How can i use technology in the classroom with only one computer?

[marsiemc]

Hi, I am a 7th grade math teacher. I really want to encourage my students to use technology so they can get ahead in life. The problem is not a lot of my students have computers or internet access at home. I want them to be able to use technology and be exposed to it at school, but I only have one computer in my room for 34 students. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can incorporate technology into my lessons so it will give them the kind of exposure they need?

Thanks
Sierra

[Unregistered]

You have one PC and how best can you use it for educational purposes?

1) Use it for research to support your teaching.

2) Hock up an InFocus projector and present a math clip or PowerPoint prestentaion. Look for premade PPT presentaions on the web.
3) Try Quia.com for interactive student quizzes, games and study aides.

The PC is a modern slate and chalk.

[Stuart Little]

i agree with the unregistered guest. if you only have one computer and you really, really want to incorporate technology into your classroom, use the InFocus Projector. if your school does not have any available, write a grant. my school does not have one and i do not have time to write a grant so i gather up all my kids and they read their simple sight words, basic sight words, and advance sight words through the powerpoint presentation (which i made on my own).

or if you want your kids to actually use it, make it one of those learning centers where the kids take turns.

make sure your objective is clear though. why are they using the computer?

you know your kids best!

[marsiemc]

what is an InFocus Projector? This is my first year teaching and I am not familiar with that?

[Unregistered]

It is a projector that you can hook up to your computer so the entire class can see what is on the screen. It is a great tool for the classroom.

I agree with Stuart Little about the grant. Yes it is very time consuming, but it is well worth it. I have a friend that did it last year and now she has eight computers in her classroom. She is helping me write one for next year.

Another idea is to give each student an objective for the year, assign each a week throughout the school year. The objective should be what you have just covered, do not give them something that they know NOTHING about. They will have one week on the computer to research or come up with some creative activity that they did on the computer to share with the class. They would then share it with the class. Be sure that you can give them time (10-15 min each class or even the entire class) to work on their presentation.

[Unregistered]

Once again, I have to throw in there that I use a system called Qwizdom. Its great, I have used it for about 4 years, you can use it with the entire class on 1 computer. There are also others I have seen. JFurr.com for details, Qwizdom.com for more.
PS I don't sell it, I use it.

[Jack Furr]

what is an InFocus Projector? This is my first year teaching and I am not familiar with that?
Infocus is a company which makes many devices for connecting your computer output to "real" (NTSC) video. An example would be connecting your computer directly to a TV monitor. Now you can get several (many) computer video cards which do the same thing and more (very cheaply). I used an Infocus converter to show my computer video on a wide screen TV (about 10 years ago). Now my laptop has a video output (RCA or S-Video). There are now small adapters (Radio Shack) to convert S-Video output to RCA composite so you can show that on a monitor (standard NTSC). Search the internet and you can easily find tutorials on these subjects. Wide screen TVs (used) are fairly inexpensive now. Decent video projectors can be had for around $800 and come with all the connections you will need to show DVD, VCR, and computer content on a projector screen. By the way, those cheap video cards for computers now have video tuners which allow you to record videos, TV, Cable, Satellite, and other signals/audio to your hardrive and play them back (called a Personal Video Recorder). Technology!! Gotta love it! :D

[im here :) not :(]

im not a teacher but a grants a good idea if your school has a computer lab thats 1 thing to use.

[Unregistered]

I have a Qwizdom 16 remote set for sale. I won it at a Computer Conference and am not going to use it. If you would like more info, you can email me at orserm@msad49.org if you would like.

Thanks

[MikePalmquist]

If you had a large-screen projector connected to the video card of the computer, you could do this free computer game as a group activity.

Go to www.teamtreks.com for a free kids game that also has a sample teacher toolkit to manage 5 student accounts, customize the game, and track performance. Each student could sign up on their own and take turns after you do this lesson plan on leadership skills. You can buy an account but there's one that's free for 5 students.

Here's a lesson plan I copied from the Classroom Integration Guide. The Guidebook has 80 pages of lesson plans and materials you can get as a PDF for $9.95.

