model the assignment for them (my college-bound students
      take notes because that is an important part of their program.) 
      OR you could have a student who comes in extra be your assistant
      - you could show her/him the lesson ahead of time and have 
      her/him be the person who demonstrates.

   b. Work the lesson together as a class.

      If your one computer has direct Web access, then this is the 
      easiest, but even if not you can use WebWhacker and "whack" 
      the site that you want to use. So a Problem of the Week could 
      be presented in this way. You display (either live Internet 
      access or simulated) the problem and then all students work 
      on it. If you have live access you can submit your answers 
      right then. If you don't, you will need to have the students 
      write them down so that you can submit the answers later.

      [Note: Some people say you don't need the computer display to 
       do this. No, you don't, but it is more engaging for the 
       students.]

   c. Display an example of something that supports your lesson.

      If you are teaching the concept of pi you can show the 
      Geometer's Sketchpad sketch that illustrates this concept. 
      There are many great Sketchpad sketches that you can download 
      from the Forum that illustrate concepts wonderfully. This would 
      be like using video clips to support a history lesson, or like 
      using laserdisc clips to support a science lesson.

 - Suzanne Alejandre 
	

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