Truthfully, managing two carts of 12 computers (actually only 23 computer as one was 'lost' last school year) that are assigned to our school's HS ESL department (composed of six teachers, including myself, who teach in eight different classrooms) is a headache that often turns into a migraine as the two carts are also shared with two other departments (Social Studies and English, comprising over ten other teachers and classrooms) and the parent-run Dutch program (run by an unknown number of unnamed parents). Zomig please!
For some personality types, this headache could be solved with a deep breadth or a shrug of the shoulders; I require regular doses of zomig. I am very organized (detail-oriented), rule-bound, and dare I say, controlling? (My daughter nods her head.) Rules for managing the use of computers, do we have them? Of course! With over 20 adults, 200 students, and 20 classrooms jointly using two carts of 23 computers on wheels, are the rules followed consistently (without exceptions) and with consequences for breaking the rules? Of course not!
RULES FOR USE OF THE ESL LAPTOPS
1. Student sign-out system
2. Honor system for the students
3. Lock the carts at the end of class
4. Guidelines for computer use:
a. check out for one class only
b. sign-out and sign-in
c. can check out a cart if it is free on the same day
d. for educational use only during ESL class
e. return and plug in laptops in the correct cart in the right spaces
These rules were developed by our department with Dennis Harter, our school's High School Technology and Learning Coordinator, after the loss of 'the computer' last year. The rules have helped, it is the end of semester 1 in one week and no computer has been lost over the past five months. Furthermore, the mysterious case of the disappearing and reappearing weekend and overnight computers has gone cold since the new rules have been implemented (another story, another blog). So why the headache? My very organized (detail-oriented), rule-bound, and controlling personality is under constant assault by the 'unspoken rules'.
'UNSPOKEN' RULES FOR USE OF THE ESL LAPTOPS
1. There is no student sign-out system although an empty clipboard with an empty sign-out chart is occasionally spotted on the top of the carts
2. Honor system for the students—Our saving grace!
3. Lock the carts at the end of class unless you forget your keys or forget to lock up the cart (and on days when you're really rushed the classroom itself)
4. Guidelines for computer use:
a. check out for one class only, but still feel free to get computers at any time from any cart as needed
b. sign-out and sign-in (See #1 above)
c. can check out a cart if it is free on the same day with the expectation that other 20 teachers and 200 students will come knocking on your door while you're teaching class looking for a computer
d. for educational use only during ESL class, when the teacher is looking
e. return and plug in laptops in the correct cart in the right spaces, or to the nearest cart with an available slot and plug in when you think of it or a teacher is watching
What advice or best practices would I recommend based on my experience managing a shared set of departmental school laptops? Rules help but they need to be agreed upon and enforced by all users of the computers. Every teacher and student needs to feel responsible for following the rules. There needs to be consequences for breaking the rules and these consequences need to be consistently followed through on by all teachers and for all students. And finally the value of the computer as an educational tool and school resource needs to be discussed with the students. Such powerful educational tools are a gift from the school to teachers and students and as such their presence and use in the classroom should be celebrated and valued and not seen as a source of headache and stress. So if you have a personality similar to mine, establish rules but know that we are all human and rules will be broken. Take a deep breath, relax...Yoga anyone?
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