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Time Required: A minimum of one class period; however, depending on class size and interaction and how in-depth you want this introduction to be, it could take two or more periods. interaction and how in-depth you want this introduction to be, it could take two or more periods.
Group size: Whole Class
Equipment: Large screen projector
Materials: Maps of drop zone area.
Procedure
1. Decide which drop zone you wish to use for the introduction. (We suggest Glacier Bay.) Make copies of the Glacier Bay map for each student in your class.
2. Before the class begins, login to the TeamTreks website. Begin the class by going through the Step by Step section of Glacier Bay. There are 21 screens.
3. Start Glacier Bay. Have the introduction animation cycle play as you hand out the Glacier Bay maps.
4. Goal. Begin by explaining the goal of the Glacier Bay game. (Click on the Goal button.) Read the goal out loud. Before you click "OK" and close the goal description. Ask:
· Where will we be dropped off? (We don’t know.)
· What do we have to do? (Make it back to the TeamTreks Cabin.)
· How do we plan a route to the TeamTreks cabin? (Use our maps)
· How do we earn a certificate? (We need a 15 point rating from each teammate.)
· What categories do teammates rate the trek? (Activities, food, Safety, Pace, Mood)
5. New Game. Click on "New Game". Say, "You travel with three other teammates. There are several different areas, or drop zones, where you might travel. There are four different food packs you can choose. For right now, let’s start a new game with the settings we have." Click the "OK" button to begin the game.
6. On the Water. Review the interface and display. Say, "There’s our kayak in the middle of the water. The circle around the kayak shows the directions we can go. Remember how the directions on a compass work? We can go…" (and with the class, name the directions available.) Point out the meters for each teammate. Say, "Each teammate has information that you can see about their hunger, their mood, their fatigue, and any injuries they might have." Click on the image of each teammate. Review their profiles. Ask:
· What activities are there? (Rock-climbing, fishing, wildlife viewing, and history.)
· What is "diet"? (The kind of food they like to eat.)
· What is "risk tolerance"? (How much risk, or danger, we accept or are comfortable with?)
· What is "stamina?" (How much energy or endurance a teammate has?)
· What other information is listed? (Skills, Expertise, Age, Home, Class, School, and Free Time Activities)
7. Before moving. Review the page "Your Mission" in "Kayaking in Alaska" section. Read out loud the second paragraph, "You need to figure (1) where you are and (2) which direction the TeamTreks cabin is. Use maps and GPS positioning to plan a route and navigate to campsites. Official campsites are the only place you’re allowed to stop. Consider your teammates’ preferences, moods, energy levels, and health in making decisions." Ask:
· What’s the first thing we should do? (Figure out where we are.)
· How are we going to find where we are? (Use our maps and GPS positioning.)
· What’s the next thing we should do? (Figure out where the TeamTreks cabin is.)
8. Check the map. Close the handbook and then click on the map icon. Say, "Look at the numbers below the map that show two GPS readings. The Kayak GPS numbers show the latitude and longitude for the location of our kayaks. The Marker GPS numbers show the latitude and longitude for the mouse and the marker." Begin to move the mouse over the map. Explain:
· If the latitude is smaller than the kayak’s number, the mouse is south of the kayak. If the latitude is bigger than the kayak’s number, the mouse is north of the kayak. Try to match the two latitude numbers as much as possible.
· If the longitude is smaller than the kayak’s number, the mouse is east of the kayak. If the longitude is bigger than the kayak’s number, the mouse is west of the kayak.
· When all of the numbers match, this is where your kayak is on the map.
9. Deciding which direction to go. Review where the TeamTreks cabin is. It is shown on the in-game map as a green house. Ask the group, "Which way should we go?"
10. Begin to move. Click on the corresponding arrow in the circle that is around the kayak. At the first landmark (foot prints for Wildlife, jumping fish for Fishing, totem pole for History, rock cliff for Rock Climbing, campfire ring for Camping), click on it. Say, "Here’s a decision point. If we click on this landmark, we bring up a decision. Each teammate will have an opinion about that. They might be excited about doing that. They might be against doing that." Look at each teammate’s comments. Ask the class, "Should we do it? Do our teammates want to do that?" If the class says Yes, then go into the activity. Say, "Every time we get a correct answer, it improves the moods of our teammates and adds to our overall score."
11. Continue. Continue to check the map, click on the corresponding arrows around the kayak, deal with decisions that might come up (point out that teammates have opinions about each decision point and each choice), and visit landmarks that you see along the shore until your teammates are beginning to "show red" in some of the meters ... hunger, mood, fatigue. This should happen after about 10 moves. Find a campsite along the shore.
12. Camping. At a campsite (the fire ring) on the shore, point out that your teammates will have opinions based on their hunger, mood, and fatigue. At the campsite, you have to decide on camp duties. This is a decision and also effects teammates’ moods. Then, you will have to select a dinner and breakfast. Each meal choice also affects teammates’ moods. After breakfast, you will get a report on the weather radio. You should review what the radio means. If there are gale warnings or small craft advisories, you should definitely wait another day. If it’s windy with high waves or rainy, you might want to wait until noon.
13. Stop the demo. Ask if students are ready to try leading a team back to the TeamTreks cabin.