1 Computer for All of Us? Really?

So, here's the dilemma- you're teaching in a classroom and you want to utilize the single computer you have, but you have 25 students. How do you make it work?

Here are a few options:

1. Use it as a presentation tool.
2. Use interactive group software (taking turns followed by group discussion).
3. Use it as a learning station (for resource or for reward).
4. Use it for teacher productivity.

Ok, so now you can begin to see that 1 computer in a classroom of 25 students and 1 teacher is a possibility. So long as everyone is engaged and using the computer to enhance the lesson rather than control the lesson than everyone should get something out of using the computer in the classroom.

If you have a school library or your students all have access to a home computer and the internet then you can do webquests and scavenger hunts. Both use the internet to do an activity that draws information from the web. A webquest is more involved and is based off of a culminating activity, uses higher order thinking and is very structured. A scavenger hunt is knowledge based, doesn't require higher order thinking and is not structured.

By clicking on sites like http://faculty.usiouxfalls.edu/arpeterson/scavenger_hunts.htm for scavenger hunts, and http://www.bestwebquests.com/ for webquests you can get an idea as to what they look like and how they function as classroom/homework activities.

Trust me, they are fun and students like to do them, so give them a whirl and see what happens. Just make sure they compliment your lesson(s) and you teach students how to do them before assigning them.

Enjoy surfing and hunting on the web!